How to cook the perfect roast ham
Thinking of trading your turkey for an alternative centrepiece this Christmas? A sweet and succulent roast ham could be just the showstopper you’re looking for. With a bit of prep, this festive favourite is really easy to make at home and is perfect for feeding a crowd. And, for anyone scaling down celebrations this year, you’ll have incredible leftovers to enjoy for days.
Author: Jamieoliver/Photo credit to jamieoliver.com
Ingredients
- 3-4 kg middle cut higher-welfare gammon, with knuckle left on
- 2 carrots
- 2 sticks of celery
- 2 fresh bay leaves
- 16 black peppercorns
- 1 bouquet garni (1 piece of leek, 1 stick of celery, 1 fresh bay leaf, 1 sprig of fresh thyme)
- 2 lemons or oranges
- 1 jar of quality thin-rind marmalade
- ½ a bunch of fresh rosemary (15g)
Instructions
- Place the gammon in a large, snug-fitting pot.
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- Roughly chop and throw in the carrots and celery, with the bay leaves, peppercorns and bouquet garni.
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- Peel the zest from the lemons, then squeeze in the juice.
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- Cover with water. Place the pot over a high heat, bring to the boil, then turn the heat down and simmer for 1 hour 15 minutes with a lid on, skimming away any scum that rises to the surface, as and when needed.
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- When the time’s up, remove from the heat and allow to cool for half an hour in the broth – this will allow the flavours to really penetrate the meat. Remove the veg and put the broth in a container for freezing.
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- Preheat the oven to 170°C/325°F/gas 3. Carefully remove the meat to a board and, using a knife, take off the skin.
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- Depending on the breed and quality of the meat, you should have a nice layer of fat. Remove some of the fat, to leave you with about 1cm. The extra fat can be kept in the freezer for roasting with potatoes another time.
- Score the fat left on the meat in a criss-cross fashion and, while it’s moist, season it generously with black pepper.
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- Place the ham in a roasting tray and roast for 20 minutes, or until the fat renders and becomes slightly crispy.
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- Remove the tray from the oven, stir the marmalade to loosen, then brush it all over the meat, and strip over the rosemary.
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- Return the ham to the oven for about 1 hour and baste frequently until beautifully golden and crisp.
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- Serve as you would a roast dinner or as part of a festive spread.
