What to do with a Gammon Joint

You can also add some red lentils. I cook for about 45 minutes but you can cook for much longer and it won't spoil

I really envy you and my devious mind is thinking of ways I could prise it out of your hands. I've considered telling you it's an acquired taste and you'd be better off passing it onto me but I don't think you'd fall for it.

So If it were mine I'd soak it overnight in cold water or cover it in water and bring to the boil then disgard that liquid. It can be oversalted and this gets rid of some of the excess salt.

I prefer pressure cooking so would return the joint to the pan and cook with the juice from a can of peach halves and sufficient water to cover at high pressure for 8minutes to the 1lb. (If it's a special do (or your inviting me) then you could add a bayleaf, use cider rather than water to cover, and add an onion to replace some of the water) [If you've no pressure cooker then rather than the 8minsper pound simmer for one hour]

After you have parboiled the joint (by either method) you allow it to cool a little (so it's managable) and put it in a roasting tin. Set the oven for Mark 6 400f 200c then you strip the skin from the joint and stand the joint in the roasting tin (your chickens will fight for the skin if treat them) then glaze the joint with 2tbsps demerara sugare1tspmustardpowder 1tspworcestershiresauce 1tsptomato puree and1tspmalt vinegar then !!!!!! the skin with a dozen cloves. If this goes into the oven for about 45 minutes with about 1/4pt cider it should be about right. If you went for the peach juice earlier then add the peach halves to the juice round the joint after about 25 mins so they get a good 20mins to heat through. Cut in thick generous slices and I'm drooling at the thought of it.

Ted_Hutchinson wrote:

I really envy you and my devious mind is thinking of ways I could prise it out of your hands. I've considered telling you it's an acquired taste and you'd be better off passing it onto me but I don't think you'd fall for it.

So If it were mine I'd soak it overnight in cold water or cover it in water and bring to the boil then disgard that liquid. It can be oversalted and this gets rid of some of the excess salt.

I prefer pressure cooking so would return the joint to the pan and cook with the juice from a can of peach halves and sufficient water to cover at high pressure for 8minutes to the 1lb. (If it's a special do (or your inviting me) then you could add a bayleaf, use cider rather than water to cover, and add an onion to replace some of the water) [If you've no pressure cooker then rather than the 8minsper pound simmer for one hour]

After you have parboiled the joint (by either method) you allow it to cool a little (so it's managable) and put it in a roasting tin. Set the oven for Mark 6 400f 200c then you strip the skin from the joint and stand the joint in the roasting tin (your chickens will fight for the skin if treat them) then glaze the joint with 2tbsps demerara sugare1tspmustardpowder 1tspworcestershiresauce 1tsptomato puree and1tspmalt vinegar then !!!!!! the skin with a dozen cloves. If this goes into the oven for about 45 minutes with about 1/4pt cider it should be about right. If you went for the peach juice earlier then add the peach halves to the juice round the joint after about 25 mins so they get a good 20mins to heat through. Cut in thick generous slices and I'm drooling at the thought of it.

Pretty much exactly the same recipe I use when I cook one the only difference being that I like to add a tsp of dark soy sauce to the glaze along with the rind of an orange. Never tried with peach juice though, might give that a whirl next time.

Looks like I'm the only one who would bake it, then

Soak. Take two pieces of foil, one lengthways and the other widthways across a roasting tin. Fold the ends of one piece of foil together and over - you want to make a "tent" not wrap the joint. Repeat with other piece of foil.

Bake at gas mark 3, 160°C, 325°F for 20 mins per lb (450g).

Transfer joint to a worksurface - pour off fat/juice and reserve (good for enriching lentil soup). Take a sharp knife and peel off the rind, but leave the fat. Slash the fat criss-cross fashion to make huge diamonds. Push a clove into each X, smother the whole fat with English Mustard (I just make it up from Colman's dried mustard) and sprinkle with demerara sugar.

Return the oven for about 30 mins. Let it rest for another 30 minutes before carving.

Delicious, hot or cold.

A lovely gammon joint sounds too good to just boil - but then again there'd be all that useful ham stock if boiled. I'd compromise and boil, then bake.

Put joint in pan, just cover with water, bring to the boil and then simmer gently for 30 mins per pound. Remove joint, carefully take off skin and score fat diagonally in each direction to create diamond shapes. Stick a clove in each diamond. Lightly cover with runny paste of French mustard and soft brown sugar (one part mustard with two parts sugar moistened with a little white wine). Put into hot oven for 45 minutes.

You still have the stock, which is perfect for lentil, pea or minestrone soup. My choice would be minestrone, a meal in itself. And if there is any leftover ham (after the leftover salad!) how about ham fried rice?