Honey Glazed Gammon

There is something warming about a roast gammon joint that makes it ideal for a special occasion in winter. Roast gammon needs little more introduction! This post has been scheduled for some time on joe-in-the-kitchen.blogspot.com but as that is now mothballed I felt it should be pulled to here. Sorry for the white balance on some of the photos - my photography has improved significantly in the past year!

Just a quick warning - this recipe needs to marinate for 24 hours.

Ingredients:

• 1 medium gammon joint (approx 2kg)
• 1 1/2 tsp peppercorns
• 1 1/2 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp ginger
• 12 cloves
• 1 tsp cinnamon (or stick equivalent)
• 2 star anise
• 1/3 tsp allspice
• 1 tsp mace (or 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg)
• 3 tsp honey
• 2 tsp port

for the glaze:

• 3 tsp honey
• 1 tsp paprika
• some more cloves (mostly to decorate)

Crush all the spices coarsely and bring to a paste with the honey and port. Smear over the gammon and leave it in the fridge overnight to soak in the flavour.
Fit the joint in a tightly fitting pan and cover in the minimum amount of water possible (you don't want to wash the marinade back out). Simmer for about 25 minutes per 500g (or nearer 20 min / lb if you prefer) until the internal temperature is over 70 degrees Celsius (160 F). Rinse off the remains of the marinade with a small quantity of fresh boiling water. Preheat the oven to 220 degrees Celsius (430 F) Let the meat sit briefly and drain. At this stage you will have a warm lump of slightly grey meat. Not hugely appetising but it will improve, honest! Remove any string / net and score through the fat. Move the meat into a roasting tin and glaze it with the honey and paprika before studding it with the cloves. Roast for about 20 minutes until the fat has a golden glaze. Leave to rest before carving.