People often ask what tasty side dishes to serve. Especially when planning dinner parties or holiday meals. Here are some suggestions:
Bacon. Toasted or fried, it tastes excellent when paired with crispy bacon.
Gravy. Gravy made with flour, butter, stock, and herbs creates a delicious sauce.
Onion Rings. Onions are one of my favorite foods with lovely flavor. Try serving them.
Green Beans. Serve green beans for a healthy, simple dish.
Mashed Potatoes. If mashed potatoes are your thing, try serving this potato dish!
Garlic Rice Pilaf. A pilaf is a rice dish prepared by cooking until all the water evaporates and the grains turn golden brown. Then add vegetables, spices, and other ingredients to taste. This recipe is perfect for pairing.
Sweet Potato Fries. I love sweet potato fries. I would pair them.
Cheese Sauce. You can make a tasty cheesy sauce by adding grated cheddar cheese to milk and whisking until smooth.
Parsley. Fresh parsley adds flavor to any meal. You can sprinkle fresh parsley on top of your dish before serving.
Broccoli and Roasted Potatoes. A simple guilt-free side dish of broccoli and roasted potatoes goes well.
Green Salad. Add some greens to your plate and enjoy an excellent healthy side dish. You might want to add collard greens for a touch of southern flair. And don’t forget your beloved salad topping.
Spicy Pickles. Pickled vegetables such as cucumbers, carrots, onions, and peppers add spice to a meal.
Tartar Sauce. This tangy sauce goes well with almost anything.
Chutney. Indian curried sauces are always good. Try serving it with chutney.
Roasted Carrots. Carrots are a perfect vegetable to roast. Roast unique side dishes.
Gammon with Broccoli and Roasted Potatoes. Credit: canva
Main Dishes for Pairings with Gammon
You can’t beat good old-fashioned dishes. Ever popular pub grub and a Christmas favorite, we’ve got some classic entire meal combinations for you to try.
Steak with Ham, Egg & Chips
A Sunday lunch with this traditional combination is lovely. All you need to add are a few chips and eggs, and you’ll have a hearty supper.
If you don’t have to make the chips, you can make oven chips using the frozen chips from the groceries.
Cola Ham with Maple & Mustard Glaze
In a cinnamon-spiced stock, cook and brown a joint in a slow cooker. Add sticky syrup, lemon zest, and clove sauce to serve in thick slices.
Steaks with Leek & Celeriac Mash and Apple Sauce
Homemade pub food is always superior! Salty one is a delicious dish enhanced with sweet apple and a punchy celeriac mash, making it 3 of your 5-a-day meals for good.
Glazed with Parsley & Cider Sauce
This glazed ham is a beautiful option for Christmas when you want to do something different.
A classic Sunday roast with honey-glazed, roasted potatoes and parsnips, carrots, green beans, and gravy.
Gammon in Spicy Tomato Sauce
Serve a spicy tomato sauce with pan-fried steaks for an easy midweek meal.
With Parsley Sauce
This classic combination is simple but delicious. Serve some fresh parsley sauce for an easy meal perfect for midweek dinners!
Honey and Mustard Glazed
This honey and mustard glaze is sweet, tangy, and perfect for Christmas. Pair with roasted vegetables, potatoes, or parsnips for a simple but delicious meal.
With Cider Sauce & Fried Onions
The tangy apple flavor of this cider sauce complements the saltiness of the ham perfectly. Serve up some fried onions on top for an extra kick.
The term “gammon” comes from the French word gammon meaning ham. The leg portion of a pig has been cured and dried for use as food. In English, we call this part of the leg of pork “ham.”
It is a trendy cut of meat in England. It is usually served cold or warm, but sometimes people like to cook it.
What Meat is It Made of?
The most common cuts of pork are loin, shoulder, belly, neck, shank, and thigh. These pig parts can be used for many different types of dishes. These include bacon, sausages, hams, chops, steaks, roasts, ribs, and shoulders.
The legs of pigs are called hind legs or simply “hinds.” They have three bones: the femur, tibia, and fibula. When cooked, they become tender and juicy.
What is the Difference Between a Ham and a Gammon?
They are cut from a pig’s hind legs and salted, brined, or smoked.
Gammon is sold raw in supermarkets and by your local butcher. So it requires cooking before you can eat it. At the same time, ham is ready to eat immediately.
Can You Eat Raw?
It is raw, while wet-cured or cured hams will be edible but not fully cooked (you should cook them). Smoked bacon, however, needs time for its flavor profile to develop into something delicious!
There are two ways to cook. You can either boil it or bake it.
Boiling is the traditional way to cook. However, baking is more modern because it cooks faster than boiling. If you choose to grill, watch it, so it doesn’t burn.
Boil
If you decide to boil, first remove any excess fat. Next, place the meat into a large pot.
Add enough water to cover it by at least 2 inches. Bring the water to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low and let simmer until the liquid reduces by half.
Serve immediately.
Grill
To grill, preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Place it onto a rack set inside a shallow baking dish. Bake for 30 minutes. Then, turn it over and bake for another 15 minutes.
Please remove it from the oven and let it rest for 10 minutes before slicing it into thin slices.
Honey and Mustard Gammon Recipe
Classic with a punchy honey & mustard rub served with buttery crushed potatoes.
Ingredients
300g (10oz) new potatoes (Maris Piper)
200g (7oz) fine green beans
2 smoked gammon steaks
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tbsp clear honey
1 tbsp butter, softened
1 tbsp finely chopped chives
Instructions
Method
Preheat the grill to its highest setting.
Place the potatoes in a large pan of water and bring them to a boil. Simmer for 20 minutes, or until soft, then add the beans for the final 4 minutes of cooking.
Meanwhile, prepare the Gammon. Snip a diamond pattern into the fat, with 2.5cm (1in) intervals around the steaks to prevent them from curling up during cooking.
In a small mixing bowl, combine the mustard and honey. Brush the steaks with this mixture before grilling.
Put the meat on a baking sheet—Grill for 6 minutes on each side or until done.
Drain the potatoes and beans, then set them back in the pan. Using a spoon, gently smash the potatoes. Add the butter, let it melt slightly, then toss to combine.
Put the steak on each dinner plate and garnish it with chives. Serve with buttery vegetables (crushed potatoes and beans) in a single layer.
Place them on the dinner table and serve.
How To Make Gravy To Go with Gammon
There’s nothing quite like having homemade gammon with all the trimmings. Making gravy can seem intimidating, but it doesn’t have to be!
Step 1: Make a Roux
A roux is a mixture of fat and flour that helps to thicken any sauce or gravy. You can use butter or oil as your fat, and you’ll want to use an equal amount of each.
Over medium heat, melt the butter or oil in a pan and add an equal amount of flour.
Stir continuously until you get a golden-brown color. This will take about five minutes. Once your roux is ready, set it aside and let it cool completely before adding any liquid.
Step 2: Add Liquid
Once your roux has cooled, slowly add some liquid, such as stock or broth, constantly stirring so there are no lumps. You can also add white wine for more flavor if desired.
Keep going as you add the liquid until it comes together into a thick sauce-like consistency.
If it’s too thin, continue cooking until desired thickness is reached; if it’s too thick, add more liquid until desired consistency is achieved.
Step 3: Seasoning
Once your gravy has reached the desired consistency, season with salt and pepper to taste and stir in some herbs like thyme or parsley for added flavor if desired, then pour over your gammon and enjoy!
Be sure not to boil the gravy after seasoning, as this can cause all the flavors to become muted or muddled together.
What To Serve With Honey-glazed Gammon?
This festive season, honey-glazed gammon is a classic dish that will not disappoint. But what should you serve alongside it?
Mashed Potatoes and Parsnips
Mashed potatoes and parsnips are a great side dish for honey-glazed gammon. The combination of creamy mashed potatoes and earthy parsnips creates an indulgent yet comforting dish that will surely be a hit at any dinner table.
It’s effortless to make – all you need to do is boil both ingredients together until they’re soft and then mash them up with butter and cream before serving.
Roasted Veggies
Another classic side dish option for honey-glazed gammon is roasted vegetables.
Try roasting carrots, onions, peppers, mushrooms, or other veggies in the oven with some olive oil and herbs for 15 minutes or so until they’re lightly browned and tender.
Serve your roasted veggies sprinkled with freshly chopped parsley for added flavor.
Stuffed Tomatoes
Stuffed tomatoes are a delicious way to spruce up your plate of honey-glazed gammon. Stuff halved tomatoes with garlic, herbs, breadcrumbs, cheese, and any other ingredients of your choice before baking them in the oven until tender and golden brown – not only do they make a great side dish, but they also look impressive!
Green Beans Almondine
Green beans almondine is a classic French side dish that goes well with almost any main course, including honey-glazed gammon!
Blanch green beans in boiling water until just cooked before sautéing them in butter with slivered almonds or pine nuts until golden brown – this simple yet delicious side dish will add color and flavor to your meal.
Garlic Bread
Garlic bread is always a crowd-pleaser – especially when served alongside honey-glazed gammon!
Toast thick slices of baguette brushed with garlic butter under the broiler for 2-3 minutes or until golden brown before sprinkling generously with parmesan cheese and adding a few fresh thyme leaves if desired.
Serve hot from the oven for maximum deliciousness!
What gravy to serve with gammon?
The ideal gravy should complement the gammon’s smoky and salty flavor without overpowering it.
Mushroom Gravy
Mushroom gravy is an excellent option for gammon, as mushrooms have an earthy flavor that complements the meat’s smokiness.
To make mushroom gravy, you’ll need some butter, mushrooms, onions, beef broth or stock, flour, Worcestershire sauce, and seasonings such as thyme and parsley.
Sauté the mushrooms and onion in butter until they’ve softened, then whisk in some flour before adding the broth or stock. Continue stirring until thickened, and then add Worcestershire sauce and seasonings to taste.
Onion Gravy
Onion gravy is another popular choice for serving with gammon due to its sweetness, which helps cut through the meat’s saltiness.
To make onion gravy, you will need butter or oil, onions (which can be sliced or diced), beef stock or broth, Worcestershire sauce, and seasoning such as rosemary, thyme, or sage.
Start by sautéing your onions in butter or oil until they are softened before adding your stock or broth and bringing it to a boil. Then reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes before adding Worcestershire sauce and seasoning to taste.
Red Wine Gravy
Red wine gravy is also a delicious option for serving with gammon, as its robust flavor pairs well with pork and poultry dishes.
To make red wine gravy, you will need bacon fat (or butter if preferred), red wine (which should preferably be one that you would drink too!), beef stock or broth, onion powder, garlic powder, thyme leaves (dried or fresh) and pepper.
How to serve gammon steaks
Step 1: Prepare the Pan & Preheat Your Oven
To begin, preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Then, place a non-stick pan on medium-high heat on your stovetop and add butter and oil. Let it heat up for about two minutes before adding the gammon steaks.
Step 2: Brown the Steaks & Add Herbs
When browning your steaks, ensure that each side is nicely colored and crispy. Once both sides have been cooked (about five minutes), sprinkle some herbs—rosemary, thyme, oregano, and sage- all great options. Then reduce the heat to low, allowing the spices to infuse into the meat as it cooks.
Step 3: Transfer Steaks to Oven & Bake
Finally, transfer your pan with the gammon steaks into the oven and let them bake for approximately 15 minutes or until they’re cooked. Serve hot with roasted vegetables or mashed potatoes as desired!
FAQs
What herbs or spices go with Gammon?
You can use any herbs or spices that you like.
Popular combinations include rosemary, thyme, sage, black pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder. You can also get creative and come up with your spice blend.
Just be sure to test it before serving to know how the flavors taste together.
Can you have gravy?
Gravy goes well if it’s a savory sauce that includes onions or garlic. For example, try making pork gravy by mixing the juices from your roast chicken pan and some flour and milk of choice to make a smooth sauce.
Are ham and Gammon the same thing?
They are not the same things. Ham is also a cured meat, but it can be cooked in different ways, like frying, grilling, or roasting.
What is the difference between Gammon and pork?
This Gammon has cured meat smoked, and then boiled or baked. On the other hand, pork does not need to be cured and can be cooked in different ways, like frying, grilling, or roasting.
Additionally, Gammon tends to be slightly saltier and tougher than pork because of the smoking process.
