ingredients
serves 8 - 10
5 pound smoked or unsmoked gammon joint
1 onion
1 carrot
1 celery stick
bouquet garni sachet
6 peppercorns
for the glaze
whole cloves
4 tbsp soft light brown or demerara sugar
2 tbsp corn syrup
1 tsp English mustard powder
for the cumberland sauce
juice and shredded rind of 1 orange
2 tbsp lemon juice
1/2 cup port or red wine
4 tbsp redcurrant jelly
method
1. Soak the gammon overnight in a cool place in enough cold water to cover. Discard this water. Put the joint into a large pan and cover it with more cold water. Bring the water to the boil slowly and skim off any scum that rises to the surface.
2. Add the vegetables and seasonings, cover the pan and simmer over a gentle heat for 2 hours.
3. Leave the meat to cool in the liquid for 30 minutes. Then remove it from the liquid and strip off the skin neatly with the help of a knife (use rubber gloves if the gammon is too hot).
4. Score the fat in diamonds with a sharp knife and stick a clove in the centre of each diamond.
5. Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F. Put the sugar, corn syrup a mustard powder in a small pan and heat gently to melt them. Place the gammon in a roasting tin and spoon over the glaze. Bake it until golden brown, about 20 minutes. Put it under a hot grill, if necessary, to get a good colour. Allow to stand in a warm place for 15 minutes before carving.
6. For the sauce, put the orange and lemon juice into a pan with the port, red wine and jelly, and heat to melt jelly. Pour boiling water on to the orange rind, drain, and add to the sauce. Cook for 2 minutes. Serve in a sauce boat.
