Image: brambleandbeast.com
Prep Time: 2 hours 45 minutes + cooling and resting time
Caters to: 10 gobblers
Challenge Level: Beginner
From The Pantry:
- 3-4 kg gammon with knuckle left on
- 2 carrots
- 2 sticks of celery
- 2 fresh bay leaves
- 16 black peppercorns
- 1 bouquet garni (1 celery stick, 1 piece of leek, 1 sprig of thyme, 1 fresh bay leaf)
- 2 oranges
- 3 tablespoons black pepper
- 1 jar of thin-rind marmalade
- ½ a bunch of fresh rosemary
Cook Away:
- Place the gammon in a large pot and cover with water.
- Roughly chop carrots and celery add to the pot along with bay leaves, peppercorns and bouquet garni.
- Add the zest of oranges and juice to the water.
- Place the pot on high heat and bring to boil. Reduce to low and simmer for 1 hour 15 minutes with lid on. While simmering skim away any scum that rises, whenever needed.
- Once the time is up, remove from heat and allow the meat to soak in flavours by resting in the broth for 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 170C.
- Carefully place the gammon on a chopping board and remove the layer of skin and most of the fat, leaving behind about 1 cm of fat. Store the removed fat for cooking roasted potatoes.
- Score the layer of fat in a criss-cross fashion and season thoroughly with black pepper.
- Place the ham on a roasting tray and put in the oven for 20 minutes or until the fat rendered and a golden brown caramelisation can be seen.
- Once done, remove from oven. Stir the marmalade to loosen it up. Baste the ham with marmalade and sprinkle with rosemary sprigs.
- Return to oven for 1 hour and baste frequently. It allows more flavour to penetrate through and the meat to remain moist. Remove once beautifully golden and crisp.
Serve and carve on the dinner table!
Featured Image Courtesy: brambleandbeast.com
