Can I Cook The Slow-Cooked Treacle Ham In A Slow Cooker?

Our answer

Nigella's Slow-Cooked Black Treacle Ham (from SIMPLY NIGELLA) cooks a ham, tightly sealed in a foil parcel, in a hot oven for 30 minutes and then at a low temperature for 12-24 hours. The ham is then glazed in a hot oven.

Unfortunately we don't think that this recipe is suitable for a slow cooker for a few reasons. Firstly you need start the ham on a high heat as this kick starts the cooking process and can't be done in a slow cooker. Also a slow cooker needs some liquid to cook effectively, as it doesn't actually replicate the all-round radiant heat of an oven, and the recipe doesn't use any liquid with the ham. However, you could probably make the Ham In Coca Cola in a slow cooker. A 2kg (4½-pound) uncooked gammon ham is likely to take 4 hours on high heat setting in a slow cooker, though as slow cookers can vary you may want to allow a little longer if you are serving the ham hot. You can always turn the slow cooker to "keep warm" if the ham cooks more quickly and we would suggest checking the ham regularly after the first 3 hours of cooking. If you are cooking a larger ham, make sure it will fit in the slow cooker before starting the recipe and allow an extra 1½-2 hours cooking time. Check that the ham is cooked all the way through before removing it from the liquid. A digital (instant-read) thermometer inserted into the centre should read at least 72c/160F. Glaze the ham in a hot oven, following the instructions in the recipe.