⁣Place the gammon in a pan large enough to comfortably
accommodate it and pour in enough cold water to cover it by a couple of inches.
Add the vegetables, herbs and spices and bring to the boil. Once boiling,
reduce the heat and allow the gammon to simmer gently for around 2 hours. Turn
off the heat but leave the meat submerged in the stock to rest and cool for
45–60 minutes, or until cool enough to handle. This will stop it from becoming
dry.
While the meat is simmering, make the glaze. Combine the
garlic, black garlic, Szechuan pepper and water in a saucepan and bring to the
boil. Turn off the heat, cover the pan with clingfilm and set aside to infuse
for 20 minutes. Blend the mixture with a hand-held blender and strain through a
fine sieve into a clean saucepan. Add the remaining glaze ingredients and
gently bring back to the boil, stirring frequently. Reduce the heat and simmer
slowly until the mixture is very thick, sticky and treacle-like.
Preheat the oven to 170°C/325°F/Gas mark 3. When the meat is
cool enough to handle, drain off the stock and pat dry on a clean tea towel.
Remove the butcher’s netting and the outer rind with a sharp knife, ideally
leaving a 5mm covering of fat. Score the fat in a criss-cross pattern at 1cm
intervals and bake in a roasting tin for 10 minutes to allow the fat to start
rending.
Remove the ham from the oven and thickly paint it with the
glaze before putting it back in for another 10 minutes. Repeat this glazing
twice more at 10-minute intervals before setting the meat aside to rest in a
warm place for 15 minutes or so.
Meanwhile, cut the shallots in half lengthways but leave the
skin on. Place them flesh side down in an ovenproof frying pan, add a splash of
oil and cook over a medium heat for a minute until they begin to sizzle. Put
the pan in the oven at 180°C/350°F/Gas mark 4 for 10 minutes. Remove the pan
from the oven, peel the soft, cooked shallots and season the flesh with some
sea salt.
Slice the young onions in half lengthways and lightly season
with salt. Place them cut side down in a frying pan over a medium heat and cook
until they turn a nice caramelised colour.
Cut the ham into thick slices and serve immediately with the
roasted shallots and caramelised young onions.