Every year, as the festive season draws nearer, I do what most chefs do. I start planning my menu. It’s like therapy. I can block out the noise and just focus on what I’m going to make my loved ones. To me, it’s just not Christmas without a beautifully cooked gammon and careful selection of kookkos. You know, the unmistakably savoury, white-peppery green beans playing neighbour to a generous helping of sweet, caramelly pumpkin fritters that are just dessert in disguise. And then, the gammon, glazed in a sweetly piquant sauce that crisps the outside while the inside stays succulent and rich. I can go on, but what gets me even more lyrical is when I find a perfectly cooked gammon that asks for little more than some more time in the oven, leaving me to spend more time with the ones I love.
GAMMON AND KOOKKOS
Cooking Time: 2 hours | Serves: 6-8
INGREDIENTS
for the Forage And Feast gammon
1 Forage And Feast gammon
30 ml Forage And Feast honey
2 star anise
50 ml orange juice
10 ml orange zest strips
for the pomme purée
4 large potatoes
50 g butter, salted
salt and freshly ground black pepper
for the green beans
250 g green beans
½ potato large
20 g butter
white pepper
salt
for the pumpkin fritter
500 g cooked, mashed pumpkin
220 g self raising flour
2 eggs, large
5 ml salt
10 ml baking powder
oil for deep-frying
for the pumpkin fritter sauce
250 ml cream
240 g ideal milk
100 g brown sugar
125g butter, salted
1 cinnamon stick
2.5 ml cinnamon powder
2.5ml vanilla paste
8 panu puri *optional for serving sauce
METHOD
for the pumpkin fritters
Pre-heat the oil to 180°C. Mix all the ingredients. The mixture shouldn’t be too stiff. Add some milk if you need to. Use as spoon to make dollops into the oil and fry until golden brown and cooked throughout.
for the pumpkin fritter sauce
In a medium sizes pot, slowly bring the ingredients to a simmer over low heat. Allow to cook for 15 min before placing on higher heat. Reduce to half the quantity. Deep fry the pani puri according to packet instructions and serve sauce on the vessel.
for the Forage And Feast gammon
Cook the gammon according to the instructions on the packet. Keep the liquid from the gammon to make the sauce the next day. Press the gammon overnight by weighing down the meat in the fridge. Place a baking paper in between the skin off the gammon and vessels used to weigh down. In a small pot heat the remaining liquid from the gammon and the remaining ingredients to make a glaze.
Portion the gammon after it has chilled completely. Fry in a small amount of oil just before serving on all sides of the portion. Once heated brush with the orange glaze.
for the pomme purée
Peel the potatoes and cut into chunks. Place in a medium pot with water and salt. Once the potatoes are cooked, strain off excess water and add butter. Pass through a sieve or use a masher to remove excess lumps, add additional salt if needed.
for the green beans
Slice the green beans finely and cut the peeled potato into small cubes. Fry the potato in a medium pot, once cooked add the green beans and sauté in white pepper and butter.
FEATURED RECIPES
