How Do I Adjust Coca Cola Ham Cooking Time?

Asked by Jams1. Answered on 25th December 2016

Full question

I have a 3kg ham, how long do I cook it with cola before blasting it in the oven? And it is frozen, how long will it take to defrost? Please help! Thank you.

Ham in Coca Cola

By Nigella

Our answer

Nigella's Ham In Coca Cola (from NIGELLA SUMMER) uses a 2kg (4½-pound) gammon, but for the recipe she suggests that if you do not have a ham of an equivalent size you should adjust the simmering time to allow for 1 hour per kilogram (approximately 30 minutes per pound), plus an extra 15 minutes if your ham is fridge-cold. So for a 3kg gammon straight from the fridge you should allow 3 hours and 15 minutes simmering in the cola, plus the final bronzing in the oven.

Most frozen meats defrost in a fridge at a rate of about 12 hours per kilogram (2¼ pounds). So we would suggest allowing at least 1½ days for the ham to defrost in the fridge. The ham should be fully thawed before it is cooked.