Marmalade: , ginger & star anise baked ham
I love the flavour of marmalade with star anise, but it’s so strong – and star anise can be so large – that you can’t do a criss-cross pattern and stick a star anise in every diamond. Make a larger pattern and pick out the smallest star anise you can find. It’s a strong spice so don’t use more in the glaze than suggested.
SERVES 8 PREP 25 mins plus cooling COOK 2 hrs 35 mins MORE EFFORT
2.5kg gammon joint, rolled and tied 500ml cider
500ml orange juice
10 black peppercorns
1 onion, halved
3 bay leaves
2 celery sticks, halved
2 carrots, halved
1/2 small bunch of parsley For the glaze
150g marmalade 100g light brown soft sugar 2 limes, juiced
2cm piece of ginger, peeled and grated to a purée
2 star anise, plus extra to use on the joint
1 Put the gammon in a large pan and cover with cold water. Bring to the boil, then immediately remove from the heat. Pour away the water and any scum.
2 Add the cider and orange to the pan, followed by enough water to cover the ham, then add the peppercorns, onion, bay, celery, carrots and parsley. Bring slowly to the boil, then lower to a gentle simmer, cover and cook gently for 11/2 hrs, or until the meat is tender. Cool to room temperature, then leave the meat in the liquid in the fridge for up to two days until you are ready to bake it.
3 Heat the oven to 220C/200C fan/ gas 7. Lift the ham onto a board and, using a small sharp knife, remove the skin and string, leaving as much fat as possible on the joint. Score the fat in a criss-cross pattern, without cutting through the meat. Put the ham in a roasting tin lined with a double layer of foil.
4 Heat the marmalade, sugar, lime juice, ginger and 2 star anise in a saucepan until the sugar and marmalade have melted. Leave to cool a little so the glaze thickens. 5 Spread the glaze over the ham, then push star anise into some of the diamonds and bake for 40 mins until glossy and caramelised in patches. Baste the ham, spooning the glaze over it, a couple of times during the cooking time. Leave to cool slightly before slicing and serving. For a recipe using up the leftovers, see p119. GOOD TO KNOW gluten free PER SERVING 557 kcals • fat 27g • saturates 9g •
carbs 25g • sugars 25g • fibre none • protein 52g • salt 6.6g