Apricot Glazed Gammon with Cheesy Baked Leeks

Indulge in the sweet and savoury flavour of festive gammons! Chef and Food Stylist, Keletso Motau is here with an apricot glazed gammon paired with creamy, cheesy baked leeks that will be the perfect addition on your festive table!

Easy
Serves: 6–8
Preparation time: 30  minutes
Cooking  time: 2 hour 30 minutes

Ingredients:

 

  • 1 x 1.7 kg Woolworths Medium Beechwood Smoked Gammon
  • 2 x Woolworths Carrots, peeled and sliced
  • 1 x Woolworths Leek halved
  • 1 onion peeled, halved
  • 1 head Woolworths Garlic, halved
  • 6 black peppercorns
  • 5 g Woolworths Fresh Thyme
  • 2 sprigs Woolworths Fresh Rosemary
  • Water

Glaze:

  • 4 T Woolworths Smooth Apricot Jam
  • 50 g Woolworths Demerara Sugar
  • 2 sprigs Woolworths Fresh Thyme
  • 250 ml Woolworths  100% Apple Juice
  • 50 ml Woolworths White Wine Vinegar

Cheesy baked leeks:

  • 500 g Woolworths Leeks, halved
  • 200 g Woolworths Grated Emmental & Mature Cheddar Cheese, halved
  • 1 tsp Woolworths Dijon Mustard
  • 50 g Woolworths Cake Wheat Flour
  • 50 g Woolworths Salted Butter
  • 500 ml Woolworths Fresh Full Cream Milk
  • Woolworths Bread Crumbs for topping

How To Make Gammon

  1. Remove the packaging and place the gammon into a large pot, cover with water and add all the veggies, herbs and seasoning.
  2. Cover with the lid and place over a medium heat, bring to a boil then reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook the gammon over a low heat for 1 hour 40 minutes. Be careful not to boil. Check the level of the water during cooking time. The gammon should always be completely submerged in the water.
  3. Preheat the oven to 180℃. Make the glaze by adding all the ingredients into a small saucepan and stir. Bring to the boil then reduce the heat to a simmer . Simmer for 5 minutes until slightly thickened and a syrup-like consistency has been reached.
    Once the gammon has been poached, remove it from the water and discard the water and veggies.
  4. Place the gammon into a baking dish and remove the skin. Using a sharp knife, score the gammon in a criss-cross pattern over the entire surface of the fat. Brush with some of the glaze and place into the oven for 15 minutes, remove from the oven and glaze again. Bake for a further 10–15 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to rest for 10 minutes before carving.

    For the cheesy baked leeks:
    Wash  the leeks well and halve them lengthwise. Heat a large pan and drizzle with olive oil. Place the leeks flat side down into the pan and caramelise until golden on the one side, then flip over and do the same.

How To Make Cheesy Baked Leeks

  1. Make a cheesy white sauce by melting the butter in a small pot, remove from the heat and whisk in the flour to form a paste. Return the pot to the heat and cook out the raw flour for a few minutes, stirring while it cooks. Reduce the heat to low and slowly pour in the milk while whisking. Whisk until smooth. Cook the sauce, stirring constantly until thick and creamy. Season to taste. Add half the grated cheese and mustard and stir to combine.
  2. Place the leeks into an ovenproof dish and pour over the cheesy sauce. Top with the remaining cheese and bread crumbs and bake for 30 minutes until golden.