Roast Gammon with Four Glazes

Preparation time :	30 minutes
Cooking time :	2 hours 20 minutes, plus 15 minutes resting time
Total time :	3 hours 5 minutes

Serves: 6

Ingredients

Approximately 2kg piece of British Unsmoked Gammon
370ml Sheppy's Kingston Black Cider
150ml Citadelle Maple Syrup
2 tbsp Aspall Organic Cyder Vinegar
24-36 whole cloves
6 Golden Delicious apples, cored

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C, gas mark 4. Place the gammon on a rack in a roasting tin and pour in 250ml of the cider. Cover tightly with foil and cook for 1 hour 20 minutes
2. Remove the gammon from the oven and increase the oven temperature to 200°C, gas mark 6.
3. Mix together the maple syrup and cyder vinegar. Uncover the gammon, remove the skin with a sharp knife, and score the fat in a diamond pattern. Stud with the cloves and brush with a little of the glaze.
4. Make a shallow cut around the centre of each apple. Stand the apples around the gammon and baste the gammon with the cider juices. Drizzle with a little glaze and roast, uncovered, for 35-40 minutes, basting frequently and glazing occasionally.
5. Remove the gammon and apples to a serving plate, cover with foil, and keep warm.
6. Boil the remaining glaze with the remaining cider until it is reduced and slightly syrupy. Season and serve with the sliced gammon and apples. This glaze also works well with smoked gammon.

Cook's tips

With the second two glazes, taste the cooking juices for saltiness. If they are too salty, replace a proportion with stock.

Variation

Honey, Soy and Star Anise Glaze
Cook the gammon up to step 2. Use 250ml vegetable or chicken stock instead of cider and add 3 Bart Spices Star Anise, 3 slices root ginger and 2 strips of orange peel to the roasting tin. For the glaze, heat together 3 tbsp honey with 2 tbsp each of soy sauce and Chinese rice wine or dry sherry. Boil the glaze for a few minutes until syrupy, cool, then stir in 1-2 finely chopped garlic cloves. Remove the fat from the gammon and spoon a little of the glaze over the top. Roast for the remaining cooking time, spooning over more glaze occasionally. Sprinkle with 1-2 tbsp sesame seeds for the last 15 minutes of cooking. For the sauce, boil any remaining glaze with 120ml chicken or vegetable stock until it is reduced and syrupy. Season to taste, adding more honey or soy and a few drops of toasted sesame oil. Serve with rice and stir-fried green pak choi. This glaze is particularly good with unsmoked gammon.

Orange Glaze
Cook the gammon up to step 2. Use vegetable or chicken stock as the liquid and add 2 strips orange rind and a few sprigs of fresh thyme. Remove the skin, then spread the fat with 2-3 tbsp Dijon mustard followed by 2-3 tbsp demerara sugar. Roast for 10 minutes, then baste with the juice of 1 orange. Roast for another 20-25 minutes, basting frequently Cut the rind of half an orange into very thin shreds. Cook in boiling water for 5 minutes, drain and rinse. While the gammon is resting, boil the juices in the roasting tin with the juice of 1 orange and 1 tbsp redcurrant jelly. Strain into a clean pan, add the strips of orange peel and adjust the seasoning (it may need a pinch or two of sugar). Serve the gammon with hot braised beetroot, spinach and roasted squash.

Ginger and Lime Glaze
Cook the gammon up to step 2. Use ginger beer or vegetable stock as the cooking liquid. Add 2-3 slices of fresh root ginger. For the glaze, mix together 5 tbsp syrup from a jar of Waitrose Stem Ginger with 3 tbsp lime juice. Remove the skin from the gammon and brush with 2 tbsp glaze. Surround it with six peeled, uncored pears and also brush with 2 tbsp glaze. Roast for 20 minutes, basting with another 2 tbsp glaze. Thinly shred 3-4 pieces of stem ginger. Mix the ginger into the remaining glaze and brush over the joint and pears. Roast for another 10 minutes until it is glossy and well browned and the pears are tender. Cut the peel of 1 lime into thin strips and cook in boiling water for 4 minutes. Drain and rinse. Keep the gammon and pears warm while you boil the juices with the lime peel to make a syrupy sauce. Season with pepper. Add the juice of 1 lime and 1 tbsp ginger syrup. Serve with mashed or roasted parsnips and stir-fried cabbage.