Scottish Firecracker Ham

This has been my New Year's showstopper for the last 8 years. A juicy gammon ham joint is cooked in Irn Bru, gilded with ginger and mustard glaze and set ablaze with Scottish whisky.

This ham has been my New Year’s feature every year since 2016. I based it on a Scottish cocktail of the same name - The Firecracker - which combines Irn Bru (Scottish soda) with Scotch whisky and ginger ale. You may be familiar with the idea of cooking ham in Coca-Cola and other sweet soda pops, but Irn Bru adds sweetness and a fiercely redheaded varnish to the meat. Once the ham is simmered to remove some of its salt-cure, the fat is shaved off and brushed with a sticky, spicy glaze of mustard and ginger that’s welded on in a oven. Just as it’s served, a warm trickle of Scottish whiskey is poured over the top and set alight with a match. A riveting watch. Plenty of excitement and a spectacle for New Year’s. Let’s go!