Gammon With Spacey Apple Sauce
Yield: 4 to 6 portions
Difficulty: Easy
Time: 1 hour 40 minutes
This week I decided to get in early with the Christmas spirit and cook gammon with a delicious, infused apple sauce. While it is possible to infuse the actual ham cut, it’s a bit impractical for the home cook. This recipe is easy to pull off and those who don’t partake in our favorite herb can also enjoy the meal and importantly the leftovers.
Ingredients:
3.3 lbs. boneless gammon
½ gal. cola
2 sticks cinnamon
2 sticks chopped celery or parsley stalks
3 chopped carrots
1 tsp. peppercorns
1 onion chopped
1 bay leaf
For the glaze:
½ cup golden syrup or maple syrup
¼ cup red wine, raspberry or apple vinegar
For the apple sauce:
½ tsp. decarbed pollen/green dragon or concentrate
5 apples peeled, cored, and diced
¾ cup water
¼ cup sugar
¼ tsp. ground cinnamon
Method:
Add all the ingredients for the gammon into a large pot. Cover the gammon and aromatics with cola.
Place the pot onto medium-high heat and bring to a gentle boil.
Once it has reached a boil, turn down the temperature to a simmer.
Simmer the gammon for 1 hour and 30 minutes and remove it from the liquid to cool.
Preheat your oven to 356°F.
While the gammon is cooling, add the syrup and vinegar to a bowl and mix until well combined.
Remove the skin from the gammon by gently peeling it away. This leaves you with a layer of white fat.
Using a sharp knife, score the fat in a lattice fashion.
Once the oven is at the required temperature, brush half of the glaze onto the fat and place into the oven for 15 minutes.
Brush the rest of the glaze onto the fat and place it back into the oven for another 15 to 20 minutes or, until it has a golden-brown glazing.
Remove it from the oven and allow it to cool.
To make the sauce
In a pot add the apples, water, sugar, and cinnamon and bring to a gentle boil for 15 to 20 minutes. Or until the apples are cooked and soft.
Add in your pollen or concentrate and mash the apples with a fork. If you like a smooth sauce like I do, use a stick blender to puree it.
Garnish and serving
Garnish this bad boy with anything complimentary. Cherries, mustard, and pickles are just some ideas. You can serve this gammon hot or cold.
Enjoy and happy holidays.
