IT’S GOOD FOR YOU Oxtail braised in Guinness

GUARD OF HONOUR Rack of lamb with an olive and caper crust

MAKE-AHEAD STARTER Ham hock terrine

CLASSIC FRENCH FLAVOURS Chicken supremes in mustard, cream and prune sauce

COUNTRY FARE Game pie

PEPPER PIG Jalapeño, coriander and lime salt crusted ham

Jalapeño, coriander and lime salt crusted ham with mango salsa

SERVES 12. HANDS-ON TIME 40 MIN, SIMMERING TIME 3 HOURS, OVEN TIME 25-30 MIN, PLUS SOAKING

MAKE AHEAD

The fully baked ham, with its baked crust, will keep in the fridge for 1 week.

KNOW HOW

Gammon (the term given to an uncooked ham from the hind leg) can sometimes be salty and need soaking. Ask your butcher for advice. To soak your gammon, cover it with cold water, refreshing it after 3-4 hours, or leave it to soak overnight. Start a few hours before you go to bed so you can refresh the water once before leaving it to its long soak.

FOOD TEAM’S TIP

If you like your food extra spicy, add some chopped red chillies or chilli flakes to the salsa.

• 2-3kg boneless middle gammon (see Know-how)

FOR THE SALT CRUST

• 2 tbsp sea salt

• 4 tbsp demerara sugar

• ½ bunch fresh coriander, finely chopped

• Grated zest and juice 1 lime

• 1 jalapeño pepper, finely chopped

FOR THE MANGO SALSA

• ½ bunch coriander, finely chopped

• ½ bunch flatleaf parsley, finely chopped

• Juice 1 lime

• 1 jalapeño pepper, finely chopped

• 1 ripe mango, finely chopped

1 If soaking the gammon (see Know-how), do it in the morning or the night before. To cook the gammon, put in a very large pan. Pour over cold water to cover, then heat gently until just simmering. Skim off any scum/foam that forms on the surface and leave to simmer gently for 3 hours, skimming periodically and topping up with hot water when the level drops. The ham is cooked when a digital thermometer pushed into the thickest part reads 65-70°C or the end of a skewer pushed into the thickest part for 5 seconds feels hot when pressed to the back of your wrist. Carefully remove the gammon from the pan, put on a board and leave to cool.

2 Heat the oven to 240°C/220°C fan/ gas 9. Once the meat is cool enough to handle, slice away the skin using a sharp knife, leaving behind as much of the fat as possible. Pat the ham dry with kitchen paper then, using the tip of a sharp knife, score a diamond pattern into the fat. Put the ham in a shallow roasting tin lined with baking paper.

3 In a medium bowl, mix together the salt crust ingredients. Spoon on top of the ham and spread to cover the surface, pushing it into the diamond score marks. Roast for 25-30 minutes until golden and crunchy. It will bake to quite a dark crust, so keep an eye on it and cover with foil for the last 5-10 minutes.

4 Meanwhile, make the salsa. Mix all the ingredients together in a glass or ceramic serving bowl and season to taste (see tip). 5 Let the baked ham cool a little before carving (or cool completely to serve cold – see Make Ahead). Serve with the mango salsa.

PER SERVING

315kcals, 11.6g fat (4.2gsaturated), 43.5g protein, 8.7g carbs (8.6g sugars), 4.2g salt, 0.9g fibre

WINE EDITOR’S CHOICE

Whites with zesty flavours, such as South African chenin blanc or Argentina’s torrontés.

Game pie

SERVES 10. HANDS-ON TIME 50 MIN, OVEN TIME 1 HOUR, PLUS RESTING

MAKE AHEAD

Make the pie to the end of step 5 and store in the fridge for up to 24 hours. Or freeze unbaked, wrapped in cling film and foil, for up to 1 month. Defrost fully in the fridge before baking, and glaze before baking. When game is in season, make and freeze the filling for up to 6 months. Defrost in the fridge before using.

FOOD TEAM’S TIP

We used Marks & Spencer Game Pie Mix, which contains pheasant, rabbit and partridge. Ask your butcher for a similar mix or buy the game of your choice to the same weight and dice the meat in 2cm chunks. It’s easiest to use scissors to trim the pastry in step 4.

• Olive oil for frying

• 1 onion, finely chopped

• 3 leeks, finely sliced

• 2 garlic cloves, crushed

• A few fresh thyme and rosemary sprigs

• 750g game pie mix (see tips)

• 80g plain flour

• 200ml red wine

• 250ml fresh chicken stock

• 3 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

• 3 tbsp single cream

FOR THE HOT WATER CRUST PASTRY

• 80g unsalted butter

• 80g lard

• 500g plain flour

• 1 tsp salt

• 2 medium free-range eggs

YOU’LL ALSO NEED…

1 Heat a glug of oil in a large flameproof casserole over a medium heat. Gently fry the onion and leeks for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic, herbs and game, then turn up the heat, stirring, until the meat is lightly browned.