BOUQUET GARNI RECIPES

Steps:

• 1. Preheat the oven to 160°C/325°F/gas 3.
  2. Place the ham in a roasting pan. Peel the onion and cut into wedges, then add to the pan with the peppercorns and bouquet garni.
  3. Add water until it comes halfway up the side of the pan. Cover the ham with foil (making a tent to allow steam to circulate). Bake for 1½ hours or until pink and cooked through, then remove from the oven and cool for 30 minutes, leaving it covered.
  4. While it’s still warm, you will need to carefully remove the skin, keeping the fat attached to the ham. With a sharp knife, score the ham by making diagonal cuts across the leg.
  5. To make the jerk seasoning, peel and chop the garlic and shallots, deseed and chop the scotch bonnets and finely chop the chives. Blend all the ingredients with a decent pinch of sea salt in a food processor until smooth.
  6. Rub the jerk seasoning all over the ham and scored fat, cover in clingfilm and pop in the fridge overnight, preferably 24 hours.
  7. Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas 4.
  8. Combine the glaze ingredients in a bowl. Remove the ham from the fridge, scrape off the excess seasoning and bake for 1 hour.
  9. Remove from the oven, brush with the glaze, then continue cooking the ham for another 30 to 40 minutes, basting with the glaze every 10 minutes until crisp, golden and sticky.

Steps:

• The night before the gammon is to be cooked place it in a bowl of cold water and allow to soak.
• This removes some of the salt and tenderises it a little bit.
• Place in a large cooking pot, (make sure you have a lid for it), cover with cold water, add the onions and bouquet garni and bring to the boil.
• Turn the heat right down so the water is barely bubbling and put on the lid.
• Cook for 20 minutes per pound of meat.
• Once the cooking time is up leave the meat in the liquour until cooled.
• This stops it tensing up, and drying out, and makes it lovely and tender.