Gammon with Pease Pudding Recipe - Gordon Ramsay

Serves 4 Drain the gammon and place in a large saucepan with the onion, carrot, celery, bay leaves, thyme and black peppercorns. Pour on enough water to cover, then bring to the boil. Skim off any scum that rises to the surface. Lower the heat and simmer gently for about 2 hours, skimming occasionally, until the gammon is cooked through. Leave in the liquor.

For the pease pudding, drain the soaked peas and tip into a saucepan. Add the onion, carrot, bay leaves and cover with water (adding some of the stock from the gammon if its not too salty). Bring to the boil and skim off any scum that rises to the surface. Lower the heat and simmer gently for an hour or until the peas are tender.

Discard the onion, carrot, and bay leaves and tip the peas into a blender. Blitz to a puree, then pour into a clean pan. Add the vinegar and season with salt and pepper. Gradually beat in the butter a cube at a time. Keep warm until ready to serve, adding a little water if too dry.

To make the parsley sauce, melt the butter in a small saucepan, add the shallots and saute gently until softened but not coloured, 4 - 6 minutes. Add the flour and mustard, stir well and cook for a further 2 - 3 minutes. Gradually stir in the milk and 150 ml of the strained liquor from the gammon. Bring to the boil, lower the heat and simmer for 6 - 8 minutes, stirring every so often. The sauce should be quite thick.

Just before serving, stir the chopped parsley, cream and a squeeze of lemon juice into the sauce and check the seasoning. Lift the gammon out of the liquor onto a board. Carve the meat into thick slices and warm through in some of the liquor if necessary. Serve with the pease pudding and the parsley sauce.