Put the kettle on to boil

Prep the vegetables: I only peel the carrots if they are old and really need peeling, otherwise I just scrub then top & tail them and chop them into large chunks (approx 3cm/1inch pieces) as this adds to the flavour and the nutrients. Wash the celery and chop into large pieces like the carrots and add in any celery leaves as this will add to the flavour of the stock. Cut a large onion into quarters, leaving the skin and root on

Place the *gammon joint into the slow cooker - leave any butchers twine/string/netting on the joint to help it hold together while cooking). Then add the chopped vegetables, bay leaves and peppercorns around the joint *If you are using a smoked gammon joint then you may want to soak the gammon in cold water for a few hours before using otherwise your ham stock will be too salty

Pour boiling water over the gammon so that it almost covers the joint, cover with the lid and cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 3-4 hours. Alternatively you can cook this in a pressure cooker for 1 hour on high

Once cooked, remove the gammon from the slow cooker or pressure cooker and leave the stock and vegetables to cool. The gammon can be eaten as it is (it should be so tender it falls apart easily), or you can remove the butchers twine/string/netting, score the fat with a sharp knife and bake in the oven at 200°c until the fat goes crispy and turns into crackling, then carve as a roasted joint