• 1 joint ham about 4-5 lbs (1.8-2.3 kg)
• 1/2 lemon
• 5 oz. (150 g) brown sugar mixed with 1 tablespoon made mustard, French or English
• 1 lb. (450 g) chestnuts or equivalent can of unsweetened chestnuts
• 2 oz. (50 g) butter, melted
• 1/4 pint (150 ml) consommé or stock
• salt & pepper

Soak the ham overnight, then take out and scrape the skin before putting into cold water to cover with the half a lemon. Bring to the boil, then simmer very gently for 25 minutes to the pound and 25 minutes over. When cool, take from the stock, peel off the skin and trim the fat evenly to your taste. Make a diamond pattern over the top with a sharp knife. Then mix up the sugar with the mustard and spread over this evenly. Put into an oven-proof dish adding about 1 pint (600 ml) of the ham stock around it, and bake in a hot oven, 425°F (220°C) or gas mark 7, for about 35 minutes or until the top is set and slightly crisp. Do not worry if a little of the sugar rolls off into the stock, for it will give it a pleasantly sweet flavour.

Meanwhile, cook the chestnuts, by first making a slit down one side, then covering them with water and boiling for about half an hour or until they are soft when pricked with a fork. Leave in the warm water and lift each one out separately and remove both shell and skin. The warm water makes this much easier to do. Mash them up, or put into a liquidizer with the consommé, adding a little more if it seems too thick. Season to taste and finally mix in the melted butter. Stir well and serve with the hot ham. If using canned chestnuts, drain before using, but the juice can be poured around the ham when baking. This sauce is also very good with venison or turkey.

Variation: the bone can be removed from the ham and about 4 oz (125 g) of coarsely chopped chestnuts mixed with 1 oz (25 g) butter can be inserted in place of the bone, keeping the remainder for making into the sauce given above, but cutting down slightly on the other ingredients.