Gammon with citrus glaze, potato roasties and blue cheese pears

A showstopping festive centrepiece combining succulent gammon with a sophisticated citrus glaze, perfectly crispy potato roasties, and elegant blue cheese stuffed pears. This premium dish balances sweet, savoury and tangy flavours for an unforgettable dining experience.

Cut:
  • Portions: 8
  • Prep 45 MINUTES
  • cook: 3 HOURS MINUTES
Gammon with citrus glaze, potato roasties and blue cheese pears

Ingredients

For the gammon

  • 3 kg unsmoked boneless gammon
  • 2 oranges, sliced
  • 2 lemons, sliced
  • 4 bay leaves
  • 2 cinnamon sticks
  • 6-star anise
  • 1 tbsp black peppercorns
  • 2 onions, quartered
  • 2 carrots, roughly chopped
  • 2 celery stalks, roughly chopped
  • 1 bottle of dry white wine
  • 2 L chicken stock

For the citrus glaze

  • Zest and juice of 2 oranges
  • Zest and juice of 1 lemon
  • 100 ml honey
  • 50 ml Dijon mustard
  • 2 tbsp brown sugar
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon

For the potato roasties

  • 2 kg medium potatoes, peeled
  • 100 ml duck fat or olive oil
  • 2 tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped
  • Sea salt and black pepper
  • 2 tbsp semolina flour

For the blue cheese pears

  • 8 medium firm pears
  • 200 g premium blue cheese
  • 100 g mascarpone
  • 50 g toasted walnuts, chopped
  • 2 tbsp honey
  • Fresh thyme sprigs for garnish

Method

For the gammon:

Place gammon in a large pot with oranges, lemons, bay leaves, cinnamon, star anise, peppercorns, onions, carrots, and celery. Pour in wine and stock, adding water if needed to cover. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 2 hours, skimming occasionally. Remove from liquid and cool slightly. Carefully remove skin, leaving an even layer of fat. Score fat in a diamond pattern and stud intersections with cloves.

For the citrus glaze:

Combine all glaze ingredients in a saucepan. Simmer over medium heat for 10 minutes until syrupy. Preheat oven to 200°C. Place gammon in a roasting pan, brush liberally with glaze and roast for 45 minutes, basting every 15 minutes, until golden and caramelized.

For the potato roasties:

Par-boil potatoes for 10 minutes. Drain well and shake in a colander to rough up the edges. Heat fat in a roasting tin until smoking hot. Toss potatoes with semolina, rosemary, salt, and pepper. Add to hot fat and roast for 60 minutes until golden and crispy, turning occasionally.

For the blue cheese pears:

Halve pears lengthwise and remove cores. Mix blue cheese, mascarpone, and chopped walnuts. Fill pear cavities with the cheese mixture. Drizzle with honey and garnish with thyme. Serve at room temperature alongside gammon.

Serving suggestion: Request unsmoked gammon from your butcher at least 2 days in advance. The gammon can be boiled the day before and refrigerated overnight before glazing.