Executive Chef Alex Nahke and his culinary team at The Europe Hotel and Resort in Killarney are sharing their culinary expertise with KillarneyToday.com readers to create a spectacular feast this festive season. Bring the magic of Christmas and delight your guests with this fabulous honey roast gammon recipe to serve eight people
Ingredients for the ham
- 3kg unsmoked, boneless green gammon joint (boned and rolled)
- 4 medium carrots, peeled and roughly chopped
- 1 leek, cleaned and roughly chopped
- 1 onion, peeled and roughly chopped
- 1 teaspoon of black peppercorn, lightly crushed
- 1 teaspoon of coriander seeds, lightly crushed
- 1 cinnamon stick, broken in half
- 3 bay leaves
- A handful of cloves
Ingredients for the Honey Glaze
- 100g demerara sugar
- 50ml Madeira
- 25ml sherry vinegar
- 125g honey
Method
- Place the green gammon in a large saucepan and cover it with cold water. Add the carrots, leek, onion, peppercorns, coriander seeds, cinnamon stick and bay leaves to the saucepan.
- Bring the water to a boil, then reduce it to a simmer and cook for three hours. Add more boiling water as needed to keep the gammon covered. Skim off the froth and impurities occasionally. If cooking in advance, leave the ham to cool in the stock overnight. Otherwise, allow it to cool a little, then remove it from the pan. Strain the stock and save for soups and sauces for the coming days.
- To make the honey glaze, combine the sugar, Madeira, sherry vinegar and honey in a pan. Stir over low heat until the sugar dissolves. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 3–4 minutes, or until it forms a glossy dark syrup. Be careful and do not leave unattended as it can easily boil over.
- Preheat the oven to 190°C (Gas Mark 5). Place the ham on a cutting board and remove the string. Carefully cut away the skin, leaving an even layer of fat on the ham. Lightly score the fat in a criss-cross, diamond pattern, being careful not to cut into the meat. Insert a clove into the center of each diamond.
- Place the prepared ham into a roasting tin. Pour half of the glaze evenly over the surface of the ham. Roast in the preheated oven for 15 minutes.
- Pour the remaining glaze over the ham. Return the ham to the oven and roast for an additional 25–35 minutes, or until it is golden brown. Baste the ham frequently with the pan juices to ensure even coating and color. Turning the pan while basting can help the joint brown evenly.
Remove from the oven and leave to rest for at least 15 minutes before carving. And enjoy.
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