Ham in Coke

• servings: 4
• active time: 16 minutes
• total time: 8 hours

Ingredients

1.25 kg (2½ Ib) boneless smoked gammon joint, soaked overnight in cold water

5 cloves

1 onion, cut into 8 wedges

2 carrots, thickly sliced

410 g (13½ oz) can black beans or red kidney beans, drained

2 bay leaves

900 ml (1½ pints) cola

1 tablespoon dark muscovado sugar

1 tablespoon tomato purée

2 teaspoons English mustard

Directions

Preheat the slow cooker it necessary; see the manufacturer's instructions. Drain the gammon joint and put it into the slow cooker pot. Press the cloves into 5 of the onion wedges and add with the remaining onion wedges and carrot slices to the gammon. Tip in the drained beans and add the bay leaves.

Pour the cola into a saucepan, add the sugar, tomato purée and mustard and bring to the boil, stirring. Pour over the gammon, cover with the lid and cook on high for 6-7 hours or until the gammon is tender.

Strain the cooking liquid into a saucepan and boil rapidly for 10 minutes to reduce by half. Keep the gammon and vegetables hot in the turned-off slow cooker with the lid on.

Slice the gammon thinly and arrange on plates with the vegetables, beans and a drizzle of sauce. Serve with baked potatoes and broccoli, if liked.