Melissa Thompson’s ginger beer & tamarind ham

The spicy notes of ginger come into their own at Christmas, and in this ham it’s front and centre. First, gammon is poached in ginger beer, then it’s basted in a sticky tamarind glaze, which gives it a lovely tart note to balance the sweet.

SERVES 10 PREP 20 mins plus overnight soaking and cooling COOK 2 hrs 30 mins EASY

3kg unsmoked gammon

3 litres ginger beer (don’t use diet ginger beer or any that contains sweeteners)

100g ginger, unpeeled and sliced 4 spring onions, each chopped

into 3 pieces

1 whole garlic bulb, cut in half

through the equator

2 bay leaves

1 tbsp pimento (allspice) berries 1 tbsp black peppercorns

2 tbsp tamarind paste (if it’s a

concentrated paste, use 1 tbsp) For the glaze

3 tbsp tamarind paste (if it’s a

concentrated paste, use 1 tbsp) 2 tbsp caster sugar or honey

½ tsp ground ginger

¼ tsp ground nutmeg

1 tsp Dijon mustard

2 tsp cider vinegar

The evening before you want to serve, put the gammon in a large container and cover with water to soak overnight. Drain and cover with fresh water at least twice.

The next day, put the gammon in a large saucepan and pour over the ginger beer, topping up with water

Melissa Thompson is one of our regular columnists. Find more of her recipes at bbcgoodfood.com.

@fowlmouthsfood until fully submerged. Add the ginger, spring onions, garlic halves, bay leaves, pimento berries, black peppercorns and tamarind paste, and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer, cover and cook for 1 hr 30 mins. Turn the heat off and leave to cool in the pan, then transfer to a shallow baking tray lined with baking parchment, reserving the cooking liquid.

Meanwhile, strain 800ml of the reserved cooking liquid into a saucepan for making the glaze. Cook over a high heat for 20 mins, or until reduced to about a quarter of its original volume. Add the tamarind paste, sugar or honey, spices, mustard and vinegar, and continue to cook until thick and glossy. Leave to cool slightly. Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4.

Cut the string off the ham and remove the skin. Trim any excess fat, leaving a 1/2cm-thick layer on the ham. Brush over the glaze, then bake for 10 mins. Baste again and repeat until the ham is dark golden and all the glaze has been used, about 20 mins. Leave to cool before slicing and serving.

GOOD TO KNOW gluten free

PER SERVING 568 kcals • fat 38g • saturates 13g • carbs 14g • sugars 13g • fibre 0.4g • protein 43g • salt 5.3g