Sweet balsamic-glazed roast gammon with roast apples

1. Place the gammon joint in a very large lidded saucepan. Pour over the cider or apple juice and add the cinnamon stick. Bring slowly to the boil, reduce the heat, cover and simmer gently for 70 minutes, turning once.

2. Preheat the oven to 180°C, gas mark 4. Drain the cooked gammon, reserving the cooking liquor, then place the meat on a chopping board. Remove the string and cut away the skin with a small, sharp knife, leaving the fat behind. Lightly score the fat in a diamond pattern. Place the balsamic glaze in a bowl and stir in 3 tbsp of the reserved cooking liquor.

3. Place the gammon in a medium roasting tin with the apple halves around the meat. Spoon the glaze over the gammon and apples and cook for 45-50 minutes, until the juices run clear, brushing the joint occasionally with the glaze and turning the apples once. Remove the gammon from the oven and leave to rest for 10 minutes. Place the apples on a serving plate, cover with foil and keep warm until ready to serve.

4. Stir 150ml of the reserved liquor into the juices in the tin, scraping up any pieces from the base. Pour into a small saucepan and cook over a high heat for 2-3 minutes until bubbling. Serve the gammon drizzled with a little sauce and the roast apples on the side. Delicious with mash or boiled new potatoes and seasonal green vegetables.