Whether you are cooking a gammon or ham for Easter, Christmas or another celebration, this one is the perfect edition.
Roasted first with the skin on for crispy crackling, then smothered in a honey mustard glaze, this gammon is fabulous hot for a roast or cold for a buffet.
With step by step instructions, and options for soaking and boiling too, your honey roast ham will be a breeze to cook.
I guarantee your guest will love it too. And, if you have leftovers, there are so many ways to use it too.
Enjoy!
Unsmoked gammon is one that has been cured with salt to preserve it. Regular salt is normally mixed with salt containing nitrates, which help to stop bacteria growing. It tends to have a mild flavour.
If you are worried about the meat being too salty, then you can soak it in water.
It is normally safe to soak the ham for up to 72 hours, but usually overnight is sufficient. If you are soaking the ham for more than 4 hours then the water should be changed regularly every 2 hours.
When you have finished soaking the ham rinse it well in cold water, as the salt still tends to cling to the surface. Dry well with kitchen paper.
Alternatively, place the meat in a large pan with sufficient water to cover and bring to the boil for 10 minutes, then drain and rinse. Slice off a small piece to test for saltiness.
Gammon joint - smoked and boneless with the skin left on for crackling, or without of you prefer.
Salt - plain cooking salt for salting the skin.
Oil - vegetable or sunflower oil or similar.
Honey - plain clear honey.
Mustard - coarse grain mustard as this gives a nice coating the the gammon, which is especially effective when it's sliced cold.
See recipe card for quantities.
🍽 Equipment
Large heavy roasting dish
Foil
Pastry brush
Sharp knife
Kitchen paper
🔪 Instructions
Line a large deep roasting dish with plenty of foil to hang over the sides.
This is to protect the meat and also to catch any excess glaze from becoming encrusted on the roasting dish.
Remove the meat from the fridge 30 minutes before you plan to cook it to bring it to room temperature and get it prepared for the oven.
If the meat isn't scored already cut parallel lines or diamonds into the skin, then dry with kitchen paper.
💭 Top Tip
To score the skin you will need a very sharp knife. I keep a stanley knife in the kitchen to do this as it is safer than a standard kitchen knife.
An alternative knife for safe scoring is a bread knife. This will take longer.
Aim to score the skin only. If you cut through to the flesh then the meat juices will escape as the meat cooks, causing the meat to dry out and the crackling to become soggy.
Rub half of the salt into the skin, paying particular attention to the fat in between the cuts.
This will help the skin to open out.
Leave for 30 minutes then wash off the salt with cold water and dry the skin with paper towel.
Rub the skin with the oil and sprinkle over the remaining salt.
Place the meat in the roasting dish and scrunch up the foil to protect any areas of meat while leaving the skin uncovered.
⏲️ Roasting Time
Calculate the cooking time by allowing 30 minutes per 500g, (approx. half a pound), plus an extra 30 minutes. So a 2kg joint, ( approx. 4.5 pounds), will take 2 hours and 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 200 C / 400 F / 180 FAN / Gas 6.
Roast in the oven for 20 minutes to get the heat into the fat, as the hot fat puffs up and forms the crackling.
Reduce the heat to 180 C / 350 F / 160 FAN / Gas 4.
Continue roasting then remove the meat from the oven 30 minutes before the end of the cooking time.
The crackling should now be ready.
💭 Top Tip
The crackling may still seem soft in places, but it will harden as it cools.
Occasionally the crackling isn't crispy all over. Either return the cut off crackling to the oven for the last 30 minutes or place under the grill for a few minutes. Watch it carefully, as it can quickly burn.
Pull the foil away from the meat but leave it in the roasting dish.
Use a carving knife to remove the crackling and set aside to cool.
Trim off any excess fat if you wish, to leave an even layer.
Mix together the honey and mustard in a small bowl and use a pastry brush to cover the meat.
Return the meat to the oven for the final 30 minutes to bake the glaze.
Rest the meat for 30 minutes in a warm place before carving if serving hot.
If serving cold, leave the simple roast gammon to cool completely before slicing.
📋 Full Recipe
Simple Roast Gammon
Prep Time 15 minutes mins
Cook Time 2 hours hrs 30 minutes mins
Total Time 2 hours hrs 45 minutes mins
Course Main Course
Cuisine British
Servings 10
Calories 267 kcal
Equipment
Large heavy roasting dish
Foil
Pastry brush
Sharp knife
Kitchen paper
Ingredients
2 kg gammon
2 tablespoon table salt
1 tablespoon oil
2 tablespoon honey
2 tablespoon coarse grain mustard
Instructions
Line a large deep roasting dish with foil to hang over the sides.
Bring the meat to room temperature 30 minutes before cooking.
Score the skin and dry the meat with kitchen paper.
Rub half of the salt into the skin. Leave for 30 minutes then wash off the salt with cold water and dry the skin with paper towel.
Rub the skin with the oil and sprinkle over the remaining salt.
Place the meat in the roasting dish and scrunch up the foil to protect any areas of meat while leaving the skin uncovered.
Calculate the cooking time by allowing 30 minutes per 500g, (approx. a pound), plus an extra 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 200 C / 400 F / 180 FAN / Gas 6.
Roast in the oven for 20 minutes then reduce the heat to 180 C / 350 F / 160 FAN / Gas 4.
Continue roasting then remove the meat from the oven 30 minutes before the end of the cooking time.
Pull the foil away from the meat, remove the crackling and set aside to cool.
Trim off any excess fat if you wish, to leave an even layer.
Mix together the honey and mustard in a small bowl and use a pastry brush to cover the meat.
Return the meat to the oven for the final 30 minutes to bake the glaze.
Rest the meat for 30 minutes in a warm place before carving if serving hot.
🥗 Side Dishes
There are plenty of different side dishes, but I think these ones go particularly well.
Serve hot with
Serve cold with
Substitutions
Mustard - use French mustard or Dijon mustard. English mustard is much stronger, so if you use this instead, reduce the amount slightly.
📖 Variations
Traditional - score the fat in to diamonds and cover with honey. Place a whole clove in the centre of each diamond before the final bake.
Marmalade - spread chunky orange marmalade over the fat before baking.
Storage
Refrigerator - cool, cover and refrigerate for up to 5 days.
Freezer - wrap weel and freezefor up to 6 months.
To reheat - reheat sliced honey roast ham by wrapping in a foil parcel and reheating in the oven. To use in other dishes simply chop into the desired size and add to the dish towards the end of cooking.
Nutrition Facts
Simple Roast Gammon
Amount Per Serving
Calories 267 Calories from Fat 63
% Daily Value*
Fat 7g11%
Saturated Fat 2g13%
Trans Fat 1g
Polyunsaturated Fat 2g
Monounsaturated Fat 3g
Cholesterol 124mg41%
Sodium 1580mg69%
Potassium 725mg21%
Carbohydrates 4g1%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 3g3%
Protein 44g88%
Vitamin A 16IU0%
Vitamin C 1mg1%
Calcium 27mg3%
Iron 1mg6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Disclaimer: The nutritional information provided is approximate and is calculated using online tools. Information can vary depending on various factors, but we have endeavoured to be as accurate as possible.
Detailed instructions for this recipe, including step by step photographs, hints and tips, can be found in the main article
Food Safety
Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat.
Wash hands after touching raw meat.
Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods.
Never leave cooking food unattended.
Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds.
Always have good ventilation when using gas.
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