A British classic of slow-poached gammon served in thick slices and blanketed with a creamy parsley sauce sharpened with Dijon mustard. The meat is tender and deeply savoury from its long simmer with aromatic vegetables, while the sauce is smooth, herb-flecked, and rich enough to coat generously. Straightforward and satisfying, it suits a midweek supper or a Sunday table equally well.
1.2kg
3.5l
1piece
2piece
6piece
1piece
2piece
40g
40g
500ml
1tsp
2tbsp
0.5tsp
0.25tsp
30g| # | Product | Quantity | Notes | State | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | | 1.2kg | — | — | |
| 2 | | 3.5l | — | — | |
| 3 | | 1piece | — | — | |
| 4 | | 2piece | — | — | |
| 5 | | 6piece | — | — | |
| 6 | | 1piece | — | — | |
| 7 | | 2piece | — | — | |
| 8 | | 40g | — | — | |
| 9 | | 40g | — | — | |
| 10 | | 500ml | — | — | |
| 11 | | 1tsp | — | — | |
| 12 | | 2tbsp | — | — | |
| 13 | | 0.5tsp | — | — | |
| 14 | | 0.25tsp | — | — | |
| 15 | | 30g | — | — |
Lower the raw, boneless gammon joint (about 1.2 kg) into the large stockpot.
Gammon joint · 1.2 kg
Cover the gammon with enough cold water to submerge it fully.
Water · 2 lSet the pot over a high heat and bring to a full rolling boil.
Boil the gammon for 10 minutes to draw out excess salt.
Tip the gammon carefully into a colander set in the sink and discard the water.
Lift the gammon from the colander and place it in the large saucepan.
Peel the onion and discard the papery skin.
White onion · 1 piece
Cut the peeled onion in half through the root.
Add the halved onion to the saucepan with the drained gammon joint.
Add the bay leaves to the saucepan.
Bay leaves · 2 pieceAdd the black peppercorns to the saucepan.
Black peppercorns · 6 piecePeel the carrot and discard the skin.
Carrots · 1 piece
Chop the peeled carrot into rough chunks.
Add the chopped carrot to the saucepan.
Rinse the celery sticks under cold running water in a colander.
Celery sticks · 2 pieceLift the rinsed celery sticks from the colander onto the chopping board.
Chop the rinsed celery sticks into rough pieces.
Add the chopped celery to the saucepan.
Pour in enough fresh cold water to just cover the gammon and aromatics.
Water · 1.5 lBring the saucepan to a full boil over a high heat.
Reduce the heat to a gentle simmer, partially cover, and cook for about 68 minutes (20 minutes per 450 g, plus 20), until the gammon is tender throughout and its juices run clear.
Lift the gammon out of the saucepan onto the chopping board, leaving the cooking liquor behind.
Leave the gammon to rest on the board for 5 minutes.
Pull away and discard the rind and excess fat from the surface of the rested gammon.
Cut the gammon into thick, generous slices across the grain.
Arrange the sliced gammon on the serving plate.
Add the unsalted butter to the medium saucepan.
Unsalted butter · 40 g
Melt the butter over a medium-low heat until it is fully liquid and just beginning to foam.
Add the plain flour to the melted butter all at once.
Plain flour · 40 gStir the flour and butter together vigorously over the heat for 2 minutes until the mixture forms a smooth, pale roux.
Pour 375 ml of the milk into the roux in a slow, steady stream, stirring constantly.
Full-fat milk · 375 mlWhisk the milk and roux together over a medium heat, working out any lumps, until the sauce begins to thicken.
Pour in the remaining milk and whisk to combine.
Full-fat milk · 125 mlAdd the Dijon mustard and stir it into the sauce.
Dijon mustard · 1 tspAdd the double cream and stir through.
Double cream · 2 tbspAdd the salt and stir to season the sauce.
Salt · 0.5 tspAdd the white pepper and stir through.
White pepper · 0.25 tspGather the flat-leaf parsley into a tight bunch and finely chop the leaves and tender stalks.
Flat-leaf parsley · 30 gStir the chopped parsley into the sauce and keep warm over the lowest heat.
| # | Product | Tool | Action |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1.2 kg | | Lower the raw, boneless gammon joint (about 1.2 kg) into the large stockpot.⏱ 1 minResultGammon joint |
| 2 | 2 l | | Cover the gammon with enough cold water to submerge it fully.⏱ 30sResultGammon joint and water |
| 3 | — | | Set the pot over a high heat and bring to a full rolling boil.⏱ 8 minResultBoiled gammon |
| 4 | — | | Boil the gammon for 10 minutes to draw out excess salt.⏱ 10 minResultParboiled gammon |
| 5 | Parboiled gammonstep 4 | | Tip the gammon carefully into a colander set in the sink and discard the water.⏱ 1 minResultDrained gammon |
| 6 | Drained gammonstep 5 | | Lift the gammon from the colander and place it in the large saucepan.⏱ 1 minResultDrained gammon |
| 7 | 1 piece | | Peel the onion and discard the papery skin.⏱ 30sResultPeeled onion |
| 8 | Peeled onionstep 7 | | Cut the peeled onion in half through the root.⏱ 1 minResultHalved onions |
| 9 | Halved onionsstep 8 | | Add the halved onion to the saucepan with the drained gammon joint.⏱ 1 minResultHalved onions and drained gammon |
| 10 | 2 piece | | Add the bay leaves to the saucepan.⏱ 1 minResultHalved onions and drained gammon and bay leaves |
| 11 | 6 piece | | Add the black peppercorns to the saucepan.⏱ 1 minResultHalved onion and drained gammon mixture |
| 12 | 1 piece | | Peel the carrot and discard the skin.⏱ 30sResultPeeled carrots |
| 13 | Peeled carrotsstep 12 | | Chop the peeled carrot into rough chunks.⏱ 2 minResultChopped Carrots |
| 14 | Chopped Carrotsstep 13 | | Add the chopped carrot to the saucepan.⏱ 1 minResultChopped carrot mixture |
| 15 | 2 piece | | Rinse the celery sticks under cold running water in a colander.⏱ 30sResultRinsed celery sticks |
| 16 | — | | Lift the rinsed celery sticks from the colander onto the chopping board.⏱ 15sResultRinsed celery sticks |
| 17 | — | | Chop the rinsed celery sticks into rough pieces.⏱ 2 minResultChopped Celery |
| 18 | Chopped Celerystep 17 | | Add the chopped celery to the saucepan.⏱ 1 minResultChopped carrot mixture |
| 19 | 1.5 l | | Pour in enough fresh cold water to just cover the gammon and aromatics.⏱ 30sResultChopped carrot mixture |
| 20 | — | | Bring the saucepan to a full boil over a high heat.⏱ 8 minResultBoiled gammon with aromatics |
| 21 | — | | Reduce the heat to a gentle simmer, partially cover, and cook for about 68 minutes (20 minutes per 450 g, plus 20), until the gammon is tender throughout and its juices run clear.⏱ 1 hr 8 minResultSimmered gammon |
| 22 | — | | Lift the gammon out of the saucepan onto the chopping board, leaving the cooking liquor behind.⏱ 1 minResultSimmered gammon |
| 23 | — | | Leave the gammon to rest on the board for 5 minutes.⏱ 5 minResultRested gammon |
| 24 | — | | Pull away and discard the rind and excess fat from the surface of the rested gammon.⏱ 2 minResultSkinned gammon |
| 25 | — | | Cut the gammon into thick, generous slices across the grain.⏱ 2 minResultSliced gammon |
| 26 | Sliced gammonstep 25 | | Arrange the sliced gammon on the serving plate.⏱ 1 minResultSliced gammon |
| 27 | 40 g | | Add the unsalted butter to the medium saucepan.⏱ 10sResultUnsalted butter |
| 28 | — | | Melt the butter over a medium-low heat until it is fully liquid and just beginning to foam.⏱ 2 minResultMelted butter |
| 29 | 40 g | | Add the plain flour to the melted butter all at once.⏱ 1 minResultUncooked roux |
| 30 | — | | Stir the flour and butter together vigorously over the heat for 2 minutes until the mixture forms a smooth, pale roux.⏱ 2 minResultPale roux |
| 31 | 375 ml | | Pour 375 ml of the milk into the roux in a slow, steady stream, stirring constantly.⏱ 10sResultPale roux and full-fat milk |
| 32 | — | | Whisk the milk and roux together over a medium heat, working out any lumps, until the sauce begins to thicken.⏱ 4 min 30sResultWhisked milk and roux |
| 33 | 125 ml | | Pour in the remaining milk and whisk to combine.⏱ 1 minResultWhisked milk and roux and full-fat milk |
| 34 | 1 tsp | | Add the Dijon mustard and stir it into the sauce.⏱ 1 minResultWhisked milk and roux mixture |
| 35 | 2 tbsp | | Add the double cream and stir through.⏱ 1 minResultWhisked milk and roux mixture |
| 36 | 0.5 tsp | | Add the salt and stir to season the sauce.⏱ 1 minResultWhisked milk and roux mixture |
| 37 | 0.25 tsp | | Add the white pepper and stir through.⏱ 1 minResultSeasoned sauce |
| 38 | 30 g | | Gather the flat-leaf parsley into a tight bunch and finely chop the leaves and tender stalks.⏱ 2 minResultFinely chopped parsley |
| 39 | Finely chopped parsleystep 38 | | Stir the chopped parsley into the sauce and keep warm over the lowest heat.⏱ 1 minResultParsley sauce |
| Total Time | 1 hr 59 min | ||
| Nutrient | Per serving |
|---|---|
| 888kcal | |
| 71g | |
| 56g | |
| 24g | |
| 19g | |
| 9g | |
| 2g | |
| 3,298mg |
A British classic of slow-poached gammon served in thick slices and blanketed with a creamy parsley sauce sharpened with Dijon mustard. The meat is tender and deeply savoury from its long simmer with aromatic vegetables, while the sauce is smooth, herb-flecked, and rich enough to coat generously. Straightforward and satisfying, it suits a midweek supper or a Sunday table equally well.
What you’ll doYou will boil the gammon briefly to draw out salt, then poach it slowly with onion, carrot, celery, bay and peppercorns. While it rests, a white sauce is made, sharpened with Dijon mustard and finished with plenty of chopped parsley, and the gammon is sliced thickly and served under it.
