Mastering Gammon: A Guide to Cooking and Glazing

by admin | Nov 6, 2023 | Christmas, Recipes

Mastering Gammon: A Guide to Cooking and Glazing

Gammon is an excellent alternative to your usual roast meats. There are so many options for gammon, and you can enjoy it with various accompaniments. Whether you’re hosting a special occasion or want to elevate your weeknight dinner, these gammon recipes will satisfy your cravings.

Classic Boiled Gammon

To begin, weigh your gammon to calculate the cooking time. Then, follow these steps:

Place the gammon in a large pan and cover it with cold water.
Add flavourings of your choice, such as cinnamon, bay leaves, peppercorns, coriander seeds, and onion.
Bring the water to a boil and cook for 30 minutes per 450g/1lb of gammon.
Periodically skim off any white froth that rises to the surface and discard it.
Remove the pan from the heat and let the gammon cool in the stock.
Drain the gammon and chill it until ready to serve.
Slice and enjoy!

Glazed Baked Gammon

If you prefer a caramelised and slightly crispy finish, you can bake your gammon using this method:

After boiling the gammon according to the instructions above, drain it and reserve the stock if desired.
Allow the gammon to cool slightly and remove the top layer of skin, leaving a thin layer of fat around the meat.
Score the fat with a sharp knife and brush it with your choice of glaze. A mixture of maple syrup and coarse-grain mustard works wonders!
For an extra touch of flavour, you can also stud the fat with cloves.
Place the gammon in a foil-lined roasting tin and bake it at 220C/fan 200C for 20-30 minutes (based on a 5kg ham) or until the glaze turns golden.
Let it rest for a few minutes before carving.

These gammon recipes are versatile and can be adapted to suit your taste preferences. Feel free to experiment with different glazes, herbs, and spices to create a dish that suits your palate. Serve the gammon alongside your favourite sides, such as roasted vegetables, creamy mashed potatoes, or a fresh green salad.

So next time you’re planning a special meal or craving a hearty dinner, give these gammon recipes a try. Your taste buds will thank you!

Cooking the Thor’s Hammer…

by admin | Aug 8, 2022 | Cooking tips, Recipes

Cooking the Thor’s Hammer..

Looking to cook a Thor’s Hammer Steak like a pro? Look no further!

Thor’s Hammer Steak is a cut of beef that is becoming more and more popular, thanks to its intense flavour and tenderness. It also helps that it’s pretty impressive as the centrepiece at a dinner party.

The Thor’s Hammer steak comes from the leg parts of the cow. It’s a very tough piece of meat as the cow’s legs are hardworking, however, if cooked right it can provide the most tender and juicy meat. One of the most important factors to consider is the length of time it takes to cook. Typically you are looking at around 4-6 hours to transform this meat into a tender, flavourful meat feast.

Step 1

Remove your meat from the fridge at least 20 minutes before cooking to allow the meat to get up to room temperature.

Preheat your oven to 150°c – this meat is going to be cooked low and slow.

Step 2

Season the meat with salt, pepper and any other spices of your choice. This will depend on the flavour you are going for. But garlic salt and onion powder will add more generic flavours.

Step 3

Braise your meat, covered, in a roasting pan with your choice of stock, wine, onions and seasoning such as a bay leaf or bouquet garni. This will depend on the flavours you are going for. Cook long and slow, checking occasionally to see how your meat is cooking.

Step 4

Check your meat, is it falling off the bone? This meat is cooked when it pulls apart easily – if it does not pull apart without resistance it’s not ready.

Step 5

Once your hammer is falling apart, remove it, cover and set it aside to rest. Heat your braising liquid so that it reduces by half. Add cornstarch and stir until thickened. Adding any flavouring here that you require.

The length of time it takes to cook your hammer will depend on how big it is. Do not be tempted to rush this process. Long and slow is the way to go here. Fancy having a go? Pick up a Thor’s Hammer from us today.

Recipes Ideas for Your Christmas Leftovers

by admin | Dec 16, 2021 | Christmas, Cooking tips, Recipes

Recipes Ideas for Your
Christmas Leftovers

Christmas is a time of celebration and food is often the main event. But what do you do with all the leftovers? There are lots of different options to use up your Christmas dinner leftovers like bubble and squeak, turkey and ham pie, or turkey curry. Plus it’s an opportunity to try new dishes you might not have tried before!

Bubble and Squeak

Bubble and squeak is a simple recipe that combines most, if not all of your Christmas day leftovers. It’s an English classic that is simple to make.

For Christmas bubble and squeak you will need:

Mash potato
Roast potato
Any or all of your leftover veg
Turkey

Simply mash the ingredients together, you can use as much or as little as you need – depending on how many people you are feeding. Fry your mixture until it’s crispy on the outside and cooked through. Serve with a fried or poached egg or just with your leftover gravy.

Turkey and Ham Pie

Using leftover turkey and ham in this pie creates a beautiful boxing day meal. Add a ready-made shortcrust or puff pastry to your pre-Christmas shop in preparation for your pie. You will need;

Olive oil
Butter
1 Large onion
2 Garlic cloves
250g Leftover turkey, shredded
250g Leftover ham, shredded
175ml dry white wine
Sage
3tbsp double cream
150ml chicken stock
1 tbsp dijon mustard
Juice of half a lemon
Handful of parsley
Plain flour for dusting
375g shortcrust or puff pastry
1 egg, beaten

Simply heat the oil and butter and gently fry the onion for 10 mins. Add the garlic, turkey and ham – fry for a further 2 minutes. Add the white wine and reduce by half, then stir in sage, double cream, stock and mustard. Cook for 3-4 minutes and add the lemon juice to taste. Stir in the parsley, pour into an oven-proof dish and set aside to cool.

Preheat the oven to 200°C/fan 180°C/gas 6. Prepare the pastry and place it on top of the pie, brush with the egg glaze and bake for 30-40 minutes.

Turkey curry

Turkey curry is a leftover favourite for many Brits! You can keep it simple by purchasing a jar of curry sauce in your pre-Christmas shop, or go all out with a curry from scratch. This Turkey Tikka is fantastic! All you need is;

Oil
1 onion, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, crushed
Thumb sized piece of ginger, grated
1 red chill
i, finely chopped
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp ground turmeric
1/2 tsp garam masala
1 tbsp tomato puree
400g chopped tomatoes
1 tbsp mango chutney
100 ml double cream
2 tbsp natural yogurt
600g leftover turkey
chopped coriander

Heat the oil over medium heat and fry the onions for 10-12 mins, stir in garlic, ginger, chilli and all the spices and cook for 2 mins. Stir in the tomato puree, chopped tomatoes and mango chutney. Simmer for 10 minutes.

Stir in the cream and yogurt, add the turkey and simmer until the turkey is piping hot. Scatter over some coriander and flaked almonds if desired and serve with rice and naan bread.

Leftover Turkey Sandwiches

A leftover turkey Christmas sandwich has the potential to be a fantastic boxing day treat! Here’s what you need to create THE BEST boxing day sandwich;

Crusty white loaf
2 tbsp mayonnaise
2 tsp English mustard
3-4 tbsp cranberry sauce
Baby spinach
3-4 tbsp crispy onions
250g leftover turkey
6 leftover pigs in blankets, halved lengthways
150g leftover stuffing

Cut two chunky slices of bread, combine the mayo and mustard and spread over one side of the loaf. Spoon the cranberry sauce on, add the spinach, onions, turkey, pigs in blankets and the stuffing – top with the other slice of bread and enjoy. This recipe should serve around 4 people.