Juicy Oven Baked Glazed Gammon smothered in a Dijon mustard, mixed spice, and demerara sugar glaze. It's the perfect baked gammon recipe for Christmas or Thanksgiving but tastes equally good in sandwiches or with some salad at any time of year.
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Best glazed gammon recipe
This juicy gammon joint has a crunchy demerara sugar glaze flavored with mustard and fragrant spices, which really complement the savory ham. I prefer oven-baked gammon to boiled gammon as it retains more flavor, but we cook it "en papillote" in a low oven before adding the gammon glaze and blasting it with heat at the end to keep the meat as moist and juicy as possible.
Ingredients
- Gammon - an unsmoked gammon joint is best for this recipe. A 2kg joint or 4.5 pound joint of gammon will serve around 6-8 people.
- Dijon Mustard
- Demerara sugar - Use this minimally processed sugar for the best flavor, which is full of molasses and caramel undertones. Substitute with dark brown sugar if you can't find any.
- Ground Mixed Spice - This is a widely available blend of spices that contains cinnamon, mace, cloves, and nutmeg (among others) and tastes delicious with baked gammon.
See the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post for full quantities and step-by-step directions on how to cook a gammon joint.
How to cook a gammon joint
Soak the gammon in a bowl of water overnight in the fridge. Submerging the gammon joint in a bowl of water will draw out excess salt. I like to swap out the water once, so if I put the gammon in the water at night before bed, I refresh the water in the morning and then cook it at lunchtime.
Place the gammon on a large sheet of aluminum foil on a baking tray, wrap it over, and fold the edges to make a sealed parcel. This helps the gammon to semi-steam as it cooks, keeping it super moist.
Bake the gammon in a preheated oven at 150℃/300℉ for one hour. If you can't hear it sizzling in its foil parcel after this time, leave it inside for a further 15-30 minutes. This will partially depend on the size of your gammon. As an FYI, the internal temperature for gammon is best at 68℃ / 155℉.
Take the gammon out and turn the oven up to 200℃/400℉.
Glaze the gammon joint. Spread the surface of the gammon all over with Dijon mustard. Mix the sugar and mixed spice together, and then sprinkle it on top. Press it on with your hands to form a thick, even crust. Some will fall off, don't worry about it. It will make a truly delicious, sticky sweet sauce with the meat juices in the bottom of the pan.
Return the gammon to the hot oven for 15-30 minutes until the demerara sugar glaze has caramelized and is bubbling.
Rest the gammon for 15 minutes before carving. Alternatively, refrigerate and serve chilled.
Top tip
A sugar glaze can burn quickly, so keep an eye on it. Use your oven light if you have one! Instead of turning the oven up, you can also just switch to the grill/broiler setting.
How to serve baked gammon
Glazed gammon can be served warm or cold, as a main dish, or on the side of other meats, like turkey or roast capon chicken, at Christmas. I like serving it alongside honey-glazed carrots en papillote and crispy garlic potato roses.
Leftover gammon tastes great with kohlrabi, carrot, and apple coleslaw and a crisp green salad.
Wine pairing for gammon
A Grenache can handle the spice and sweetness of the glaze, so Rhone Valley reds will work well with baked glazed gammon joint. For white wines to serve with glazed gammon, a Reisling can work well.
Read more basic food and wine pairing tips here.
Equipment
You will need a large bowl or saucepan to soak the gammon in overnight. Then, bake gammon on a large foil-lined baking tray.
Storage and freezing
Store baked gammon covered in the fridge and consume it within 3-4 days. You can also freeze cooked gammon for use at a later date. I double-wrap it in plastic food wrap and foil. Defrost and consume within a month.
FAQ
Gammon is a cured, uncooked ham joint taken from the hind leg of a pig.
It is recommended to soak gammon as the curing process leaves it quite salty, and this draws excess salt out before cooking gammon.
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📖 Recipe
Oven Baked Glazed Gammon With Mustard & Spiced Demerara Sugar
Equipment
- 1 large saucepan/stock pot
Ingredients
- 1 Gammon joint (2kg/4.5 pounds)
- 2 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 150 grams (0.75 cups) Demerara sugar
- 1 teaspoon Mixed spice
Instructions
- Soak the gammon overnight in a saucepan of water in the fridge to draw out excess salt.
- Preheat the oven to 150℃/300℉
- Place a large piece of aluminum foil on an oven tray. Place the gammon on top and wrap the foil over, sealing the edges to make a parcel.
- Bake the gammon joint in the foil parcel for 1 hour. If you cannot hear it sizzling after this time, or if your joint is larger, leave it in the oven for a further 15-30 minutes.
- Take the gammon out and turn the oven up to 200℃/400℉.
- Undo the parcel and fold the foil down on one side. Spread Dijon mustard over the top of the gammon. Mix the sugar and spice together, and sprinkle/press this on top to form a coting.
- Bake the gammon (uncovered) in the hot oven for a further 20 minutes until the sugar coating has caramelized. Watch it so it doesn't burn.
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