This Hairy Bikers Gammon Orange Juice is a tender and sweet-savory recipe, which uses unsmoked gammon and orange juice. It’s a unique comfort food recipe, ready in about 7 to 8 hours, plus roasting time.

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Hairy Bikers Gammon Orange Juice Ingredients

1kg unsmoked gammon
750ml orange juice
1 onion
2 bay leaves
2 tbsp marmalade
2 tbsp honey
2 tbsp brown sugar
¼ tsp black pepper

How To Make Hairy Bikers Gammon Orange Juice

Prepare slow cooker: Place the unsmoked gammon into your slow cooker pot. Pour enough orange juice over the gammon to cover it. Add the whole onion and bay leaves to the slow cooker.
Slow cook: Cover the slow cooker and cook on LOW for 7-8 hours, or until the gammon is very tender.
Prepare glaze: While the gammon is slow cooking or after it’s cooked, mix the marmalade, honey, brown sugar, and black pepper together in a small pan or bowl to create the glaze.
Score and glaze gammon: Carefully remove the cooked gammon from the slow cooker. Remove the skin, leaving as much of the fat layer intact as possible. Score the fat in a diamond pattern. Brush the gammon generously with the prepared glaze.
Roast: Preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F). Place the glazed gammon in a roasting tin and roast for 30 minutes, or until the glaze is sticky, golden, and caramelized.

Recipe Tips

Unsmoked gammon preferred: Using unsmoked gammon allows the sweet and citrus notes of the orange juice and glaze to shine without competing with strong smoky flavors.
Balance of sweet and savory: The combination of orange juice, marmalade, honey, and brown sugar provides a lovely sweetness that is perfectly balanced by the savory gammon.
Don’t skip the fat scoring: Scoring the fat layer helps it render and crisp up beautifully during roasting, creating a delicious texture contrast with the tender meat.
Roasting for glaze: The roasting step is crucial for transforming the glaze into a sticky, caramelized coating. Keep an eye on it to prevent burning.
Resting after roasting: Although not explicitly stated in the method, allowing the gammon to rest for 10-15 minutes after roasting will help the juices redistribute, resulting in a more tender and moist carve.

What To Serve With Gammon Orange Juice

This sweet and tangy gammon pairs wonderfully with both classic and slightly more unusual side dishes.

Creamy mashed potatoes or Dauphinoise potatoes
Roasted asparagus or green beans
Sweet potato fries
A crisp watercress salad
Braised red cabbage

How To Store Gammon Orange Juice

Refrigerate: Store leftover cooked gammon in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.
Freeze: Cooked gammon can be sliced or diced and frozen in airtight freezer bags or containers for up to 2-3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating. Note that the crispiness of the glaze may diminish upon reheating from frozen.

FAQs

Can I use a different fruit juice? While orange juice is specified, pineapple or apple juice could offer similar sweet and tenderizing effects, though the flavor profile would change.
Do I need to soak the gammon before cooking? This recipe uses unsmoked gammon and relies on the long, slow cook to balance the saltiness. Soaking is typically not necessary for modern unsmoked joints.
Can I make this in an oven if I don’t have a slow cooker? You could adapt it to a large lidded pot in the oven. Simmer the gammon in orange juice with aromatics at a low temperature (e.g., 150°C/300°F) for 2-3 hours, or until very tender, then proceed with the glazing and roasting.
How do I get the glaze really sticky? Ensure the glaze ingredients are well mixed and the oven is at the correct temperature for the final roasting step. The sugars will caramelize and become sticky.
What kind of orange juice is best? Freshly squeezed orange juice would be ideal for the best flavor, but a good quality store-bought 100% pure orange juice (not from concentrate if possible) will also work well.

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Hairy Bikers Gammon Orange Juice Recipe

Course: The Hairy Bikers

Servings

servings

Prep time

minutes

Cooking time

hours

minutes

Calories

300

kcal

A wonderfully succulent unsmoked gammon joint slow-cooked in vibrant orange juice with aromatics, then finished with a sticky and sweet marmalade-honey glaze.

Ingredients

1kg unsmoked gammon
750ml orange juice
1 onion
2 bay leaves
For the glaze:
2 tbsp marmalade
2 tbsp honey
2 tbsp brown sugar
¼ tsp black pepper

Directions

Slow cook gammon: Place gammon in slow cooker. Cover with orange juice. Add whole onion and bay leaves. Cook on LOW for 7-8 hours.
Prepare glaze: Mix marmalade, honey, brown sugar, and black pepper in a small pan or bowl.
Score and glaze: Carefully remove cooked gammon from slow cooker. Remove skin, score fat in diamond pattern. Brush generously with glaze.
Roast: Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F). Place glazed gammon in a roasting tin. Roast for 30 minutes until sticky and golden.