Gammon, Egg & Chips

Serves 2

Takes 1 hour 15 minutes

Reviving a retro classic. You cannot beat a handful of good quality ingredients, simply cooked. Gammon, smoked or unsmoked – whatever your preference, cut into thick steaks makes it easier and much quicker to cook, making for a rather satisfying midweek meal. Paired with crispy homemade chips and a jammy-yolk egg, it really is a wonderfully nostalgic dish the whole family will enjoy. 

1. Pre heat the oven to 180C fan.
2. Place the potato batons in a large bowl and sprinkle with the corn starch, toss to ensure each piece is coated and place on a non-stick baking tray. Drizzle over 2 tbsp of olive oil and the smoked paprika, toss again to coat.
3. Cover well with a couple of layers of foil and place in the oven for 15 minutes. This allows the chips to begin to steam so you have fluffy potato inside and a crispy outer.
4. Remove from the oven and take off the foil, place back in the oven for 40 minutes, flipping every 10 minutes. Cook until the chips are lovely golden and sound crispy when tossed. Turn off the oven and leave in the warmth whilst you cook the gammon and eggs.
5. Cut incisions into the rind and fat of the gammon steaks, this will ensure they won’t curl up when cooking.
6. Place into a low-medium skillet, rind-side down and let slow cook for 12 minutes to render the fat and get the skin nice and crispy.
7. Flip onto one side and increase the heat to medium-high, add the knob of butter, cook for 3 minutes basting as you go then flip and cook for another 3 minutes. Remove and place on a board to rest while you cook your eggs.
8. In the same pan as the gammon steaks, pour in 1 tbsp olive oil and crack in your eggs, fry to your liking then begin to plate up.
9. Place each steak onto a plate along with a generous handful of the crispy chips and a sprinkle of salt over them, carefully add the egg and scatter with the chopped chives. Add a good dollop of English mustard if preferred and enjoy!

• 2 gammon steaks, ask your butcher to do this (smoked or unsmoked, whichever is your preference)
• Knob of butter
• 4 large potatoes, peeled and cut into chip-like batons
• 3 tbsp corn starch
• Olive oil
• 2 tsp smoked paprika
• 2 eggs
• Handful of chives, finely chopped for garnish (optional)
• Mustard (optional)