Blue? It simply means that the pork has been cured, but not smoked. In the UK, bacon is often often sold in either a red (smoked) or blue (unsmoked) packaging. The difference between bacon and gammon then? Different cuts from the pig.

This isn’t something that I’ve eaten very often, but I now have an entirely new appreciation for how wonderful it can be. Mr Jamie Oliver demonstrated a terribly appealing plate on his family Christmas show with unctuous poached eggs, miniature baked potatoes and a watercress and apple salad. It certainly inspired my wife.

Step one: buy the best quality gammon you can possibly find.

Dust the gammon steaks in English mustard powder, season and fry them for a few minutes on each side. You can keep them flat whilst they cook by popping another pan on top.

The combination of flavours and textures puts it squarely in the comfort food zone.

At about half the price of a beef steak, gammon’s satisfyingly cheap.

We actually chose to cook this as we were looking for a gluten free recipe for a guest; it opens up lots of new options as there’s plenty of combinations that will work as accompaniments.

Can’t wait for Christmas!