Ingredients

• 3 tbsp treacle
• 3 tbsp maple syrup
• 9 rashers smoked streaky bacon
• 1kg/2lb 4oz gammon joint
• 750ml/1½fl oz apple juice
• 1 onion
• whole
• peeled
• 3 cloves
• 2 whole star anise
• 2 bay leaves
• 6 peppercorns
• ½ large pumpkin
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 50g/2oz butter

Directions

• Preheat the oven to 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6.
• In a bowl
• mix together the treacle and maple syrup. Add the bacon and leave to marinade for at least four hours.
• To a large pot
• add the apple juice
• onion studded with the cloves
• the bay
• star anise and peppercorns. Finally place the gammon joint in the liquid and simmer with a lid on for 1 hour and 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile cut the pumpkin half in half again.
• Place the pumpkin on an oven dish
• skin-side down
• and trickle olive oil over. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper
• add a knob of butter in each pumpkin slice and bake in the oven for 45 minutes. When cooked set aside under foil to keep warm.
• When the gammon has cooked
• remove from the liquid
• place on a baking tray
• and then layer the treacle bacon over the top.
• Bake for a further 15 minutes
• or until the bacon is crisp.
• Carve the gammon and serve with scoops of soft pumpkin flesh.