Let the slow cooker do the work for this delicious feast

I love using a slow cooker and it is one of my favourite kitchen gadgets, especially in the cooler months. I recently made a beautiful steamed blackberry pudding in my slow cooker, it cooked beautifully and was light and airy. I posted the recipe on my Instagram page and will cook my Christmas pudding in the slow cooker this year for sure. Here, the ham sits in the slow cooker and simmers until it can be easily shredded with two forks. It is such an easy, hands-off method of cooking.

Boiled new potatoes are still my side dish of choice for dinners like this, along with buttery carrots flecked with parsley. Big green salads are ideal as a side dish at this time of year while we straddle the seasons between the last of summer’s fragile leaves and the roots and tubers of autumn.

It’s still quite warm outside, so no need for stews and hearty soups just yet. Although, keep those vegetable peelings for stock all the same. I like to keep a bag in my freezer and add onion skins, leek tops, herb stems and carrot peelings as I find them. Then every few weeks I tip the bag into the slow cooker and top it up with water and a splash of apple cider vinegar. It simmers away for hours and I’m rewarded with a full-flavoured stock made from scraps.

This mustard aioli is a simple little sauce that will elevate your next dinner. It is great with roast chicken, grilled fish or ham. A good quality mayonnaise is rippled with a little lemon juice, Dijon mustard and wholegrain mustard, for caviar-style pops of flavour that burst when you bite them. The mustard’s sharp edge is great at cutting through the ham.

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I’ve been quite taken with hot honey these past few years and love having it to hand. I use it drizzled over pizzas and toasted sandwiches, in salad dressings or served with a cheese board. You can make your own simple version by stirring your favourite hot sauce into some good-quality honey. Add as many drops as you like, to taste. You can serve the hot honey on the side for younger diners.

Recipe: Slow cooked ham with hot honey and mustard aioli

Lilly’s Kitchen Tips:

1. Keep any ham leftovers for toasted sandwiches or quiches. It’s also great with hollandaise sauce and poached eggs for a decadent brunch. A little goes a long way as the smoked ham has such a distinctive flavour.
2. Use any bruised fruit such as apples or pears in the cooking water for the ham. Just remove the damaged pieces. A splash of apple juice or cider also gives it a really great fruitiness to the ham.
3. Remember when using a slow cooker every time you remove the lid it releases all that steam and heat, adding 20 minutes to your cooking time, so refrain from checking it too often.