by Paul Heathcote, celebrity chef

The ham: Soak a 750g gammon joint in water overnight.

When you are ready to cook, add half an onion peeled, roughly chopped, four carrots peeled, roughly chopped, a bay leaf, six peppercorns and a few parsley stalks.

Bring to the boil and simmer for two hours, occasionally topping up with water to keep the ham well covered. Remove the ham and carrots from the heat and allow to cool slightly before slicing and serving with parsley sauce and carrots.

The sauce Place 25g of butter and half an onion finely chopped in a thick-bottomed saucepan and on a very low heat gently cook until transparent.

In a separate pan or microwave bring 150ml milk to the boil. Add 20g of plain flour to the onions and butter and beat in with a wooden spoon, slowly add the milk in three or four stages Add some chopped parsley, season with sea salt and freshly milled pepper and serve with the boiled ham and poached eggs and carrots.