Ham with apple juice and parsnip purée

Serves 6 Starters and mains

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Method

Peel and boil, rather than steam, your parsnips. The extra water will help with the texture. When they are tender to the point of a knife, blitz in a food processor until smooth. Tip into a bowl and beat in enough butter and crème fraîche and to turn it into a puree.

Put the ham in a large saucepan; it should fit snugly. Cover with water, bring to the boil, then pour the water away. Rinse the ham and return to the pot.

Split the leeks in half, discarding most of the tough, dark green tops. Rinse them thoroughly under cold running water to remove any trapped grit that may be lurking between the layers. Cut the celery into short pieces and tuck them into the pot with the leeks and the whole carrot. Pour in the apple juice, adding a top-up of water if it doesn’t quite cover the ham.

Lightly crush the juniper berries with the flat of a large knife, then add them into the pot with the cinnamon stick, peppercorns, parsley stalks and bay leaves. Bring to the boil, turn the heat down to a simmer, then scoop off the froth that floats on top. Cover partially with a lid and leave it to cook for a couple of hours, checking from time to time that it isn’t bubbling too fiercely or hasn’t stopped altogether.

After two hours, check the ham for tenderness. Leave in the cooking liquor, the heat switched off, for anything up to 20 minutes before carving. Serve in thickish slices, drizzled with a spoonful of the hot, cooking liquor, with the vegetables if you wish, and puréed parsnips.

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