Description
This Christmas Gammon recipe is filled with tips, full method and images, it couldn't be easier to prepare not just any gammon, but the best gammon for your Christmas lunch or any other day. It makes the perfect centerpiece. Merry Christmas!
Ingredients
For The Gammon
- 2.5 to 3.5 kg deboned uncooked gammon
- 1 onion (halved)
- 1 celery stalk (roughly chopped)
- 2 carrots (roughly chopped)
- coriander seeds
- 2 bay leaves
- 1/2 tsp peppercorns (optional)
- 1/2 tsp cloves (purely decorative and presentation feel free to add a few to the simmer)
For The Glaze
- 1 cup muscovado sugar (or any soft brown sugar)
- 1/2 cup honey
- 1 1/2 tbsps Dijon mustard
- 2 tbsps. unsalted butter
Instructions
- Cook the gammon: Place the gammon in a large pot and add the onion, celery, carrots, bay leaves and coriander seeds (if using coriander). Top it off with water to cover the gammon and then simmer for 20 minutes per 500 grams. Leave it an additional 15 to 20 minutes on an even lower simmer before turning removing it from the heat.
Do not boil the gammon rather simmer the entire time to prevent it from becoming tough! - Cooling: Leave the gammon to cool after the cooking time. Remove it from the pot and place on a baking tray that it's going roast in. Cooling the gammon makes it easier to remove the netting.
- Prepare the gammon to roast: Remove the net and the skin (rind). If you slide your finger under the rind you should be able to gently remove the skin. Try to leave as much fat as possible on the gammon.
Score the fat: Use a sharp knife to make diamond shapes into the fat, cutting the fat and not the meat. The gammon at this point is cooked so the knife should be doing the work for you, no effort involved. Insert the cloves if using any into the diamond shapes. - Preheat the oven to 190°C/374°F
- Make the glaze: Meanwhile, make the easy glaze for the gammon by combining all the ingredients into a saucepan. Bring it to a simmer and once it bubbles, stir and leave it on a low simmer for 2 to 3 minutes, occasional stirring. Don't leave it longer it will thicken as it stands.
- Glaze the gammon: Pour 1/4 to 3/4 of the glaze over the gammon. Use a spoon if necessary to avoid dislodging the cloves.
- Roasting your gammon: Place in the oven and bake for 10 minutes, take it out and pour the remaining glaze over. Leave it to continue cooking for another 15 to 20 minutes but keep rotating the tray and basting with any pan juices.
Basting randomly: Remove the gammon, baste and return to the oven over a 20 minute period, makes a big difference! - Rest and carve your gammon: Remove and rest the meat for 10 minutes before carving.
Notes
Cooking Time
How long your gammon cooks depends on the size. A gammon of roughly 3kg will need to simmer for 2 hours leaving ample time to make the sides.
Simmer
Feel free to add spices like black mustard seeds, bay leaves and black peppercorns with the vegetables to the gammon for more flavor.
Roasting
When roasting the gammon, you may want to layer your oven tray with aluminum foil for easy clean up especially with the glaze.
Any pan juices from the gammon must go straight into the glaze for that extra delicious flavor!
Optional but suggested
Add a squeeze of orange juice into the glaze for a pop of taste. It might take a little longer on the stove but only by a minute depending on how much you add. Add some orange wedges into the oven tray while the gammon is roasting.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 2 hours
- Category: Main Course
- Cuisine: British, South African
Nutrition
- Calories: 468
- Sugar: 36
- Sodium: 231
- Fat: 10
- Saturated Fat: 4
- Carbohydrates: 38
- Fiber: 1
- Protein: 55
- Cholesterol: 161