Apple and cider baked ham with plum and ginger chutney

Method

1. Soak the ham gammon overnight in cold water. Then drain and put into a large saucepan with the cider and apple juice and then top up with cold water until you just cover the gammon.

2. Add the onion, bay leaf and peppercorns and then bring to the boil. Skim the surface and reduce the heat. Simmer for 1 1/2 hours.

3. Remove the joint from the pan, peel off the skin and mark the fat into diamond shapes with a sharp knife. Reserve the stock to use for soup.

4. Preheat the oven to 220ºC/gas 7.
5. Stand the gammon in a roasting tin. Mix the butter with the sugar, mustard and ground spices to a paste. Spread this over the fat. Press a clove into the corner of each diamond.

5. Roast in the oven for about 15 to 30 minutes or until the fat is crisp and golden. Remove and cool.

6. In the meantime, make the chutney. Melt the butter in a large saucepan and add the onion. Fry gently, stirring often, for around 5 minutes until soft.

7. Now add the plums and the ginger and cook gently for 10 minutes. Add the balsamic vinegar and sugar to taste. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper. Set aside then warm through gently just before serving.

8. To roast the beetroot, preheat the oven to 200ºC/gas 6. Place the beetroot in a roasting tin, sprinkle over the garlic, pour over the balsamic vinegar and olive oil and season with salt and freshly ground pepper.

9. Roast for 1 hour, 30 minutes until the beetroot is tender. Cut the beetroot into quarters and put on your serving dish. Warm the crème fraiche through gently with the fennel in a small saucepan and pour over the beetroot.

10. To serve, slice up the ham, and serve with some warm chutney and beetroot on the side.