Despite what some people think there is more to me than this dish.
However, I think it’s right up there with my best sellers in both restaurants and it has been on the menu for 15 years.
The recipe has never changed. It’s old fashioned and reminds us all of our Grannies kitchen. It came about as we changed our eating habits and we wanted old flavours like sausage and mash, which have now become trendy.
My Granny never used the butter or sugar that I use in this recipe and it didn’t look quite as tidy but it tasted great to me as a wee one.
The female pigs make for the sweetest hams as they do not have the testosterone in their bodies: that’s why Andrew Ramsay insists on only females for his great tasting bacons.
I pair it with great Scottish tatties and, although the cabbage is not always Scotch, I always ask for the green savoy instead of the white Dutch cabbage, which can be quite bitter.
As a main course this was always a Wednesday tea for me but I think it’s perfect for a family dinner any night of the week.
Source a good quality ham, one that’s not too salty or full of water, and give it a try.
Granny’s traditional ham with cabbage and tatties
500g joint of ham
1kg of tatties, cooked and mashed with a suggestion of butter, salt and pepper
1 savoy or sweetheart cabbage, very finely shredded
1 tbsp of butter
1tbsp of brown sugar
½ tsp of cinnamon
2tbs of breadcrumbs
1tbsp of runny honey
1 Place the ham into a pot and completely cover in water. Bring to the boil and then simmer for 50mins per kilo.
2 Remove the ham and place it on a wire rack to cool slightly. You can take the rind off at this stage.
3 You can score the fat that is left and prick with cloves or spread crushed pineapple, depending which glaze you like the best, at this stage if you want.
4 Mix the honey, sugar, cinnamon and breadcrumbs together and spread evenly over the top of the ham.
5 Pop in a hot oven Gas 5/180c until the sugar is bubbling.
6 Remove the ham from the oven and allow to cool slightly before carving.
7 Now I don’t want you to cook the cabbage like my Granny! Lightly is the key so, per portion, add 4 tbsp of water and half a tsp of butter to a very hot pot.
8 Throw in the cabbage. The water will steam it and the butter will lightly glaze it. You will probably never boil vegetables again after this!
9 Serve the mash with some chopped spring onions or chives through it, a big slice of the ham then a spoonful of cabbage to top it off.
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