← Nouns Cooking · British & Irish

Ingredients

• 1.5 kg boneless gammon joint, unsmoked or smoked
• 1 Onion, halved
• 2 Carrot, roughly chopped
• 1 stick Celery, roughly chopped
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tsp black peppercorns
• 15 whole cloves (optional)
• 3 tbsp runny honey
• 1 tbsp English mustard
• 2 tbsp soft dark brown sugar

Method

1. Put the gammon in a large pan with the onion, carrots, celery, bay and peppercorns. Cover with cold water and bring slowly to the boil, skimming off any froth.
2. Turn down to a gentle simmer, part-cover and cook for 1 hour 20 min (20 min per 500 g plus 20 min), topping up with boiling water so the joint stays covered.
3. Heat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan, 400°F). Lift the gammon out (keep the stock for soup) and leave it until cool enough to handle.
4. Cut away the skin with a sharp knife, leaving a thin even layer of fat. Score the fat into diamonds and push a clove into the centre of each one, if you like.
5. Mix the honey, mustard and sugar. Sit the gammon in a foil-lined roasting tin and brush over half the glaze.
6. Roast for 20–25 min, brushing with the rest of the glaze halfway, until dark, sticky and bubbling. The centre should read 70°C (158°F) on a probe.
7. Rest for 15 min before slicing. Serve hot with parsley sauce or mash, or chill and slice for sandwiches.

Tips

• Ask your butcher whether the gammon needs soaking: very salty joints are best soaked in cold water overnight before cooking.
• The ham stock makes a superb base for pea and ham soup or pease pudding.

Sources

Written in our own words after cross-checking these recipes:

BBC Good Food Olive Magazine BBC Food