Boiled, baked, or roasted, a commonly smoked gammon is a traditional meal served in many English homes during the holiday season. The type of wood chips that the joints are smoked on determines their smoky flavor. Smoked gammon joints are available with a spread of glazes and cures. A common gammon is an ideal meal for busy cooks because it’s simple enough to prepare a weekday meal, yet attractive enough to serve unexpected guests.
Phase 1
Place the joint in a large bowl filled with cold water. Leave it to soak overnight in the refrigerator to remove excess salt from the curing process.
Phase 2
Fill an outsized pot with water and boil the water. Place the common gammon within the dish. Cover the pot and cook over low heat for 1 hour.
Phase 3
Drain the water carefully from the pot and remove the skin from the common gammon. Insert the small end of each wedge into the fat around the common gammon.
Phase 4
Cut the carrots, onion, and potatoes into bite-sized pieces with a sharp knife and place them in your roasting pan. Season the vegetables with the olive oil and sauté them. Place the common gammon in the center of the pan.
Phase 5
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
Phase 6
Mix the honey, brown sugar, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, tomato paste, and balsamic vinegar in the small dough bowl to make a simple glaze.
Phase 7
Pour the glaze over the common gammon and wrap the entire pan in aluminum foil.
Phase 8
Place the pan in the oven and bake for 65 to 75 minutes until fully cooked. Ten minutes before the joint is finished cooking, remove the aluminium foil therefore the glaze will darken and caramelize.
Warnings
When putting the wedges in the gammon, be careful not to burn yourself, as the meat will be very hot.
Tips
Rotate the common gammon halfway through cooking if you want the underside of the meat to be caramelized.
Things you will need
- 4 – 6 pounds smoked common gammon
- Large pot with lid
- Cloves
- 4 medium potatoes, peeled
- 2 large carrots, peeled
- 1 large onion, skin removed
- Large roasting pan
- 2 tablespoons of olive oil
- 1 tablespoon honey or dark molasses
- 1 tablespoon of brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon mustard yellow
- 1 teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon of tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon of balsamic vinegar
- Aluminum sheet
