Josh Eggleton, winner of ‘Chef of the Year’ at the Somerset Life Food & Drink Awards 2018, gives us an exclusive recipe for his Cider Glazed Ham
Cider Glazed Ham
Portions: About ten but it depends on how hungry you are!
Oven temperature: 200C / 180C fan / Gas 6
Cooking time: Around two hours
Ingredients:
• 2kg/4lb 8oz unsmoked boneless gammon joint, tied
For the glaze:
• 1pt Quality Dry Cider
• 150g Runny Honey
• 2 bsp English Mustard
• 1 tbsp Whole Grain Mustard
Method:
1. Place the gammon joint into a large heavy based saucepan with a lid, cover with cold water and bring to the boil over a high heat. Drain the water from the saucepan, cover again with fresh cold water and bring to the boil for a second time. Reduce the heat, cover with a lid and simmer the gammon for 1 hour and 20 minutes (20 minutes per 500g/1lb 2oz).
2. Remove the gammon from the water and set aside to cool for 15 minutes. (The 2nd cooking water is a great stock for pea and ham soup amongst other dishes, so don’t throw it away!)
3. Preheat the oven to 200C / 180C Fan / Gas 6
4. For the glaze, pour the cider into a heavy based saucepan and bring up to the boil on a high heat and reduce this liquid by half. Then add the rest of the ingredients and cook for another 5 minutes. This liquid glaze will be very hot so be careful!
5. Remove the string and rind / skin from the gammon, being careful NOT to remove the fat as well. Using a sharp knife, score the fat in a diamond pattern and place in a roasting tray.
6. Poor the liquid glaze over the whole joint and bake in the preheated for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and carefully spoon the glaze that’s in the tray back over the joint and bake again for another 10 minutes. The ham should have a good caramelisation and an even glaze.
7. Serve or leave to chill and use when required. At the Pony & Trap, we use this joint for our ham, egg and chips as well as on our ploughmans and of course its hard to keep away from the staff!
