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.
Hi Alida, I am going to do this for Xmas, is the White Wine Vinegar in the glaze an absolute essential part?
It adds great tang but you can substitute with lemon juice or another vinegar, or leave it out entirely.
excellent and easy recipe. the gammon was delicious and very moist.
Thank you for this recipe. I’ve made it for the past 5 Christmas lunches and it’s always a big hit. I’ve discovered that soaking the ham in the apple juice and veggies, etc for at least two days in the fridge imparts even more flavor. I also take off the skin before soaking and cooking…much easier than removing the hot skin…just slice it off with a sharp knife before soaking. Also, I actually reduce the glaze in the pot for a thicker consistency that sticks to the gammon/ham and helps with the browning of the fat. This is the only way my family and friends eat our Christmas gammon!
Hi I have a question, do I take the gammon out of the juice before I put the glaze or put it over all together?
Yes, I remove it from the cooking liquid before glazing.
I have been making this gammon at Christmas time since 2014. It’s the best!
I am SO happy to hear that 🙂
Hi there am Kgopotso
I wanted to ask… So after i put the apples, onions & carrots etc in the pan with the gommon. I leave it to cook for 1h30min then after i put the apricot jam & the mix from the pan together in a pot bring it to the boil then glaze the meat right?
Yup!
Good day
Would I be able to make this in a slow cooker?
I don’t see why not, I haven’t tried it yet so can’t say with certainty how long it will take but I’m sure it will be delicious.
I have been making this recipe for the past few years and the Family loves it …. only thing I wish is that there was more leftovers …*sigh*
I am SO happy to hear that. 🙂
im 11 and i cooked this gammon with ease it came out divine and the family loved it
We have a new baby in the house, so I asked hubby to run out and buy some gammon… COMPLETELY forgot to think of ingredients to cook it with… Found this recipe upon his return and we have everything in the house (even our last three carrots)! So easy and delicious!! Thank you!
I’m so glad you liked it!
Hi, can the gammon be prepared the day before? I’m thinking of doing the first roasting step the day before and the glazing step on Christmas day just before serving. Will this work?
Absolutely!
Hi. I don’t see anyone else confused: After you have roasted it and pour the glaze over, do you remove the stock/juice from the pan first? I am busy cooking this now and am really not sure what to do with the liquid!
Hi Michele. Yes, you pour the stock off and then add some of it to the glaze, if wanted, then glaze after the gammon has been cooked in the stock.
thanks for responding so quickly! I must say I read and reread the instructions and it doesn’t say add some stock to the glaze. I’m not the best cook so basically need to be spoonfed! Thanks for your lovely recipes.
It’s completely optional! 🙂
Will this work with a smoked, bone-in gammon? Unfortunately that’s all I’m about to get my hands on here in Singapore…
Yes, you’ll just have to adjust the cooking times as per package instructions.
Made this today (25 Dec 2015) and it tastes better than expected. The fruit is infused into the meat. Only difference is that I used Chinese 5 spice (in addition to the cloves) which worked perfectly.
I love the idea of the Chinese 5-spice! So glad you liked the recipe.
I’m wondering how sweet this is? Like honey sweet? less or more?
Roberta, it is relatively sweet, like honey would be close yes. I think the smoky, saltiness of the gammon requires it though.
I am in the US and I don’t know what Gammon is????
I think Americans call it Ham.
Hope you enjoyed your gammon! Happy holidays!
Hi Alida, how deep must the roasting tray be….as i have a very shallow one….just worried the gammon wont cook through when in the oven the first time.
Joy, I would say it must be at least 5-10cm deep as you want it to ‘sit’ in the liquid slightly. A very shallow tray will probably result in the liquid spilling over the sides.
I am loving your Christmas food posts, Alida. When I was a boy, the ham was always boiled in our house. But for a long time now, Maddy and I have roasted our ham/gammon, wrapped in foil in the oven and it works really well. Hope you’re having happy hols on the Southern Coast. Luv Mx
Thanks M. I know most people have memories of ham being boiled in their child-hood homes but I really prefer the roasting. So much easier. We are having a wonderful time on holiday, thanks! 🙂
This recipe arrived like an answer to a prayer. I bought a boneless gammon at Woolies this morning and was wanting to roast and glaze it and your recipe is PERFECT. Thank you so much. Kind regards, Jenny
Jenny, I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I did. It is quite stunning and so much easier than I thought it would be (this was my first gammon).
Hi Alida! Married for 1year and we always have Christmas lunch at my “now” inlaws and this year I decided to prepare my very first gammon to contribute to the table. Your recipe sounds fool proof lol and absolutely divine. I am definitely doing it this way!! Wish me luck!! Happy holidays!!