Weekend Foodie: Showstopping whiskey glazed ham with spiced cabbage

Sat, 13 Dec, 2025 - 07:19

There’s no getting away from it now – the sparkle and shine of Christmas is upon us in a big way.

With our towns and villages now sparkling with Christmas lights, we are feeling the pressure to get organised for the festive season! Menu planning is a big part of the Christmas season. My two recipes this week work very well for a pre-Christmas gathering, or as ideas for the main event on the big day.

First up, a ham is a must for most Christmas spreads. Whether you’re serving it on Christmas Day or keeping it for the St Stephen’s Day buffet, my whiskey and marmalade glazed version is always a favourite. Rough cut orange marmalade has tangy taste and texture, while a drop of the hard stuff gives a bit of oomph to the final flavour. Cloves infused into the ham look great and add some festive spice.

To follow, a fabulous cake which takes its inspiration from the retro pineapple upside down cake I first learned to make in school home economics classes. I’ve turned the idea on its head – excuse the pun – to use Christmas seasonal clementines instead of pineapple, given a super shine with a whiskey and marmalade glaze. This makes a spectacular dessert cake, served warm with cream - or can be cooled to enjoy with a cup of coffee or another drop of whiskey. Either way - delicious!

WHISKEY GLAZED HAM WITH SPICY RED CABBAGE

Ingredients (Serves 4)

1.4kg ham fillet or loin
2tbsp rough cut orange marmalade
2 tbsp Irish whiskey
1 tsp Dijon mustard
Juice of half a lemon
Whole cloves for studding
1 orange, cut into wedges, for serving

For the cabbage:

Generous knob of butter
1 small red cabbage, finely shredded
1 small onion, peeled and finely chopped
2 dessert apples, peeled, cored and chopped into small chunks
½ tsp mixed spice, or to taste
Good grating fresh nutmeg
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tbsp brown sugar
2 tbsp cider vinegar
300mls dry cider

The marmalade gives this dish a tangy taste.

Method

Rinse ham under cold running water and place in a large pan. Cover with fresh cold water.
Bring to bubbling, then pour off the water and rinse again. Cover with fresh clean water.
Bring to bubbling, then lower heat, cover simmer for 40 minutes per kg plus an extra 20 minutes if necessary, or until the ham is tender and cooked through. Test by piercing centre with a skewer to see if it is hot in the middle and no pink juices run out.
When the ham is nearly cooked, mix marmalade, whiskey and mustard in a small pan. Add lemon juice. Stir and heat till marmalade is melted. Remove from heat, keeping warm.
When the ham is ready, drain off the water and leave aside for a few moments till cool enough to handle.
Carefully remove the outer rind from the meat, leaving the fat layer underneath.
Score the fat in a criss cross manner to make a diamond pattern.
At the cross section of each diamond, press in a clove.
When the cloves are in place, brush ham with glaze on the fat layer and over the sides.
Place in a roasting tray and bake in a pre-heated oven Gas 4 375F 180C for about 15 minutes or until caramelised and golden.
Remove from oven. Serve warm or leave to cool then refrigerate for serving cold.
While the bacon is cooking, prepare the red cabbage.
Melt butter in a large heavy bottomed skillet.
Add cabbage and onion and add to pan with chopped apples. Stir to mix.
Stir in spices and season. Cook the cabbage and apples gently in butter for a few minutes, stirring, till apple is beginning to soften round the edges.
Add sugar, cider vinegar and cider.
Bring to bubbling then lower heat to a gentle simmer. Dot surface with extra butter and cover with a lid.
Braise gently over low heat for about an hour or until the cabbage is tender. Keep an eye on liquid levels and add a little splash of cider or apple juice if it begins to dry out.
To finish, melt a little extra butter in a non stick pan and add orange wedges.
Cook for a few moments to caramelise the flesh.
Serve ham on a platter surrounded by cabbage and orange wedges.

CHRISTMAS CLEMENTINE CAKE

Ingredients (Serves 4- 6)

4 clementines, peeled
3 tbsp marmalade
175g sugar
175g butter, chopped
3 fresh free range eggs, beaten
175g self raising flour, sifted with 1 tsp baking powder
Juice of 2 clementines

For the top:

2 tbsp thick cut marmalade, melted
Few whole cloves for decoration

Method

Slice the clementines thickly.
Melt the butter in a pan and add the clementines. Cook to brown slightly on both sides.
Stir in the marmalade to melt.
Line the base of a 20cm deep sided sandwich tin with a disc of baking parchment. Spoon some melted marmalade into the base.
Carefully lift the clementine slices out of the pan and arrange in a circular pattern over the marmalade. Pour over any remaining marmalade in the pan. Reserve.
For the sponge, whisk the sugar and butter together till pale and fluffy.
Whisk in the spices. Whisk in the eggs gradually, with alternate spoonfuls of flour.
When all the eggs have been added, fold in the remaining flour.
Add the clementine juice. The sponge should have a soft dropping consistency.
Pour the sponge mix over the clementines and smooth the surface. Tap gently on the worktop to knock out any air bubbles.
Bake in a pre-heated oven Gas 4 180C (160C fan assisted) for 30 minutes or until the sponge is risen and golden, and a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Cover the top with baking parchment or foil to prevent the top becoming too brown.
Remove from oven and cool.
To turn out, loosen the sponge in the tin. Place a plate over the top of the tin. Holding plate and tin firmly, invert so the plate is on the bottom and the tin on top.
Carefully lift off the tin. The disc of baking parchment should come with it. Peel this off.
Finish the cake with extra melted marmalade brushed over the top, and whole cloves stuck into the cake. Tie a festive a ribbon around the cake to serve.

THE WEEKEND GARGLE

This ham with its sweet-salty spicy taste works well with a red wine. I’m choosing a French red with style and grace, all of which comes at a bargain price! Chateau Tanais Olivier Haut-Medoc 2020 comes packed with elegance and pedigree. The Haut-Medoc area, located in Bordeaux - , is one of the most famous wine producing regions in France, developed by Dutch merchants in the 17th Century and still one of the most noted wine regions of the world. This red needs to be served at room temperature, which will bring out the warm and luscious mulled berry notes, as well as the spicy tastes which echo the glaze of the ham. To do this wine the justice it deserves, serve it in big red wine glasses which allows the wine to breath and develop its flavour. A grand wine at not such a grand price, find this at Lidl stores, just €9.49 a bottle

Receipt

Main course

1.4KG Ham joint: €6.99

Whiskey Marmalade 320g: €2.39

Cloves 32g jar: €3.99

Dijon mustard 215g: €2.75 (special offer)

Red cabbage per 1kg: €1.49

Irish apples x 7 piece bag: €2.25

Orange x 1pce: 55c

Medium dry cider 500mls: €3.40

Total: €23.81

Dessert