How long do you cook a gammon joint for - and should I roast it?

[MamaG]

[vegetarian emoticon]

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imo if you roast it it gets a bit dry. Bring it to the boil on the top either in cider or in water with a couple of halved apples. Add onion and pepper corns. Boil for most of the cooking time. Then remove skin (this is not the dish for veggies!) and smother the fat with honey and mustard. Put in a hot oven for about 20 minutes to caramelise the top

Boil it for an 1hr for every 1kg.

Then roast for 15 mins with honey smeared on top.

I boil it and use the stock for lentil, ham and tomato soup.

Thanks very much! I don't mind cooking meat, quite enjoy it. DH and hte DC aren't veggie. I just don't like the taste

ooh orm that sounds good. Can you tell me how to make the soup please?

Very easy. First check that the stock isn't too salty though - it can be awful sometimes and spoil the soup.

Leave the stock in the pan when you take the meat out, add red lentils, chopped onions, carrots, acorn squash, and a few chillies (not essential obviously). Let the whole lot simmer for an hour or so. Then blend. I can't give you quantities I'm afraid as I'm a 'chuck it all in' sort of cook.

ok, its in my big soup pot, just covered with boiling water with lid on. Set timer for an hour as it's bang on 1kg - will take out, take skin off, cover in honey & mustard and roast for 20 mins

Is that right?! I've halved two apples and chucked them in the water too

Thanks orm - but what hte heck is acorn squash?! Could I substite with butternut squash?

top tip if your aim is to make soup as well is to soak the ham in water for a few hours before boiling it in fresh water.

my staple is to add cooked beans, parsely paprika and bits of left over ham to the stock. Bring it up to the boil and then add it a bit of cabbage. you then have ham and bean stew

If stock is too salty you can add a whole potato before anything else, that should absorb some of the excess salt and then discard before adding rest of veg.

Yep. Any kind of squash will do.

to avoid excess salt in teh cooking water, try bringing it to the boil, discarding the water, add fresh cold water and boil again, then cook.

well I'm daring to be differernt. I prefer my gammon roasted

ooop, too late

I bring a gammon to the boil, then throw the water out and start again putting in water, a bottle of cider, an onion, an apple and a clove of garlic. I boil it then nearly cooked. Then take the skin off, spread mustard on it and press dark brown sugar into it, and finish it is off in the oven (putting a small amount of the liquor from the boiling around it to keep it moist).

And tomato! Obviously. Otherwise it wouldn't be ham, lentil and tomato soup.