It's been a tradition in her family down through the generations and probably dates back to the time when her family were made up of two distinct threads, the farmers who bred the pork and a locally very famous and highly regarded chain of pork butchers who sold it.
This year lovers of gammon such as my wife (and me, I have brought into this tradition with gusto!) will be able to give their guests around the Christmas table a real treat when they will be able to serve them with a Denhay’s dry cured gammon joint.
Perfect as the centre piece of a Boxing Day buffet, late night snacks or even as a rather glamorous alternative to the ubiquitous turkey on Christmas Day, Denhay’s dry cured gammon is a deliciously versatile meat, equally at home as cold cuts with some organic pickles, or served with roasters, veg and homemade gravy. And there's also sandwiches the next day, should the guests have left any, that is!
It's the latest addition to Denhay’s range of high quality, British cured pork produce.
The gammon is specifically prepared for roasting and you do not have to bother with the messy, somewhat irksome process of pre-boiling like most joints available in the supermarkets.
How so? Apparently this is all down to the unique Denhay recipe, plus their intelligent use of tradtional preparation and smoking techniques.
So the end result is that the Denhay gammon offers an intense flavour with a succulent tenderness that you'd be hard pressed to beat!
I am certain that my wife's late Great Uncle would have been happy to have produced such a wondrous gammon joint!
Denhay’s 1.25kg gammon joints are available as smoked or unsmoked and are available in selected Waitrose stores priced at £11.50/kg.
If you are looking for inspiration when it comes to cooking your Denhay gammon joint, why not try their Marmalade and Ginger Glaze recipe or their Potted Ham recipe, perfect for leftovers? The details are below.
The kick of ginger cut through the sticky sweet glaze on the gammon. Delicious served warm with a fluffy jacket potatoes, or cold with crusty bread and chutneys.
Preparation Time: 20 minutes
Cooking Time: 2 hours
Serves: 4 - 6
1.25kg Denhay Unsmoked gammon Joint
For the glaze
4 tbsp orange marmalade
1 stem ginger, drained and finely chopped
1 tbsp brown sugar
Line a roasting tin with a double sheet of foil. Place the gammon in a roasting tin, cover loosely with foil and cook at 180oC for 35mins per 500g.
Once cooked for the appropriate amount of time. Remove the skin from the gammon, leaving behind a thin layer of fat. Score the fat with the tip of a sharp knife.
Mix together the marmalade, stem ginger and brown sugar and spread evenly over the fat. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes until the glaze is sticky and golden. Leave to rest before carving.
Potted Ham
This is the perfect dish to use those festive left over gammon. Serve as a starter or as part of a buffet or just with toast in front of the fire.
Preparation Time: 20 minutes
Chilling Time: 30 minutes
Serves: 8
250g pack unsalted butter
500g cooked leftover smoked gammon
4 tbsp flat leaf parsley
1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves plus a few sprigs to garnish
small pinch ground cloves
small pinch of cayenne pepper
1 tsp wholegrain mustard
1 tbsp cider vinegar
black pepper
Melt the butter gently in a small pan, once melted leave to settle. Skin off all the froth from the surface. Slowly pour the clear yellow fat from the melted butter into a small bowl or jug, leaving the milky liquid in the pan. Discard the milky liquid.
Shred the gammon, some finely and some in bigger chunks so your finished dish has texture. Mix the gammon with the parsley, thyme, spices, mustard and vinegar, two-thirds of the butter and a pinch of black pepper. Divide between 8 small ramekins or one large pot. Press down and flatten the surface with your fingers or a small teaspoon, and top with a sprig of thyme then spoon over the remaining butter, Chill until butter is solid. Either serve with warm crusty bread or if keeping for later wrap in cling film and refrigerate.
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