Gammon served with baked beans, mashed potato and pineapple puree

This month, Elia shares his recipe for this delicious dish of gammon, served fresh with baked beans, fluffy mashed potato and sweet pineapple puree. Keep reading to find out how Elia prepares this dish.

Ingredients

• Gammon joint small/medium
• 5 medium-sized fresh white potato
• 400g pineapple (fresh or tinned)
• Baked beans (fresh or tinned)
• Gravy (homemade or granules)

serves: 4

Gammon

Method

1. Place the gammon joint into a large lidded saucepan, cover with cold water and bring to a boil over high heat. Drain the water from the saucepan, add fresh cold water, onions, carrots, celery, bay and peppercorns and bring to a boil once more. Reduce heat, cover with a lid and simmer the gammon and vegetables gently for 20 minutes per 500g/1lb 2oz. 
2. Remove the gammon from the water and set it aside to cool for 15 minutes. 
3. Preheat the oven to 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6 and line a large roasting tin with kitchen foil.
4. Place the gammon into the foil-lined roasting tray, ensuring that the sides of the foil come halfway up the joint to contain any roasting juices.
5. The gammon is ready when the fat on top is glossy and golden brown. Cover loosely with foil if the top begins to look too brown. Remove the gammon from the oven and set it aside to rest for 15 minutes before carving.
6. Pour any juices that have collected in the kitchen foil into a small pan, and warm through gently.
7. Carve the gammon, serve on a large platter and spoon over the warmed juices.

Mashed Potato

Method

1. Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil. Add the potatoes and boil for about 15 mins or until tender.
2. Transfer to a colander and drain well, then return to the pan and set over a very low heat for 2 mins to dry completely.
3. Remove from the heat, then mash potatoes using an electric hand whisk or potato masher.
4. Tip in 100g of butter, and 100ml of milk and beat with a wooden spoon until smooth and creamy. 
5. Season with pepper and a pinch of salt.

Pineapple Puree

Method

1. Add pineapple to blender.
2. Blend until smooth, adding a little liquid (cream of water) if needed.

Baked Beans

Ingredients

• 1 tsp rapeseed oil
• 1 large onion (185g), finely chopped
• 1 garlic clove, finely grated
• 300g passata
• 3 pitted dates (about 15g), roughly chopped
• 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 1 tsp bouillon powder
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 x 400g haricot beans, drained (from tin or if fresh leave covered in cold water overnight)

Method

1. Heat the oil in a non-stick saucepan over low heat and fry the onion for 5 mins until golden. Add a drop of water if it looks like it’s starting to burn.
2. Stir in the garlic, then tip in the passata, dates, vinegar, bouillon and bay leaf.
3. Grind in plenty of black pepper and simmer for 5 mins.
4. Tip in the beans and 400ml water, then simmer for 10 mins, stirring every now and then until thick. 

Gravy

Method

1. Remove the meat from the roasting pan.
2. Fry some finely chopped vegetables, such as carrots, onions and celery, in the base of the pan on high heat, until caramelised.
3. Add flour and stir until light brown.
4. Add a little wine and let it reduce.
5. Gradually pour in enough stock while stirring to make the gravy as thick or thin as you like, 1 pint to 1 rounded tablespoon of flour should produce a good consistency.
6. Let the mixture simmer for a few minutes, you can also add an optional balsamic vinegar to make the gravy browner. Herbs such as bay leaves or thyme can be added for additional flavour.
7. Strain the mixture into a jug, pressing down on the veg with a spoon to release all the juices (or blend all together for extra flavour). You now have a jug of gravy.

Enjoy!