Ingredients

Method

• 1 gammon
• 1 onion
• 1 carrot
• 1 bay leaf
• fresh parsley stalks
• black pepper stalks
• 2 T demerara sugar
• 1 t English mustard
• a handful of cloves
For the salsa
• 1 small pineapple
• 4 preserved figs, finely chopped
• 4 pieces of preserved ginger, finely chopped
• a handful of mint, washed and torn

Method

Ingredients

If the gammon requires soaking to remove excess salt, cover it in cold water and place it in the fridge overnight – skip this step if it does not.

Place the gammon (in the netting) in a large saucepan of cold water.

Add the onion, carrot, bay leaf, parsley stalks and peppercorns. Bring the water slowly to the boil, then turn down the heat to a simmer and cover – do not boil.

About 15 minutes before the gammon is ready to leave the broth, heat the oven to 220°C.

Combine the sugar and mustard.

When ready, lift the gammon from broth and place it on a cutting board.

Lift off the skin with a sharp knife.

Leave a thin layer of fat to be scored in a diamond pattern.

Insert a clove into each diamond.

Gently but firmly pat the sugar and mustard mixture over the scored gammon and into the cuts.

Place the gammon on a tray in the oven with the fat layer facing the grill. Pour half a cup of water into the tray so the gammon doesn’t dry out.

Leave in the oven for 20 minutes to caramelise the glaze or use a blowtorch. After removing it from the oven, let the gammon stand for about 10 minutes so the juices can settle.

Slice with an extremely sharp knife, layering the slices on a plate, and serve with the fresh pineapple salsa.

To make the salsa:

Peel the pineapple by cutting off the ends and laying it on its side. Insert a small, sharp knife just under the skin and cut in a circular motion, separating the flesh from the skin. Go all the way round to complete the circle, then turn the pineapple around and repeat the process at the other end.

Push out the flesh (it should be cylinder-shaped), core the pineapple, and chop the flesh into small squares.

Chop the other ingredients. Combine the ingredients to make the salsa.

Per serving: 2 595.2KJ, 85.6g protein, 22.1g fat, 13.8g carbs

 Click here for Prue's tips and tricks for cooking the perfect gammon

TASTE’s take:

The rich satisfaction of a slice of gammon married to a tart, somewhat sweet and fresh summer salsa is the ideal way to serve this traditional treat in hot weather, says culinary doyenne Prue Leith. And cooked properly, it'll taste as good hot as it will cold.