Techniques for preparing a ham roast
In the United Kingdom, roast gammon is traditionally served for Boxing Day dinner, but it is delicious all year. It's a flavorful and generous cut of meat that can be served hot or cold.
A joint of gammon - or ham as it's known once cooked - is easy to prepare and goes well with roast potatoes and gravy as well as stuffed into a sandwich or mixed into a summer salad.
Our expert guide covers everything from how long to cook your gammon to how much ham you'll need per person, whether you're roasting it in the oven or using a slow cooker.
top-rated red wineCheck out our top-rated red wine guides, which are based on our independent consumer taste tests.
How to Prepare a Gammon Joint
- Weigh your joint to determine the proper cooking time - it's about 20 minutes per 450g, plus an extra 20 minutes.
- Place the joint in a large pot with any seasonings you want to use (for example, peppercorns, onion, cinnamon, bay, carrots). Bring to a boil, covered with cold water.
- Cook for half the time, skimming and removing any white froth that rises to the surface.
- Drain (reserving the water for stock if desired) and set aside to cool slightly before removing the rind and scoring the fat layer.
- Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan/gas 4
- Place the meat in a roasting pan lined with foil, loosely cover with foil, and place in a preheated oven.
- Bake for the remainder of the cooking time
- Remove the foil 20-30 minutes before the end of the cooking time and brush the joint with your preferred glaze, such as honey or maple syrup.
- Cook until the glaze is golden, uncovered.
Is it necessary to boil a gammon before roasting it?
No, not always. However, boiling it first saves time and keeps the meat moist. However, if you prefer not to boil your gammon or do not have a large enough pan, you can simply bake it.
Before roasting, soak the gammon for 12 to 48 hours to remove any excess salt. If you're boiling a gammon, you don't need to do this.
Cooking times will also be extended - approximately 30 minutes per 450g, plus an additional 30 minutes.
Cooking times for gammon
Once you've determined the weight of your gammon joint, you can estimate how long it will take to cook. The total cooking time for a boneless gammon joint, including boiling and roasting, is as follows:
- 750g - 1 hour
- 1 kg - 1 hour and 5 minutes
- 1 hour 25 minutes - 1.5kg
- 1 hour 50 minutes - 2kg
- 2 hours - 2.25kg
- 2.50kg - 2 hours and ten minutes
- 2 hours 25 minutes - 2.75kg
- 2 hours 45 minutes for 3kg
If you prefer it roasted only in the oven, reduce the cooking time to 30 minutes per 450g plus an additional 30 minutes.
Check the cooking times listed on the packaging, or ask the butcher if you aren't purchasing from a supermarket.
Cooking times will also differ depending on how well your oven maintains its temperature. We discovered that some ovens overheat by 30oC more than the temperature you set on the dial - enough to turn a perfectly tender joint of ham into a chargrilled mess.
A href="MY_REDIRECT_PREFIXhttps://www.which.co.uk/reviews/built-in-ovens" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">span>span>built-in oven/span>/span>/a>, a href="MY_REDIRECT_PREFIXhttps://www.which.co.uk/reviews
What gammon joint size do I require?
If you're trying to figure out how much gammon to cook, a good rule of thumb is 200g per person for a boneless joint. The table below will give you an idea of how much gammon you'll need to feed everyone at your dinner table.
- 400g - 600g is enough for two people.
- 800g - 1kg will feed four people
- 1.2kg - 1 4kg feeds six people
- 1.6kg – 1 8kg will feed eight people.
- 2kg – 2 4kg will feed 10-12 people.
- 2.6kg to 3kg - 13-15 people
best meat thermometersCheck out our reviews of the best meat thermometers to avoid serving undercooked gammon to your guests.
Gammon joint in the slow cooker
- Weigh your joint to determine the proper cooking time - one to two hours per 450g in the slow cooker, plus an additional 15-20 minutes in the oven.
- Cover the gammon with cold water in a slow cooker with a quartered onion.
- Cook on low for the calculated amount of time, or until the gammon is tender. If necessary, top up with boiling water to keep the meat covered.
- Drain (reserving the water for stock if desired) and set aside to cool slightly before removing the rind and scoring the fat layer.
- Preheat the oven to 220°C/200°C Fan/Gas 7
- Place the meat in a foil-lined roasting pan, fat side up, and brush with your preferred glaze, such as honey or maple syrup.
- Cook for 15-20 minutes, or until the fat is nicely browned, in a preheated oven.
slow cooker reviewsSee our complete list of slow cooker reviews.
Recipes for gammon glaze
A glaze can contain a variety of ingredients, but a good rule of thumb is to include a combination of sweet, tangy, and spicy flavors. As an example:
- Brown sugar, honey, marmalade, and maple syrup are all examples of sweeteners.
- Tangy ingredients include pineapple juice, cider vinegar, and orange juice.
- Mustard, cloves, and garlic are all spices.
Honey and mustard is a classic combination, but you can experiment to find your favorite.
Simply combine the ingredients and brush onto your gammon. If you want a thicker glaze, boil it before adding it to your meat.
best food and drinkView all of our best food and beverages.
What should I serve with gammon?
- Roasted, mashed, boiled, or gratin potatoes
- Asparagus, corn on the cob, peas, and broad beans are examples of summer vegetables.
- Broccoli, cabbage, kale, leeks, carrots, parsnips, Brussels sprouts, sweet potato, squash, celeriac are all winter vegetables.
- Pickles and cold meats
- In a sandwich with mustard, chilli jam, cranberry sauce, rocket, and cheese
- Salads include Caesar salad and Waldorf salad.
- With a side salad in a quiche
- Pea and ham soup, vegetable and ham soup
- Chips and a fried egg
Leftover cranberry sauce or stuffing from Christmas Day can also be served with your ham, and for the ultimate Boxing Day sandwich, combine these ingredients with some leftover cheese, such as brie, to make a truly decadent snack.
Instead of gravy, parsley sauce complements a gammon joint and is a welcome change after a Christmas Day turkey.
The A-Z of wine pairingsDiscover which wines pair well with ham and gammon by reading the A-Z of wine pairings.
Additional gammon recipes
Jamie Oliver's recipes for gammon
sticky mulled wine glazed hamJamie's sticky mulled wine glazed ham, dubbed the "perfect festive centerpiece," is a delicious alternative to the traditional Christmas turkey. It's made with orange marmalade, pineapple, holiday spices, and, of course, wine.
Jamie’s gammon recipesAnother of Jamie's gammon recipes substitutes rum and jerk seasoning for the wine. However, because it requires an overnight marinade, you must begin preparing it the day before serving.
Nigella Lawson's recipe for gammon in Coke
Nigella boils her gammon in Coke instead of water before drizzling it with treacle and roasting it.
It may appear strange at first, but don't pass judgment until you've tried it. Nigella's ham in Coca-Cola recipeNigella's recipe for ham in Coca-Cola has become one of the most popular gammon dishes available.
Delia Smith's recipe for gammon
Delia's gammon recipe has only a few ingredients and requires you to make a parcel for your gammon to cook in.
Delia's sugar glazed whole gammon recipeDelia's sugar glazed whole gammon recipe, seasoned with mustard, sugar, and cloves, is delicious served hot or cold.
how to make roast potatoesOnce you've mastered the gammon recipe, move on to our guide on how to make roast potatoes.
How to Use Leftover Ham
Leftover ham makes an excellent sandwich filler, and it can also be served in gravy or parsley sauce with fried vegetables (bubble and squeak). You could use it in a pie with leftover turkey and possibly some leeks and carrots.
Is it possible to freeze a gammon joint?
Yes, gammon (both cooked and raw) can be frozen in an airtight container or bag for up to four months.
Make sure the ham has completely cooled before freezing it, and only reheat it once after it has been defrosted.
You should also keep in mind that thawing a whole joint will take some time; allow at least 36 hours for it to fully defrost in the fridge.
fridge freezer reviewsSee all of our refrigerator and freezer reviews.
From our earliest years, we are taught the simple act of switching off a light when we leave a room. As energy costs continue to skyrocket, we all become more sensitive to wasting electricity. But what is the true cost of leaving a light on? And how much is this adding to your monthly bills?As we are
Undoubtedly, Sky broadband provides excellent and dependable Wi-Fi coverage across the United Kingdom. Nevertheless, issues such as "black spots" can still happen, and customers might not have access to their Wi-Fi outside their property, like their front porch or garden. If you encounter these
London Bound: Your Travel Guide from TehranAre you ready to fly from Tehran to London? Plan your trip with this itinerary for a commercial flight, and consider including time at the airports to calculate your total travel time to London. You can also customize this itinerary to choose nearby airports
If you're looking to get in touch with loved ones in Germany while abroad, there are a few things you should know. To call a landline or mobile number in Germany, you'll need to follow a specific dialing format that starts with the IDD or exit code. The country code for Germany is 49, and you'll need to