Cloves impart a huge amount of flavour and therefore must be used sparingly. A little goes a long way – chew on one and your mouth will turn numb. Clove oil is used for toothache for that very reason!
Marmalade and Earl Grey tea-glazed ham
Print ThisIngredients
- 2–3kg middle-cut unsmoked gammon, knuckle on
- 1 onion, quartered
- 2 carrots, halved
- 2 celery sticks
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tsp black peppercorns
- 4 cloves
- 4 tbsp Earl Grey tea leaves, or 8 tea bags
- 200g marmalade
Instructions
Place the gammon in a large saucepan. Add the onion, carrots, celery, bay leaves, peppercorns and cloves. Cover with cold water and place over medium heat. Bring to a gentle simmer, skimming off any scum that rises to the surface, and cook for 1½ hours. Turn the heat off and allow the gammon to sit in the liquid for a further 30 minutes. Remove from the pan and leave until cool enough to handle. Strain off the liquid and keep it for soup (bearing in mind it will be rather salty).
Once the ham is cool enough to touch, place it on your chopping board and cut away the skin, leaving a 1cm-thick layer of fat intact on the ham. Gently score the fat with crisscross marks to create a diamond pattern.
Preheat the oven to 190°C and line a roasting tray with foil.
Pour 100ml water into a small saucepan and bring to the boil. Add the tea leaves or bags and remove from the heat. Leave to infuse for 6 minutes then strain into a bowl. Add the marmalade to the bowl and mix well.
Transfer the gammon to the lined roasting tray and brush it liberally with the marmalade mix (keep a little back to use for a second glaze in the process). Place in the oven for 20 minutes, brush with the remaining glaze and return to the oven for a further 10 minutes, until the skin is crisp.
Remove from the oven, cover with the foil and leave to rest for 20 minutes before carving.
From Marcus Everyday by Marcus Wareing, HarperCollins, £20
