This tangy richly glazed gammon is perfect for any festive occasion and can be served hot with crispy roast potatoes or at room temperature with a variety of side salads.

Ingredients

• 2 kg boneless Gammon (eg Dargle Pork Products)
• 1 cup of marmalade Old Fashioned Marmalade
• Cloves
• 1/2 cup of orange juice for the gravy (optional)
• 1 Tbsp cornflour for the gravy
• 8 slices of caramelised oranges  Caramelised oranges  
• 8 medium sized potatoes

Method

1. Prepare the oven to 180 C.

2. Rub the gammon liberally with marmalade. (No seasoning required.)

3. Place in a roasting pan and cover loosely in tin foil, (shiny side to the inside and sealing all the edges.)

4. Roast the gammon for twenty minutes per kg and an extra 20 minutes more.

5. Parboil your potatoes until cooked halfway. Cut into wedges or star shapes for a festive effect.

6. After half an hour, remove the gammon from the oven. Using a sharp knife, carefully slice off the outer skin or rind leaving a generous layer of fat covering the gammon. Rub with more marmalade sprinkle with sunflower oil and return to the oven (still covered in foil) surrounded by the par-boiled potato wedges. Turn the gammon over midway through the roasting period and toss the potatoes around gently from time to time.

7. When you have only 20 minutes of cooking time left, remove the gammon from the oven and remove the foil.  Keep the juices in the roasting pan to make gravy on top of the stove. Set the potatoes aside if crispy and golden brown and keep warm..

8. Place the gammon in another lightly greased roasting tin. Baste thoroughly with more marmalade. Score the fat diagonally  in a diamond pattern and stud with cloves. Roast uncovered for a further 15 to 20 minutes at 220 degrees to caramelise the glaze. Watch carefully, making sure it doesn’t burn.

9. In the meantime, make the gravy, by combining the juices from the roasting pan (with most of the oil removed,) and stirring in a mixture of 1 Tbsp cornflour, one cup of water and half a cup of orange juice. Season to taste. 

10. Remove the gammon from the oven and allow to rest for 5 to 10 minutes. Decorate with caramelised oranges and cherries. Serve with roast potatoes and seasonal vegetables.

TIP

Some people prefer to parboil their gammon with a few carrots and whole peppercorns etc but it no longer seems necessary as prepared gammons are no longer as salty as they were a decade ago.

I also don’t think that a wire rack over the roasting pan is necessary. I prefer my gammon to sit in its delicious roasting fat while it is roasting.