Slow cooked treacle gammon and Braised red cabbage

A gammon on Christmas Eve is a tradition in this household. This was a new one and will be repeated (hence typing it up!). It is based on Nigella's recipe, but in less than a day, with a 2kg gammon joint and temperatures adjusted to include cooking of braised red cabbage. Braised red cabbage is based on Delia's recipe. 

This year it was accompanied by mashed potato (using 'ricer') and broccoli. Moisture was from some of the juices from the gammon and a redcurrant and raspberry sauce.

Timings were something like:

- 10am get gammon prepared and in oven

- 10:30am turn oven down to 80C

- 5:30pm prepare red cabbage and put into turned up oven at 150C

- 6pm stir red cabbage

- 6:30pm stir red cabbage. Take gammon out to cool slightly prior to removing rind and adding glaze. 

- 7pm take out red cabbage. Turn up oven to 180 and put gammon in for a last blast.

- 7:30pm Eat!

Heat oven to 230C. Take two very large pieces of foil and arrange one lengthways and the other widthways over a large roasting tin. Place the gammon joint (2+kg unsmoked, rind on). Put 100g black treacle along the top. Bring the widthways piece of foil up and seal the two ends ensuring that there is room for air to circulate. Then bring the lengthways pieces up at each end and pinch with the widthways piece to create a good seal. Cover with another piece of foil (ensuring you don't flatten the inner parcel) and seal to the rim of the roasting tin. 

Cook in the over for 30 minutes and then turn the oven down to 80C. 

2 and a bit hours before eating is time to prepare the braised red cabbage:

Total quantities of veg and fruit is 900g shredded red cabbage (hard stalk removed), 450g chopped onions and 450g cooking apples peeled, cored and chopped small. I use food processor with slicer attachment for the red cabbage and onions. 

In a small bowl mix together a quarter of a whole nutmeg grated, quarter tsp of ground cinnamon, quarter tsp of ground cloves with 3 tbsp dark soft brown sugar and salt and pepper.

Mix the veg, apples, spice and sugar mixture along with a chopped / crushed clove of garlic and put into a large casserole. I did this in two batches, as in mix half of each prior to putting in casserole.

Pour over 3 tbsp wine vinegar.

Turn the oven up to 150C, put lid on casserole dish and put into the oven alongside the gammon. 

Back to the gammon:

Remove the rind from the gammon. Score a diamond pattern in the fat. Stud each diamond with a clove.Take it out at least an hour before time to eat. In a small bowl, combine 3tbsp black treacle, 3 tbsp Demerara sugar and 1tbsp dijon mustard.  Spread the mixture over the gammon. Raise temperature of oven to 180C. Cook the gammon for a further 20 minutes. Take it out and rest for 10 minutes. 

Carving is for when cold. It fell wonderfully apart on the day

Slow cooker - Gammon

500g smoked gammon joint

200ml orange juice

1tsp ginger paste

1tbsp honey

2tbsp soy sauce

All into slow cooker on low (if you're around then first hour on high) Cook for 8+ hours.

It'll be falling apart :)

Either thicken the juices with cornflour or reduce until desired consistancy is reached

Orange and Pomegranate Gammon

Think this will become the Gammon recipe for each Christmas Eve from now on! Recipe is based on Nadia's Orange and Pomegranate Christmas Gammon recipe. 

1.5kg gammon - soaked overnight if you remember
1 litre orange juice - carton of 'from concentrate' works just fine
2cm fresh ginger sliced
2 tsp ground allspice
1 medium onion, skin on, quartered

2 tsps dark muscovado sugar

2 tbsp pomegranate molasses
Seeds of ½ pomegranate

For the winter serve with

Braised Red Cabbage: About two hours ahead of starting on the gammon prepare and cook braised red cabbage to accompany the gammon (and many other meals over Christmas and New Year!). Delia Smith's Braised Red Cabbage with Apples recipe is always a winner. 

Other options are Peas and Spring Onions - for example JO's recipe.

To the gammon:

1. Put the gammon into pressure cooker and pour in the orange juice. Add water to ensure that the level of liquid is half way up the joint. Add the ginger, allspice and onions. Bring to High pressure and cook for 20 minutes. 
2. Reduce pressure then lift the joint out of the cooker, reserving the stock, and set the gammon aside to cool a little.
3. Preheat the oven to 180C 
4. For the glaze: Mix the sugar and pomegranate molasses with 2 tbsps of the reserved orange stock.
5. Remove and discard the rind of the gammon Score a diamond pattern in the fat with a sharp knife. Put in a baking tray (either just larger than the joint and/or foil lined to ensure there is enough 'sauce'). Brush with glaze then push a few pomegranate seeds into slits. Scatter any remaining seeds over and around the gammon and add a few more tbsp of the orange stock in the tray at the base of the joint. 
6. Roast for 40 minutes.
   
   
   Serve sliced with new potatoes (boiled for most of us; baked for daughter), braised red cabbage, the seeds from other half of the pomegranate and the 'sauce' from the baking tray.
   
   

Pineapple sauce to go with ham or gammon

What to serve as a sauce with gammon?
- Cumberland sauce of course.
- Leeks with thyme and cream cheese works well. Especially if with new potatoes and wild garlic butter.
How about Pineapple (especially as had a large tin of rings)? Many American recipes.

My variant today - the gammon was glazed with honey and English mustard powder
In saucepan mix:
- 0.25 pint of pineapple juice
- 0.25 pints water
- 100g chopped pineapple pieces (from tin)
- 50g light brown sugar
- 2 tbsp cornflour
- 1 tbsp dijon mustard

Whisk and then bring gradually to boil over medium heat stirring until thickened. Add more water if needed.

Add 2 tsp cider vinegar and salt. Taste and add more of either/both to taste.

For next time, looking at a separate recipe - will look at adding soy sauce and ketchup as well.

Pineapple rings left over (large tin is cheaper than small one)
100g will be used in 'Hairy Dieters' Caribbean Chicken curry
100g will be griddled to go with slices of cold gammon and chips

No pineapple salsa this time

Lentil soup

I cook gammon joints in my trusty pressure cooker. The cooking liquid I then turn into lentil and gammon soup:

500g red lentils - rinse in seive until the water runs clear
2 onions chopped
5 carrots chopped
3 pints of cooking liquid topped up with water or stock and water

Bring slowly to the boil then simmer for 20-25 minutes until the carrots are cooked.
Liquidise when cool enough to do so.

If sufficient gammon left over from joint (and I try and make sure there is), shred and add to the soup.