It’s that special time of the year when magic and madness equally abound. Summer holidays are around the corner for many of us and we look forward to spending time with loved ones, revelling in festive traditions and eating great food. But, to get there we first need to survive the store-mania-onslaught of fulfilling Santa wish-lists and stocking up our pantries.

Christmas traditions and dinners vary from country to country. Did you know some South American and all Nordic countries include fish in their feast? As do the Portuguese, Czechs, Hungarians and Polish. Other interesting choices include a liver casserole in Finland; oysters and foie gras in France (but of course); curried goat in Jamaica and quirkiest of all, Kentucky Fried Chicken in Japan!

Here in South Africa we have a more Anglo-Saxon approach to festive fare which usually includes roast turkey, duck or gammon. While it might still be two weeks to Christmas, part of minimising the holiday madness is planning ahead, so take some time now to prepare your menu and consider serving the delicious N1 Coca-Cola cooked, honey and marmalade-glazed gammon. This recipe is a mash-up of two culinary legends: Nigella Lawson and the Hairy Bikers. Nigella Lawson popularised the notion of cooking gammon in Coke (a tradition that originated in the deep South) and it lends a wonderful succulence to the meat. Coupled with the delicious honey and marmalade glaze courtesy of David Myers and Simon King (aka the Hairy Bikers) this meat dish is sure to be a winner at your Christmas celebration.

For Nigella’s part: put the gammon in a pot (skin side down); add one peeled and halved onion; and cover with 2 litres of Coke. Bring to the boil and then down to a good simmer, cook with the lid on – she says to work on roughly one hour for every kilogram.

For the Hairy Biker’s glaze assemble the following:

• 120g Soft brown sugar
• 3 Oranges – zest of three, juice of two
• 3 Tbsp clear honey
• 3 Heaped tbsp orange marmalade
• 3 Tbsp wholegrain mustard

Place the gammon in a roasting pan, remove the skin leaving behind a thin layer of fat and then score the meat in a diamond pattern, inserting a clove into each diamond. Combine all the glaze ingredients and evenly coat the joint before roasting at 180C for around 45 minutes (basting frequently) until the gammon is golden-brown all over – remove, leave to rest for a few minutes, carve and serve.

And there you have it – one less ‘what shall I serve?’ to worry about. Enjoy the lead up to Christmas and remember to call N1, the leading South African meat wholesaler, to stock up on all your Christmas meat and fish needs.