Why gammon earns its place
A glazed gammon suits Christmas Eve or Boxing Day equally well — less ceremonial than the turkey, but no less satisfying. It feeds a crowd generously, improves with a day's rest in the fridge, and looks far more impressive than the effort involved might suggest.
If you are unclear on the difference between gammon, ham, and bacon, our piece on cured pork terminology is worth reading first. In short: gammon is cured but uncooked, and the cure itself varies considerably between producers — some are mild and barely salty, others are emphatically brined — and that variation shapes the first decision you need to make.
Soaking and the question of salt
Ask your butcher directly whether the joint needs soaking. A traditionally cured, heavily brined gammon may need a long cold soak to draw out excess salt; a modern, lightly cured piece may need none at all. Your butcher will know. If soaking is recommended, change the water at least once during the process.
Skipping this step when it is needed can leave the finished glaze tasting sharp against an overly salty backdrop, which rather defeats the point of the exercise.
The poach comes first
Before any glaze goes on, the gammon is cooked through by gentle poaching in a large pot. Water works perfectly well, but the liquid is also an opportunity: cider gives a faintly apple-sweet quality to the meat, and ginger ale — an old trick — adds a gentle warmth that sits well with spiced glazes. Neither transforms the flavour dramatically, but both add a layer of interest that plain water cannot.
Bring the submerged joint to a gentle simmer rather than a rolling boil. Rapid boiling toughens the meat. How long it needs depends on the size of the joint — allow enough time that the meat is genuinely tender and pulling away slightly at the bone. Specific timings vary between sources and between cures, so treat any single figure as a starting point. A meat thermometer is more reliable than the clock.
Once poached, lift it out and allow it to cool enough to handle. The liquid left behind makes an excellent stock for lentil soups and pea broths — taste it first to check the salt level before using it.
Skinning, scoring, and the glaze
While the joint is still warm, peel away the skin carefully, keeping as much of the fat layer beneath as you can. This fat is what the glaze clings to and caramelises against. Score it in a diamond pattern with a sharp knife, cutting through the fat but not deeply into the meat. The scoring helps the glaze penetrate and shapes the look of the finished joint — those diamonds, once roasted, become its defining feature.
A whole clove pressed into each diamond intersection is traditional for good reason: the cloves perfume the fat as it roasts, adding a background warmth that does not announce itself.
The glaze is a matter of preference and larder. Three approaches each have their advocates. Mustard and honey gives a sharp, savoury edge that cuts the richness of the pork. Marmalade — a thick-cut Seville variety works particularly well — brings bitterness alongside sweetness, and the peel chars slightly at the edges in a way that is frankly excellent. Muscovado sugar dissolved with a little mustard or vinegar produces the darkest, stickiest result: almost treacly, with a fudge-like depth. Any of these can be brushed on generously before the joint goes into a hot oven.
The roasting stage is short and relatively fierce — the meat is already cooked, so you are caramelising the glaze rather than cooking the joint through. Watch it closely. Glazes high in sugar can go from bronzed to burnt quickly, and the line between the two is narrower than it appears. Basting once or twice builds up layers and deepens the colour.
Resting, serving, and what comes after
Rest the joint before carving — the meat needs time to settle, and carving too soon loses moisture onto the board rather than keeping it in the slice. Served warm, a glazed gammon makes an occasion of itself. Cold the next day, carved thinly, it is arguably even better.
For guidance on keeping a whole or partial ham safely over the Christmas period, our storage piece covers what you need to know. A well-handled gammon, properly wrapped, sees most households through several days of good eating — which, at this time of year, is exactly the point.
