I was talking to someone on Saturday whose mother always boiled ham (can't get gammon in New Zealand) in Coca Cola. So clearly not a Nigella invention. I have to say I thought it sounded disgusting and dismissed it as a Kiwi eccentricity, but I am quite prepared to revise my opinion if someone else serves it but not to bother with it myself.
Thanks everyone - definitely think I'll be trying it. I usually use the stock for soup afterwards but not with cola as a base! Won't let on it's a Nigella recipe or I'll be getting all the jokes……...
It really works! Even I, as a long term veggie, have cooked it for my family who think to is superb. She suggests creamed sweet corn to go with it (or was that with fried chicken?) Hard to get hold of in cans, but very nice. (Heaven forfend that I should actually cook some!)
Oh! Sorry about that Soutra! Meant as opposed to diet-coke of course! We always called it "full strength" when someone did a coffee run in my former working days!
Kate13 you can google the recipe. I think Nigella uses black treacle but that's a bit strong for my taste so I use honey, soft brown sugar, mustard and cloves stuck in the diamond pattern. Whatever you like really.
I've done it before (Nigella's recipe) and am doing it again for Christmas - as is DD with her gammon. It is really delicious, Make sure it's full strength coke though - not diet.
DD did it last year and it lived up to expectations! Has to be proper Coca cola with sugar of course. I have also had the ginger ale variant - v good too
Wondered if anyone has tried her way of cooking gammon by boiling in Coca Cola? The recipe was in a paper recently and she said what a wonderful taste it gave the meat. I have a large ham on order for a Boxing Day family party and am tempted to try it. But also slightly worried that I'll produce it and the reaction will be 'yuk whatever have you done with that'!