RECIPE | Neo Nontso's gammon
When I was eight, we spent Christmas at the beach. My mom booked a self-catering unit so we could make our own Christmas lunch. She’d bought an enormous gammon, which she cooked in a pot before brushing it with a sticky glaze and roasting it in the oven. This was my first encounter with gammon and, since then, I’ve never had a Christmas without it.
1.5kg-2kg boneless gammon (uncooked*)
Bunch fresh thyme
Bunch fresh rosemary
2 teaspoons fennel seeds
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
1 teaspoon cloves
6-8 cardamom pods
6 cloves garlic
1 onion, chopped
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
Glaze:
¼ cup honey
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon mustard powder
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Garnish: springs of thyme or rosemary
Place the gammon in a large pot and cover with water.
Add the thyme, rosemary, fennel seeds, coriander seeds, cloves, cardamom, garlic, onion and peppercorns.
Put the lid on and cook the gammon for 45 minutes on medium heat.
Remove the gammon from the pot and place on a clean chopping board to cool down. Spoon the garlic out of the pot and set aside for later use. Discard the cooking water (or see Tip below).
Remove the net from the gammon and use a sharp knife to gently score the fat: cut diagonal lines from top to bottom (and, if you like, in the opposite direction to make diamond shapes).
Place the gammon in a roasting pan and insert the reserved cloves of garlic into the corners of the cuts.
Heat the oven to 180°C.
Combine the glaze ingredients in a jug or mug and pour over the gammon.
Roast in the oven for 1 hour or until cooked through.
Rest the meat for 15 minutes before carving.
Serve hot with sides of your choice.
* Sometimes gammon is sold already pre-cooked and glazed. Look for the raw untouched gammon.
Tip: You can save the gammon cooking water to use as stock. Freeze it in ice-cube trays and add to soups, sauces and stews.