ROASTING GAMMON
Elize’s New Year’s gammon… uit die boeke heerlik!
Roast gammon is a lovely dish alongside seasonal ingredients like peas, asparagus or even fennel.
Scoring the skin before roasting is a must to help render down the fat and ensure mouth-wateringly crisp skin.
2 kg gammon, boned and rolled
- Stock vegetables:
- 2 onions
- 3 celery sticks
- 3 carrots
- thyme, optional
- Roasting vegetables:
- 2 onions, quartered
- 3 celery sticks, roughly chopped
- 3 carrots, roughly chopped
- 1 garlic bulb, halved width-ways
- 1 handful of thyme sprigs
- Glaze:
- 2 tablespoons wholegrain mustard
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 teaspoon cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
Soak the gammon in water for 24 hours to remove any excess salt from the joint.
Drain and rinse again with clean water (soaking may not be necessary depending on how the gammon has been cured).
Place the gammon and stock vegetables in a large pot and cover with water.
Bring the pan to a boil, then simmer for 1 ½ hours depending on the size of the joint (allow 20 minutes per 450 g plus an extra 30 minutes) – it should reach an internal temperature of 68°C.
(TIP: I leave my gammon in this liquid stock to cool before transferring to my roasting tin, it keeps the meat moist!)
Preheat the oven to 180°C/gas mark 4.
Remove the gammon from the saucepan (you can reserve the liquid to make a stock) and score the skin and fat.
Whisk together the ingredients for the glaze and spoon over the skin.
Lay a trivet of vegetables on the base of a roasting tin and top with the gammon.
Cook in the oven for 1 ½ – 2 hours, glazing the gammon every 15 minutes or so.
Remove the gammon from the oven and leave to rest before carving.
Recipe and photo: Elize de Kock
