Diet Fanta Gammon (Slow Cooker)

This unofficial Slimming World fanta gammon recipe is so easy to make in the slow cooker that you can have dinner ready by the time you get home.

One of my most popular (and favourite) unofficial Slimming World meals is Slow Cooker Diet Coke Gammon.  After just chopping a couple of veg and chucking everything in the pot, I love how I can leave it to cook while I get busy renovating over at The Carpenter's Daughter.

It really does take a cheap basic joint to a whole other level that's special enough for an every day or even Christmas dinner.  And it's one of our regular meals because it's versatile with healthy oven baked chips, veg and gravy or even pulled to create sandwiches.

And it could be made with almost any diet pop.  I'm still yet to work my through a sugar-free cherryade, lemonade and Fanta berry.  Although I fancy trying the latter I bought recently for a healthy mulled wine.  I'm looking forward to it!

STORING LEFTOVER FANTA GAMMON

To help your leftovers to last longer in the fridge, then try not to cut it up in to slices before storing.  I usually place in one of the many storage tubs I recycle while it's a whole as it can be and leave up to 5 days.

Cutting it up in slices gives it more surface area to breath and grow bacteria quicker.  Others ways my gammon lasts longer is to cook another meal out of it and if we don't eat it quick enough, I freeze the new meal.

If you want to cook it ahead of a special day, then you could wrap it well in clingfilm and foil, then keep it in the freezer for up to a month.  But ensure you defrost thoroughly before heating it as you could impair the quality.

DO I NEED A SLOW COOKER?

Not at all.  You could simmer away in a large lidded pan on the hob until tender and cook it much quicker.  It might need around an hour for a very small joint, but I usually hob cook a 3kg for 3 hours on a rolling simmer.

I find recipes take a while to warm up and get started in the slow cooker, but I'm guessing most of you are busy like me, so having it cooking in a pot I can plug in is huge peace of mind that it doesn't matter if I forget about a hob and burn a pan or cause a fire.

However, to finish it off, you will need to drain it, give it a coating of honey for the glaze, then roast it in the oven for a final 20 minutes.   I never used to bother turning half way, but now I make sure and rub the gammon around the tray as most will run off and caramelize on the metal.

GETTING THE PERFECT SLICES

When you remove all the fat (and the extra plastic wrapping), particularly on the smaller 500-700g joints that are most common in supermarkets, I often find the gammon breaks away in chunks and has lost its integrity.

These are very affordable, but they're more suited for pulled gammon and are difficult for the aesthetic Christmas day slice.

Instead, you're better off opting for a bigger joint which is usually on offer, so try to shop around and cut with either a sharp carving knife or something that gives great results is my Judge electric knife.  It's so much easier if you want to spread the joint longer and opt for finer cuts.

INGREDIENTS FOR SLIMMING FANTA GAMMON

• 500g - 1kg gammon joint, fat removed
• 1 carrot, peeled and chopped
• 1 onion, peeled and chopped
• 12 poppercorns
• 8 cloves, plus more for studding
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 large bottle of zero sugar Fanta orange
• 2 teaspoon runny honey *needs counting
• 3 slices of orange *optional

STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS

First ensure you have removed as much fat off your gammon joint and place in your slow cooker.

Now add the chopped carrot and onion.  Note, we'll only be using them for flavour and discarding later, so no need for your fanciest chopping skills.

Followed by the whole peppercorns and cloves.

For some extra flavour, I add a couple of bay leaves.

Now for my favourite part which makes my house smell beautiful: pouring in a whole bottle of Zero Sugar Fanta orange or similar.  If you don't have Fanta, then it also works great with diet coke.

So now it's time to pop the lid on and leave it to cook.  Don't worry about it fizzing and going all over the place.  It won't.  And set it on high for 3 to 4 hours or on low for 6 to 7 hours.

Once cooked, preheat your oven at 200 degrees, then remove the gammon from the slow cooker and place on a baking tray and brush everywhere with honey.

This part is completely optional, but I think adding some slices of orange adds a great infusion on the surface of the gammon.

To ensure the orange sliced stay in the same, you could pin them with more cloves dotted around, then place it in the oven for 10 minutes.  You may want to line your tray with tinfoil for easy washing up as the honey will caramelize.

I hope you love this gammon and orange recipe etoo!

OTHER SLOW COOKER RECIPES YOU MIGHT LIKE...

• Diet Cola Gammon
• Chilli Con Carne
• Pulled Beef
• Mashed Potatoes
• Chicken Soup
• Cajun Chicken Gumbo
• Slow Cooked Cauliflower Cheese
• Red Lentil Curry (Vegetarian)
• Carrot Mac and Cheese
• Beef Bhuna

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