- 1.2kg/2lb 10oz boneless gammon joint (we used unsmoked but smoked would work too)
- 500ml/17fl oz cider
- 1 litre/1¾ pints cloudy apple juice
- 2 sharp green apples, cored and cut into rough chunks
- 2 x 8cm/3¼in pieces cinnamon stick
- 3-4 fresh red chillies, seeds removed, cut into quarters
- 1 tbsp coarsely crushed coriander seeds
- 1 tbsp demerara sugar, or to taste
- ¼ tsp chilli powder
- 1 heaped tbsp cornflour
- sautéed red cabbage with cumin seeds and lemon juice
- green chilli mashed potatoes
- Soak the gammon in plenty of cold water in the fridge for at least two hours, or overnight. Drain well.
- Place the gammon along with all the other gammon ingredients in a casserole dish. The liquid should cover the meat; if not, add a little water to just cover. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer gently, partly covered with a lid, for 1¼ hours. Turn the gammon carefully in the liquid every 20 minutes or so.
- Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6.
- Remove the gammon from its cooking stock, transfer to a small roasting tin. Reserve the cooking liquid for making the sauce.
- Cut the rind from the gammon, leaving a thin layer of fat, and discard the rind. With a small sharp knife, score the fat into diamonds.
- For the glaze, put a ladleful of cooking liquid into a large clean pan. Add the sugar and chilli powder and cook until a glaze-like consistency. Pour this over the gammon and roast for 15 minutes, until browned and caramelised. Set aside in a warm place while you make the sauce
- For the sauce, boil the cooking liquid in a pan, uncovered, over a high heat until it has reduced to about 500ml/17fl oz; this could take about 10 minutes of boiling.
- Strain the liquid through a sieve into a clean pan, rubbing any pieces of apple through the sieve too so that the flesh is in the sauce; leave behind only the skins. Taste the sauce and adjust seasoning to taste. If you want it sweeter, add a pinch of demerara sugar; you almost certainly won’t need any salt.
- Reheat the remaining strained sauce gently until it reaches a simmer. Blend the cornflour in a little cold water to a smooth paste, and stir into the sauce, stirring continuously. A creamy consistency is better than a very thick sauce, but if you prefer yours thicker, add a little more blended cornflour. To serve, place gammon slices on individual plates and pour over the sauce. Serve with spiced red cabbage and green chilli mash.