- 2.5kg/5lb 8oz gammon
- 1 lemon, halved
- 1 orange, halved
- 1 apple, halved
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 onion, halved
- 2 dried chillies
- 5 star anise
- 375g/13oz marmalade
- 200g/7oz honey
- 2 heaped tsp English mustard
- 1 tsp cloves
- 1kg/2lb 4oz new potatoes
- 50g/1¾oz butter
- 400ml/14fl oz milk
- 1 onion, halved, each half studded with 2 cloves and 1 bay leaf
- 50g/1¾oz butter
- 25g/1oz plain flour
- 50ml/2fl oz double cream
- squeeze lemon juice
- small bunch fresh flatleaf parsley, finely chopped
- sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Place the gammon into a large, heavy-based, lidded saucepan with the lemon, orange, apple, cinnamon stick, onion, chillies and 2 of the star anise. Pour in enough water to cover the gammon.
- Cover the pan with the lid, place onto the heat, bring the water to the boil, then turn the heat down until simmering. Simmer for 2 hours, or until the meat is tender, then set aside to cool in the cooking liquid.
- Preheat the oven to 230C/210C Fan/Gas 7.
- In a small pan, heat the marmalade, honey, mustard, the remaining 3 star anise and the cloves in a small pan until the preserves have melted, then stir and set aside.
- Lift the cooled ham from the cooking liquid and transfer to a roasting tin. Carve the layer of fat on top of the ham in a criss-cross pattern, then spread the marmalade glaze over the top. Return to the oven for a further 20 minutes, basting with the glaze every 5-8 minutes, until the surface of the gammon is golden-brown and just starting to blacken at the edge.
- Meanwhile, boil the potatoes in a saucepan of salted water for 10-15 minutes, or until just tender, then drain and return to the pan. Stir in the butter to coat, then season, to taste, with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Keep warm.
- For the parsley sauce, pour the milk into a saucepan and add the clove-studded onion halves. Heat until just simmering, then turn off the heat and leave to infuse for a few minutes.
- In a separate saucepan, heat the butter until melted, then whisk in the flour until well combined and cook for 30 seconds. Whisk in the infused milk a little at a time, waiting until the sauce thickens before adding each new batch of milk – you should end up with a smooth sauce the consistency of double cream. Stir in the double cream and then cook for further 1-2 minutes. Season with lemon juice, to taste, and salt and freshly ground black pepper, then remove the pan from the heat and stir in the chopped parsley.
- To serve, pile the buttered potatoes onto a serving platter and place the gammon on top. Pour the parsley sauce into a jug to serve alongside. Carve at the table.