The English Christmas-table centrepiece — a whole gammon poached in cider until tender, then studded with cloves, glazed with honey-mustard, and roasted hot to lacquer. Sliced thick, served with mustard and mash.
Serves 12Prep 30 minCook 4 hr
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Ingredients
- 1 gammon joint (3 to 4 kg), unsmoked or lightly smoked, rind on
- 2 litres dry cider
- 1 onion, halved
- 2 carrots, chunked
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tablespoon black peppercorns
- 1 tablespoon coriander seeds
- —
- For the glaze:
- 100 g demerara sugar
- 3 tablespoons English mustard
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 1 tablespoon malt vinegar
- About 30 whole cloves
Method
- 1Place the gammon in a deep pot. Cover with the cider, top up with water if needed. Add the onion, carrot, bay, peppercorns, and coriander.
- 2Bring slowly to a bare simmer. Cook for 25 minutes per kilo (about 90 minutes for a 3.5 kg joint) — the broth should never boil hard.
- 3Lift the gammon from the broth. Let it cool to handleable warm. Reserve some broth for soup.
- 4Preheat the oven to 200 °C (400 °F). Carefully cut off the rind, leaving a 5 mm layer of fat. Score the fat in a 2 cm diamond pattern. Stud the centre of each diamond with a clove.
- 5Mix the sugar, mustard, honey, and vinegar to a thick paste. Brush half over the gammon.
- 6Roast for 30 minutes, brushing with the remaining glaze every 10 minutes, until deeply lacquered and crisp at the edges.
- 7Rest 15 minutes. Slice thickly across the grain. Serve with English mustard, mashed potatoes, and braised red cabbage.
Chef's tip
A gammon that's too salty after curing can be blanched: cover with cold water, bring to a boil, drain, and start the cider poach with fresh liquid. Most modern gammon doesn't need this.