Photography by: Sam Wilkinson

The perfect gammon

Recipe by: Hannah Lewry

Serves: 15-18
Preparation time: 20 mins
Cooking time: 30 mins poaching + 30 mins roasting
 
Traditional Bone-in Beech Smoked Gammon Avg 5Kg
1 cup honey
½ cup soy sauce
4 T wholegrain mustard
4 star anise
2 cinnamon quills
8 cloves
8 sage leaves
 
Poach for 30min per 500g , this reduces roasting time and adds extra and succulence
 
Traditionally add peppercorns, bay leaves, carrots, celery, cloves and onion to the poaching liquid. Try using water or even better gingerbeer.
 
If you poach your gammon in water reserve the poaching liquid it makes a great ham stock.
 
Once gammon is poached Remove the skin from the gammon to reveal the fat which you score and glaze before roasting for a sticky delicious finish.
 
To remove the skin, carefully slice from one side of the gammon to the other, in small quick cutting strokes to help peel the skin up and away from the fat.
 
To score the fat use a sharp knife and slice across the surface of the fat in parallel lines. Do the same in the opposite direction to make diamond shapes
 
Place the honey, soy sauce, wholegrain mustard,
star anise,
cinnamon quills,
cloves,
sage leaves into a small saucepan and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 10 to 15 minutes.
 
Roast the scored gammon for 20 – 30 minutes at 200C until golden and sticky. Baste with glaze through out roasting for best flavour results. Serve with roast baby potatoes, peas and poached summer stone fruit.