Gammon dilemma

I did my ham loosely based on a Hairy Biker recipe.
I placed it in cold water to cover and boiled it. Then I tipped this water away and rinsed the gammon in cold water before putting back into the pan with cold water to cover, added a couple of bay leaves and some peppercorns, brought it back to the boil and simmered on the stove for 2.5 hours. After that, I rinsed it, cut off the outer layer of skin and left the fat which I scored into a diamond shape and studded it with cloves then glazed it with a smooth cherry jam and whisky glaze which I had heated in a small pan to reduce for 10 mins first. I then placed it into an ovenproof roasting dish, covered with the lid and roasted at 180 degrees C for 25 minutes with half an onion and a dash of water.
(My ham weighed 4 pounds).
The juices from the meat made the gravy.

I realise you will have cooked your ham by now, Azalea99, but if you are doing another sometime, this is a recipe I’d recommend you try.

It was delicious, and today I’m making a version of cottage pie using the left over ham in place of minced beef. I’ve done this before, and it makes a tasty meal.

Muscovado sugar / butter / cloves and crushed cardamon(m) seeds - poach for required time then 1/2 in oven rind/fat removed - studded with cloves and scattered liberally with more muscovado - v like Bradenham ham 👍☘️

Personally I just like my gammon boiled. I always pre soak to get the saltiness out. Sometimes I add cider to the water but I don't think that a really good quality gammon joint needs to be messed with.

So, thanks all for your advice. The meal went well (as did the day). I brought the joint to the boil then drained. Put it in slow cooker on high on top of sofrito and added red wine. The plan was 3.5 hours but DS2 was in charge of the roast potatoes & had forgotten to include boiling in his timing plan so the gammon stayed in the SC for longer than planned and I didn’t think to turn it down to low. It was a little on the dry side but not much. Plus points were the roasties which DS2 did in beef tallow, and all the other veg were just right. Minus point was the gravy, as DS1 insisted on using turkey gravy granules. Still, he was doing the lion’s share of the work. We never got round to the individual cheesecakes, which are still in the freezer, but it was a relaxed and totally enjoyable meal and day. Thanks all, and here’s wishing everyone a happy & healthy 2026.

One thing I don't do, is get frantic over a Christmas dinner. It's ready when it's ready. No one sits at the table I til I say so. We all relax, watch telly, have a drink or three,. The whole day is relaxed. It's the only time I have with all, or most of my family, so I make the most. If dinners later than scheduled who cares.

I do my gammon in the pressure cooker - takes less than an hour for a medium size gammon. Stick it on a low tray with a pint of water and bay leaves, onions, peppercorns. Take it out, remove skin and score. Add glaze/cloves/whatever then back in the air fryer but under grill for about 15 minutes. Keep water for pea soup or pease pudding. Lovely and tender.

Just cooking my gammon in air fryer, got it out at half way time and it looked raw and the honey hadn't melted, doesn't bode well. Got the recipe offYou Tube and it came out perfect, followed it exactly as well.

I do the parboil and then bake thing. Always tastes good to me.

Desdemona

Frantic over a bit of dead pig?

There's always one...

I would use a mixture of mustard and brown sugar to glaze the ham before baking it.

Hi
Possible option
Bring to boil in a deep saucepan with 1/2 litre cider topped up with water to cover joint - add 2 bay leaves, tsp whole peppercorns and a small onion (peeled) stuck with some cloves. Turn down to simmer & cook for half the scheduled cooking time.
Drain
Remove skin
Cross cut fat
Rub with made mustard
Pat over whole fat area with brown sugar
Put in roasting pan with fat side up
Cook in oven (170degrees in standard oven) for remaining cooking time - basting every 20 minutes
Leave to rest (covered) for at least 10 minutes before carving.
ENJOY!

Desdemona

Frantic over a bit of dead pig?

Why not? There are plenty of trivial items that are very important to someone.

If the Gammon is too much hassle, maybe just have roast Turkey?
It’s nice cold too.

😀

Thank you!

Allira

Saving your post, Scribbles 😀

🙂 Enjoy!

Frantic over a bit of dead pig?

I don’t think anybody should be frantic about anything at Christmas!
Burn the turkey (forget to order one), get stotious on the Ginger Wine, find the dog has finished off the cheese- so what?
If you’re with those you love and love you that’s all that matters.

I always boil my gammon with onion , carrots, bay leaves and black pepper and finish off in the oven with a glaze , either honey , marmalade or treacle. I use the stock for ham and pea soup .

Saving your post, Scribbles 😀

M0nica

Allira I do not like cola in any form.

Me, neither! Revolting stuff.

I cooked a big, unsmoked gammon yesterday, too big for my slow cooker.
First, I brought it to the boil in water with a good splash of vinegar. Then drained it, rinsed in cold water and patted it dry with paper towel.
I then coated it with a thick layer of orange marmalade with the skin still on and slashed into diamond shapes. I wrapped it tightly in foil and put in the fan oven on 140ºC for a little over 4 hours. (I took it out of the oven a couple of times and basted it thoroughly in the melted marmalade and its own juices.)

After 4 hours, I removed the foil, basted again and returned it to the oven at 170º for approximately another hour so the outside and the skin were golden brown. Then turned off the oven and left it there to rest for half an hour while I dealt with the veggies and apple& cider sauce.
It tasted sublime and we had delicious cold ham sandwiches for lunch today. What's left will be great with salads and jacket potatoes for the rest of the week.

I do a wonderful gammon in the slow cooker and oven. It can be found on the Taming Twins website and the whole family love it.

Cooked a Lidl smoked gammon joint in Pepsi Max last week very tasty. I was wondering what to do with the rest of the Pepsi so thanks for the tip Allira 😀

Allira I do not like cola in any form.

Thank goodness for Gransnet!

Same as Witzend. Love the smell when its roasting. I serve with onion sauce, new potatoes or roast potatoes and christmas vegetables.

Turkey free zone here this year. Thank goodness.