Gordon Ramsay's honey glazed ham recipe

Gordon Ramsay’s honey glazed ham is a mouth-watering masterpiece.

This honey glazed ham recipe by Gordon Ramsey makes for a deliciously decadent Sunday lunch or roast ham dinner. The no-nonsense British chef shows us how to cook ham (opens in new tab) perfectly, before lovingly topping it with a sticky, sweet glaze that makes the meat really sing. Moist and tender, this ham is perfect hot or cold. Serving 8-10 people it’s a real showstopper that can be served with a number of sides. Try buttery new potatoes and coleslaw in the summer, or pair with fried eggs and chips for a proper pub grub experience. Of course, it's also great as a centrepiece of a festive spread.

Ingredients

• 3kg unsmoked boneless gammon joint
• 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
• handful of cloves

For the honey glaze:

• 100g demerara sugar
• 50ml Madeira wine
• 25ml sherry vinegar
• 125g honey

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. 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. 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 etc).
2. 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.
3. Preheat the oven to 170°C/Gas Lift the ham into a roasting tin. 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. Stud the centre of each diamond with a clove. Pour half of the glaze over the ham and roast for 15 minutes.
4. 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.
5. Remove from the oven and allow to rest for 15 minutes before carving.

Watch how to make Gordon Ramsay's honey glazed ham

Top tips for making Gordon Ramsay's honey glazed ham:

Gordon says: “Any leftover ham can go into a variety of dishes. And please don’t throw away the ham stock – it is great for soups, stews, risottos and sauces, so freeze it in batches.”

Do you put the glaze on ham before cooking?

No, the glaze should be applied 25-35 minutes before the end of the cooking time. It has a high sugar content and if you leave it on longer it can blacken and singe to much. It should be dark and glossy, not burnt.

Why is ham stock special?

Because hams tend to only be cooked for special occasions, the rich, salty, fresh stock is a rare treasure, and absolutely brilliant for making soups with. You can replicate the flavour with stock cubes, and it's great to get extra meals out of what would otherwise be thrown away. Save some scraps of the ham as well and combine it with cheap, filling vegetables or pulses for a very low cost but delicious meal. Potatoes, peas or lentils are all great options.

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