Glaze your Christmas gammon joint with fruit, bay leaves, allspice and cloves then slow roast and serve as thick slices.
(Serves 15-20)
METHOD AND INGREDIENTS
Ingredients:
- 3kg Gammon joint
- 2l bottle ginger beer
- 2 bay leaves
- 6 whole allspice berries
- 6 black peppercorns
- 30-40 whole cloves
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- 340g jar apricot jam
METHOD:
- Add the gammon to a large pan and add the ginger beer, bay leaves, allspice, peppercorns and 6 of the cloves.
- Top up the liquid with enough water to cover. If the gammon joint sticks out of the liquid, don’t worry – just rotate halfway through cooking.
- Put over a medium heat and bring to a gentle simmer, then cover with a lid or a piece of foil. Leave to cook for 2½ hrs, topping up with water as it cooks.
- Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. When the ham is cool enough to handle, discard the cooking liquid and pat dry.
- Use a small, sharp knife to pare the rind away from the ham, leaving a layer of fat attached to the meat.
- Score the fat in a diamond pattern and stud all over with the remaining cloves. Put the ham in a roasting tin.
- Mix together the ginger and jam and brush the mixture over the ham. Roast for 1 hr until golden and glistening.
Serve hot or cold.
