No need to sideline the Sunday roast because of warmer weather – we’ve given our favourites a lighter, summery makeover. Simple to prepare and best enjoyed al fresco.
This ham joint is cooked in pineapple juice and served with a refreshing pineapple salsa!
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Total Time:
3 hrs 25 mins
- 3 kg boneless smoked/unsmoked gammon
- 1 onion, sliced
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tsp. black peppercorns
- 2 whole star anise
- 1 l pure/fresh pineapple juice (not from concentrate)
- 3 Tbsp. dark brown soft sugar
- Pinch dried chilli flakes (optional)
For the salsa
- 1 medium-size ripe pineapple
- 1 red pepper, deseeded and finely chopped
- 2 spring onions, halved and sliced
- 1 large red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
- Finely grated zest and juice 1 lime
- Handful coriander, roughly chopped
- Step 1Weigh gammon and calculate the cooking time, allowing 20min per 450g, plus 20min.
- Step 2Put gammon in a pan just big enough to hold it (that has a lid), with the onion, bay leaves, peppercorns and star anise. Add 750ml pineapple juice and top up with cold water to cover. Cover with the lid and bring to boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat and simmer very gently for the calculated cooking time.
- Step 3Remove ham from cooking liquid (reserve liquid) and put on a board. Leave to cool slightly. Preheat oven to 220°C (200°C fan) mark 7. Meanwhile, put reserved pineapple juice in a small pan, bring to the boil and bubble until reduced, about 15min.
- Step 4Remove any string from the ham. Using a sharp knife, slice off the skin, leaving a good layer of fat. Score a close diamond pattern into the fat (not cutting into the meat).
- Step 5Line a roasting tin that will just fit the ham with a double layer of foil. Add ham (fat-side up). Brush the reduced pineapple juice over the meat and into the fat, and sprinkle the fat with the sugar and dried chilli flakes (if using). Add a large mugful of the reserved cooking liquid to the roasting tin. Roast for 25-35min, until an even golden brown.
- Step 6Meanwhile, make the salsa. Slice the skin off the pineapple and use the tip of a knife or vegetable peeler to remove the brown ‘eyes’. Cut into quarters vertically and slice out the woody core. Finely dice the flesh. Add to a serving bowl and mix in the remaining salsa ingredients and a generous pinch of salt.
- Step 7Serve the gammon in slices with the salsa.
Get ahead
Poach the gammon a day or 2 ahead; cool completely in the cooking liquid then cover and chill (still in liquid). Bring to room temperature before completing recipe to serve. The finished ham and salsa will keep well in the fridge for up to 4 days, bring to room temperature before serving.
Per serving (if serving 8):
- Calories: 579
- Protein: 66g
- Total fat: 28g
- Saturates: 9g
- Carbs: 14g
- Total sugars: 14g
- Fibre: 1g
The GH Kitchen Team are Good Housekeeping’s resident recipe developers and all-round food obsessives. GH Kitchen Director Sarah Akhurst is our resident hosting pro and loves nothing more than putting on a foodie feast for friends. Our GH Kitchen Manager Linzi Pucino is our very own Italian food expert (originally hailing from the North East of Scotland!) and can be found working her way through midweek recipes that cover all bases, from haggis to ragu! Our Kitchen Editor Nadine Brown loves digging into the stories behind her favourite foods and enjoys applying her eclectic tastes to more modern, flavour-forward recipes - just don't give her too much chilli! Our Junior Food Content Produce Frankie Prichard combines a love of beautiful presentation and flavour-led, seasonal cooking in her recipe development, along with a passion for bringing people together through food. With a wealth of professional kitchen experience between them, they’re dedicated to ensuring every Good Housekeeping recipe is the best it can be, so you can trust they’ll work every single time
