Apricot & Apple Glazed Gammon
As a teenager, the thought of Gammon repulsed me. Yes, I know that’s a strong word to use but it’s the truth. I hated the way the cold (this is the way my family served it), pink meat was covered in a sweet layer of jelly with pieces of pineapple and cherry in it. I’ve said before that (when I was younger) I hated meat with anything sweet and Gammon was the personification of that hatred. Nobody ever understood how much I disliked Gammon but they left me alone, saying that it was my loss. I was happy to indulge in the turkey and stuffing.
Fast forward a few years and I still can’t stand the shop-bought, ready-cooked gammon with the layer of jelly and fruits studded onto it but gammon I’ve cooked myself, with a glaze that I lovingly made myself, I can eat kilo’s of. If you are one of the people who buys a ready-made (overpriced) gammon each year, I urge you to try this instead. I know it’s more effort and it might take some time but believe me, no ready-cooked gammon can ever, and I mean ever, come close to this gammon.
Ingredients
- 2 kg boneless gammon/Ham
- 3 carrots roughly chopped
- 2 red onions roughly chopped
- 2 apples roughly chopped
- 500 ml apple juice
- 500 ml water/stock
for the glaze
- 4 tablespoons apricot preserves/jam
- 250 ml apple juice
- 50 g brown sugar
- 50 ml white wine vinegar
Instructions
- Pre-heat the oven to 160°c.
- Place the gammon in a large roasting tray and add the carrots, red onions, apples, apple juice and water to the roasting tray and cover with foil/lid.
- Place in the oven and roast for 20 minutes per 500g. A 2kg boneless gammon will need 1 hour 20 minutes.
- When the gammon is cooked, remove from the oven and turn the heat up to 200°c.
- In a small saucepan, combine all the glaze ingredients and allow to come to the boil. Cook until the sugar has dissolved.
- Cut the skin off the gammon and cut a diamond pattern into the fat. At this stage you can press cloves into each diamond if desired.
- Pour the glaze over the gammon and place back in the oven to cook.
- Allow the glaze to get sticky but check on it regularly as it can burn quickly.
- When the glaze is sticky and dark, remove from the oven.
- Slice and serve the gammon warm or allow to cool before serving.