This gorgeous Gammon recipe creates a very tasty meal for any time of year but is especially good for a large family dinner at Easter or Christmas. Just buy a joint suitable for the number of guests and adjust the ingredients equally to suit the gammon size.
Buy a large, good quality gammon joint and you’ll have plenty left over to enjoy for other meals such as sliced cold gammon, gammon & eggs or a hearty soup or casserole. Perfect with Cauliflower Cheese and Baked Potatoes.
The timings below are based on a large 5 kg joint. Adjust timings to suit the size of your gammon joint.
- Prep Time : 5 minutes
- Cook Time : 6 hours 10 minutes
- Resting Time: 15 minutes
- Ready In : 6 hours 30 minutes
Ingredients
- 1 large Gammon Joint – smoked or unsmoked
- 6 Garlic Cloves – peeled & lightly crushed
- 1.5 oz Wholegrain Mustard
- 2 oz Muscavado Sugar
- 4 tbsp Clear Honey
Gammon joint – cooking time 35 mins per 500 g (30 mins per lb) plus an additional 20 mins at the end for a fan-assisted oven.
Method
Step 1
Pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees initially, 200 degrees for the last 20 minutes.
Step 2
Peel 6 garlic cloves and lightly crush them, putting them aside for later
Step 3
Place the gammon joint in a sturdy roasting dish, cover the top loosely with foil and cook in the oven based on the appropriate cooking time
Step 4
Remove the foil 30 minutes before the gammon is fully cooked
Step 5
Remove any hard rind with a large fork and carving knife, leaving the fat in place
Step 6
Score the top of the gammon in a diagonal criss-cross pattern, penetrating the meat by half an inch deep
Step 7
Place the peeled garlic cloves, lightly crushed, into the cross cuts on top of the meat
Step 8
Spread the Gammon Glaze from the top centre of your gammon joint outwards, allowing it to run evenly to cover the top completely
Step 9
Put the gammon back into the top of the oven, turning the heat up to 200 degrees for 10 minutes
Step 10
After 10 minutes, baste the gammon with the liquid and then cook for a further 10 minutes, then repeat
Step 11
Remove from the oven and leave the meat to settle for 15 minutes before serving
Step 12
Cut the meat into slices with the grain (the long part of the meat)
Top Tips
Try to avoid the ‘bargain gammon joints’ offered in many supermarkets. Whilst they seem good value for their size, you’ll find they are generally quite ‘squishy’ and pumped with water! Although more expensive, a good quality gammon joint will taste far better and have a finer texture.