Ingredients:
2-4kg/un-smoked boneless gammon joint, tied 2 large onions halved
2 carrots unpeeled, cut into 5cm/2in pieces 2 celery stalks, cut into 5cm/2in pieces 4 bay leaves
12 black peppercorns lightly crushed.
1 Small handful cloves
1 Tsp. coriander seeds, lightly crushed
2 cinnamon sticks, broken in half
GLAZE:
4 large Tbsp. (150g) Sinah Common Honey 4 Tbsp. English Mustard
100g Demerara Sugar
50 ml Madeira Wine
Method:
- Place the gammon joint into a large lidded saucepan, cover with cold water and bring to the boil over a high heat. Drain the water from the saucepan, add fresh cold water, add the onions, carrots, celery, bay leaves coriander seeds, cinnamon sticks and peppercorns and bring to the boil once more. Reduce the heat, cover with a lid and simmer the gammon and vegetables gently for twenty minutes per 500g. (If your pan is not quite large enough to cover the joint completely, turn the gammon over halfway through the cooking time.)
- Remove the gammon from the water and set aside to cool for fifteen minutes. (The cooking liquid can be strained and reserved for making soup for another time.)
- Pre-heat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6 and line a large roasting tin with foil.
- Use a small knife to remove the rind from the gammon joint, leaving as much of the fat intact as possible. Score the fat in a diamond pattern, and push a clove into the centre of each ‘X’.
- Place the gammon into the foil-lined roasting tray, ensuring that the sides of the foil come half way up the joint to contain any roasting juices.
- To make the glaze, put the sugar, Madeira, sherry vinegar, and honey into a pan and stir over a low heat. Bring to the boil, lower the heat and simmer for 3–4 minutes until you have a glossy dark syrup. Do not leave unattended, as it will easily boil over. Brush half of it evenly over the gammon, including one side of the joint. Roast in the centre of the oven for ten minutes, then take the joint out and brush the top and remaining side with the rest of the glaze. Return the gammon to the oven for a further 10-15 minutes, rotating the roasting tin so that the opposite side of the gammon faces the back of the oven.
- The gammon is ready when the fat on top is glossy and golden brown. Cover loosely with foil if the top begins to look too brown. Remove the gammon from the oven and set aside to rest for 15 minutes before carving.
- Pour any juices that have collected in the foil into a small pan, and warm through gently.
- Carve the gammon; serve on a large platter and spoon over the warmed juices.
By John Geden – Sinah Common Honey