Festive Recipe: Christmas Gammon

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Whether you’re having a seasonal social, or simply want inspiration for Christmas, why not have a go at our Gammon recipe. What sets a Christmas ham apart from any common or garden gammon is the glaze – the icing on the ‘piggy cake’...

Serves: 8

Preparation Time: 20 minutes

Cooking Times: 2 hours

Ingredients

• 2kg (4½ lbs )unsmoked boneless gammon joint
• 5 tbsp black treacle
• 1 tsp whole black mustard seeds
• 2tsp allspice berries
• Pinch of whole mace
• 2 fresh bay leaves
• 1 tsp black peppercorns
• Pared zest of 1 orange
• 500ml (1 pint) bottle of stout
• Handful of whole cloves
• 2 tbsp ginger preserve or orange marmalade
• 2 tbsp demerara

Method

1. Place the gammon, skin side down in a large saucepan. Add 4 tbsp of the treacle and the mustard seeds, allspice, mace, bay leaves, peppercorns and orange zest. Pour over all but 2 tbsp of the stout, and then add enough cold water to cover the meat completely. Bring to a gentle simmer over a medium heat. Skim off any scum from the surface, then cover and simmer gently for 1½ hours. Remove from the heat and leave to stand in the liquid for 30 minutes.
2. Preheat the oven to 200C, gas mark 6. Lift the ham out of the liquid, then carefully cut off the skin, leaving as much fat beneath as possible. Score this in a diamond pattern and stud with cloves at each intersection. If necessary, cut a thin slice of ham from the base of the joint so that it sits without toppling over. Put the ham in a foil lined roasting tin just slightly larger than the joint.
3. Mix the reserved stout with the remaining treacle and ginger preserve or orange marmalade and half of the sugar. Heat gently stirring all the time. Drizzle all over the fat. Bake for 20-25 minutes, basting and sprinkling with the remaining sugar during cooking until the glaze is caramelised and bubbling.

Allow to cool completely before serving.