Honey Glazed Bacon Recipe

Ingredients : Serves 6

1.5 kg/3 lb bacon joint, boned and rolled
1 bay leaf
1 blade of mace
4 black peppercorns
4 cloves
45 ml/3 tbsp clear honey
Juice of 1 orange
15 ml/1 tbsp cornflour (cornstarch)

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method :

Place the bacon in a large saucepan with the bay leaf, mace, peppercorns and cloves. Cover with water, bring to the boil and simmer for 50 minutes. Drain, reserving 300 ml/0.5 pt/1.25 cups of the stock for the gravy. Place the joint in a roasting tin (pan) and score the rind into a diamond pattern. Mix together the honey and orange juice and slowly spoon over the bacon so that the glaze soaks into the incisions in the rind. Roast in a preheated oven at 180°C/350°F/gas mark 4 for 1 hour until tender. Transfer the bacon to a warm serving plate. Blend the cornflour with a little of the reserved stock, then pour with the remaining stock into the pan, bring to the boil, stirring, and cook until thickened. Taste and season if necessary, but do not over-season or the stock will be salty.