Baked Gammon

This isn't the lowest cholesterol joint ever - but you can easily cut all the fat off making it significantly healthier (and crikey, you need to get some fat from somewhere surely?!). This is delicious with potatoes, salad, rice, pasta, on top of pizza or just with a couple of slices of good homebaked bread and some mustard!

Gammon Glazes

  • Chilli Sauce
  • Maple Syrup and Sugar
  • Honey & Mustard Powder
  • Mustard and Brown Sugar
  • Mango Chutney
  • Ketchup & Brown Sauce

Put your gammon in a large saucepan filled with water – bring to the boil and simmer for 1 or 2 hours (more if for 4 – 6 people, less if for only 2 – 4 servings – I usually do a small joint for 1.5 hours and it serves two of us for a couple of meals and a sandwich)

Close to the end of cooking time, pre-heat your oven to 180˚c

Lift the gammon carefully out of the water after it has cooked as above

Cut off the string and carefully cut off most of the fat (leave a small amount on wherever the fat was on the joint – you want this for cooking)

Carefully score lines across the fat – two ways so you end up with criss-crosses all over the fat (don’t worry if it looks a bit of a mess, it won’t after cooking)

Smear with a glaze… Chilli Sauce is good (used in photos); Sugar mixed with Mustard is really delicious; Mango Chutney also works (surprisingly); Maple Syrup versions are brilliantly smokey

Once glazed, pop in the oven for 20 – 30 minutes or until the glaze looks good (you may want to add a little more half way through cooking)

I think this is better served cold because it is much easier to cut all the fat off (important if you’re trying to reduce your cholesterol or follow a reduced fat diet).  Although you are cutting the glaze off technically, I still think it is worth cooking with it on to add a little more flavour.

Slice the gammon as thinly as possible so even a small serving goes a long way.  A couple of small slices with a big plate of lentils and salad is a great supper.  This can be easily kept in the fridge for 3 or 4 days.

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