How Do I Adjust Coca Cola Ham Cooking Time?

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.