Spiced Gammon

A good bit of ham is really nice, and can last you a few meals if you plan sensibly. The joint I'm making will be going into a roast, with a cous cous salad, and into a soup. Even then there should be more left over for sandwiches and wraps.


1 gammon joint
1 tbsp fennel seeds
2 tsp black peppercorns
1 tsp cumin
1 1/2 tbsp coriander seeds
1 tbsp olive oil
 8-10 cloves
1 clove garlic, roughly chopped


Step 1
Using a pestle and mortar grind up the fennel, peppercorns, cumin, cloves, and coriander. Once as fine as you can manage add the olive oil and mix well, smear the gammon joint well with the paste, and put the joint into a preheated oven at 240°C for 30 minutes.

Step 2
Remove the joint from the oven, and allow to cool slightly. Using a sharp knife, score the top of the joint and put the chopped garlic in the cuts and rub the rest of the paste into the cuts before returning to the oven for 1 hour, testing the joint by inserting a skewer to the centre of the joint to test if the juices run clear.

Step 3
Cover the gammon and leave to stand for 20-30 minutes to allow for the juices to settle. Then carve and enjoy.



This mkes an exceedingly tasty piece of gammon. Adding herbs and spices to meats enriches the flavour, and lets you try out different things with the meat. A large joint will take longer to cook, while a small one will take less time. This goes very well with the roasted garlic and rosemary potatoes and fries egg.

Gammon with the Garlic and rosemary potatoes, fried egg and peas and sweetcorn