My Granddad’s Sticky Clove Bourbon Ham
A couple of years ago I wrote about Stevie’s first book, Real Food from Near and Far, and his restaurant, Dock Kitchen in Ladbroke Grove in West London.
Stevie has achieved huge critical acclaim for his creative yet unpretentious and exceptionally delicious food cooking. He was chosen as Observer Young Chef of the Year in 2010 and writes a weekly column for the Daily Telegraph.
In just over two years, Stevie has written three books. In his latest book — Spice Trip The Simple Way to Make Food Exciting — he has linked up with Emma Grazette to document their incredible journey to all corners of the world to discover the secrets of six essential everyday spices.
For nutmeg and mace they went all the way to Grenada, next it was cloves in Zanzibar, cumin in Turkey, cinnamon in India, beautiful black pepper in Cambodia and for chillies where else but Mexico.
As well as exploring the culinary uses of each spice, Emma also reveals their therapeutic value through the secrets she discovered from the remarkable people she met on her journey.
The photographs are gorgeous, rich and evocative enough to truly whet your appetite and spike the curiosity of even the most determined meat and two veg fan. This book accompanies Stevie and Emma’s first TV series Spice Trip on More 4 on Nov 25, 2012.
Gluten-free; Prep: 20 mins; Cook: 45 mins-1 hr
150g (5oz) pistachios, finely ground, plus 75g (3oz) coarsely chopped
200g (7oz) ground almonds
220g (7½oz) soft brown sugar
120g (4½oz) butter, softened
1 tsp table salt
2 eggs, lightly beaten
250g (9oz) Greek-style yoghurt, plus extra to serve
1 tbsp freshly grated nutmeg
1 tsp baking powder
1 x 20cm (8in) round springform cake tin
This is a lovely yoghurty cake that I first had in Lebanon, though I think it is actually originally from Syria.
Try to find really young, bright-green pistachios.
Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/gas 4. Line a 20cm (8in) springform cake tin with baking paper.
In a bowl, combine the 150g (5oz) ground pistachios, the almonds, sugar, butter and salt, and stir with a wooden spoon until it all comes together.
Spread half the mixture evenly over the base of the cake tin.
Combine the remainder of the mixture with the eggs, yoghurt, nutmeg and baking powder, and beat until you have a smooth and creamy mixture.
Pour into the cake tin, then scatter with the 75g (3oz) chopped pistachios. Bake for 45 minutes to an hour, until golden.
Leave to cool, then cut into slices and serve with a dollop of yoghurt.
Prep: 5 mins
Cook: 45 mins
1 x 3kg (7lb) cooked ham on the bone, cooled
About 20 whole cloves
4 tbsp orange marmalade
4 tbsp honey
4 tbsp Dijon mustard
100ml (3½fl oz) bourbon
Glazed ham studded with cloves is a traditional favourite recipe. The addition of bourbon to the classic Christmas ham adds another level of flavour. It’s a great dish to cook at any time, so why wait for Christmas? It tastes just as good cold for lunch and is ideal for a picnic or a big party.
Preheat the oven to 160°C/325°F/gas 3.
Cut the rind off the cooked ham, leaving the fat, and place the ham in a roasting tin.
With a sharp knife, score the fat in a diamond pattern, taking care not to cut through to the meat, and stick a clove into the centre of each diamond.
In a bowl, mix the marmalade, honey, mustard and bourbon together and, using a pastry brush or palette knife, spread the ham with a third of the glaze.
Bake for 15 minutes, then take the ham out of the oven and spread with another third of the glaze.
Return the ham to the oven for another 15 minutes, then spread with the remaining glaze and return to the oven for a final 15 minutes.
Remove the ham from the oven and let it rest for 15 minutes before slicing.
Prep & Cook: 5 mins
1kg (2¾lb) clams (preferably Palourde) rinsed
Olive oil
A handful of curry leaves
1 small dried chilli or ½ tsp dried chilli flakes
8cm (3¼in) cinnamon stick, broken into pieces
2 tomatoes, peeled, seeds discarded and flesh chopped
2 tsp grated ginger
To serve:
Toasted bread
Palourde clams (also known as carpet shell clams) are wonderful because they really taste of the sea.
If you can’t find them, use any other clam variety, or mussels would work well too.
This is a perfect starter or light lunch.
Check that any partially open clams are alive by sliding a sharp knife in between the 2 halves of the shell.
You want to feel the clam tense up; if the knife slips in easily, discard the clam. Closed clams are fine to use.
Heat a good glug of oil in a deep, heavy-based pan (with a lid) and fry the curry leaves, chilli and cinnamon for 1 minute over a medium heat.
Add the clams followed by the tomatoes and ginger. Stir carefully with a spoon and put the lid on the pan and cook for about 2-3 minutes, or until all the clams are open.
Serve in bowls with thick pieces of toasted bread.
Tracton Community and Arts Centre Christmas Fair will take place on Sunday, Nov 25, from 10.30am to 5.30pm and will launch the first community bread and pizza oven in Ireland. Delicious woodfired pizza will be served along with local artisan food producers.
The line up includes Gidi Gur — organic pitas and vegetarian food Tel. 087-2255608; Chloe’s Chocolates — homemade chocolate truffles and chocolate biscuit cakes, Tel. 086-6607105; East of Boston Foods (Barbara O’Mahony) — dessert sauces, relishes and honey, Tel. 021-4770740; ovenbuilder Hendrik Lepel (bakehus.com) in conjunction with Pompeii Pizza (087-7572615) — delicious pizza from the new wood-fired oven; Finders Inn Gourmet Foods (Aaron Mc Donnell) — a range of bread, soups and pates Tel. 087-2787070.
For more information about the Christmas Fair, please contact: 086-0711910.
Shana Wilkie is the only Bean to Bar Chocolate Maker in Ireland. She produces small, hand-tempered batches of premium organic chocolate made from cocoa beans sourced from the Amazon region in Peru.
Her 75% Amazonian Organic Dark Chocolate won Best Organic Confectionary at Bord Bia National Organic Awards — www.wilkieschocolate.ie
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