Stress-free slow-cooker Christmas turkey and ham

It has been another heck of a year that’s starting to take its toll on us all, especially now that winter has finally set in with the chilly weather.

The best thing about a good cold spell is walking into a cosy house where the slow cooker has been working its magic all day. Even better than that is filling warm bowls with a delicious stew, curry or soup made with minimum effort and very little cleaning up to do.

In the current climate, I think we are all looking for a hassle-free festive period, so what if we could extend that ease to Christmas day?

What if we spent this Christmas morning not having to worry about basting the turkey and actually stepped away from the oven for once, playing Scrabble in our Christmas pyjamas while letting the slow cooker do its thing?

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My slow-cooker turkey and ham is one of my most popular recipes, and I’ve been cooking Christmas dinner this way for years. Not only do you have the simplicity of popping a large turkey breast in with the ham and forgetting about it, but as you are slow cooking the joint, you end up with the juiciest piece of turkey you will ever taste.

If you are going for a cured ham, I would recommend soaking it for 24 hours in cold water before slowing cooking it. The slow-cooker ham is so succulent and the juices from the turkey and ham meats make the base for an absolutely sublime gravy.

All you have to worry about on the big day is the trimmings and the bucks fizz.

Slow-cooker turkey and ham

Serves six

Ingredients
500g-900g turkey breast joint
700g unsmoked gammon joint
1 medium white onion
1 carrot
2 celery stalks
1 chicken or veg stockpot

Method
1 You will need a 6-litre slow cooker.
2 Peel and chop your onion, carrot and celery and place them into the bottom of your slow cooker.
3 Add a chicken or veg stockpot – there is no need to add any liquid as both joints of meat will release around a pint of liquid during the slow cooking. This will make a delicious base for your gravy.
4 Cook on low for 8 hours/medium for 6 hours/high for 4 hours. (This is a guideline, as all slow cookers vary. Check the turkey breast is fully cooked, white throughout with the juices running clear, before serving.)

Ham glaze (optional)
1 Mix 3 tbsp of runny honey with 1 tbsp of Dijon mustard.
2 Brush your cooked ham with the glaze and pop it in the oven at 180 degrees fan for 20 minutes until sticky and golden.

Gravy
1 Carefully strain the juices from your slow cooker into a saucepan and heat gently.
2When bubbling, add in a cornflour paste made up of 2 tsp of corn flour mixed with a dribble of cold water.
3 Whisk until thick.