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Gordon Ramsay's Honey Glazed Ham

A show-stopping honey glazed ham with a sweet-savory caramelized exterior, perfect for holidays and special occasions.
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 3 hours 40 minutes
Total Time 4 hours
Servings: 10 portions
Course: Dinner, Main Course
Cuisine: British, Holiday
Calories: 275

Ingredients
  

  • 3 kg unsmoked boneless gammon joint (about 6.6 lbs)
  • 4 medium carrots peeled and roughly chopped
  • 1 leek cleaned and roughly chopped
  • 1 onion peeled and roughly chopped
  • 1 tsp black peppercorns lightly crushed
  • 1 tsp coriander seeds lightly crushed
  • 2 cinnamon sticks broken in half
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 handful cloves for studding the ham
  • 100 g demerara sugar about ½ cup
  • 50 ml Madeira wine about 3 tablespoons
  • 25 ml sherry vinegar about 1½ tablespoons
  • 125 g honey about ⅓ cup

Equipment

  • Large saucepan
  • Roasting tin
  • Carving knife
  • small saucepan

Method
 

  1. Put the gammon in a large saucepan and pour on enough cold water to cover. Add the carrots, leek, onion, peppercorns, coriander seeds, cinnamon sticks and bay leaves.
  2. Bring to the boil, turn down to a simmer and cook for 3 hours, topping up with more boiling water if necessary. Skim off the froth and any impurities that rise to the surface from time to time.
  3. If cooking in advance, let the ham cool in the stock overnight. Otherwise, allow it to cool a little, then remove from the pan. Strain the stock and save for soup.
  4. To make the glaze, put the sugar, Madeira, sherry vinegar, and honey into a pan and stir over a low heat. Bring to the boil, lower the heat and simmer for 3–4 minutes until you have a glossy dark syrup. Do not leave unattended, as it will easily boil over.
  5. Preheat the oven to 340°F (170°C or 150°C fan, Gas 3). Lift the ham into a roasting tin.
  6. Snip and remove the strings and then cut away the skin from the ham, leaving behind an even layer of fat. Lightly score the fat all over in a criss-cross, diamond pattern, taking care not to cut into the meat.
  7. Stud the centre of each diamond with a clove. Pour half of the glaze over the ham and roast for 15 minutes.
  8. Pour on the rest of the glaze and return to the oven for another 25–35 minutes until the ham is golden brown, basting with the pan juices frequently. It also helps to turn the pan as you baste to ensure that the ham colours evenly.
  9. Remove from the oven and allow to rest for 15 minutes before carving.

Notes

Save the ham stock for soups, stews, risottos, and sauces. This ham can be boiled the day before and roasted on the day of serving, or cooked and baked two days before if serving cold.
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