Not just for breakfast
Although our marmalade performs its morning duty with effortless charm—melting into hot, buttered toast in golden rivulets—it would be a mistake to confine it to breakfast alone. This is a preserve with a far broader social calendar. Its bright, bittersweet character cuts beautifully through rich cheeses, lending a citrusy lift to creamy or sharp varieties alike. It finds equal harmony alongside cured and roasted meats, where its gentle sweetness balances salt and smoke with quiet confidence.
Stir it into a glaze for sausages or ham and watch it transform the ordinary into something deeply savoury and caramelised. Fold it through puddings or cakes, where it lends both moisture and a subtle, fragrant complexity. And for those inclined toward a well-crafted drink, a spoonful can bring unexpected depth to a cocktail—an amber note of citrus that lingers just long enough.
Here are a few suggestions for making the most of our marmalade—though half the pleasure lies in discovering your own.
Not just for breakfast
Marmalade Glazed Ham
1 raw gammon ham, smoked or unsmoked, approx 5-6kg/11-13lb 3oz with bone in.
2 jars of Proper Marmalade Seville orange marmalade
300g light muscovado sugar
Jar of whole cloves
Method
Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 6. Put the ham into a large roasting tin, then tip in 500ml water. Cover the whole thing loosely with greaseproof paper, then cover with a large sheet of foil, scrunching and sealing it around the edge of the tin. Make sure you leave some room around the ham. Put it in the oven, then turn the heat down to 160C/140C fan/gas 3 and leave to cook for 5 hrs. Mix the marmalade with the sugar and 50ml water in a small pan, bring to the boil, then set aside and leave to cool.
Take the ham from the oven. Once the ham has cooled just a little, remove the rind by gently prising the skin from the fat and lifting it away. Try to keep as much fat on the leg as you can as this will keep the ham moist as it roasts. Drain off most of the liquid, leaving a little in the tin. Turn the oven up to 200C/180C fan/gas 6.
Score lines into the fat with a knife to make large diamond shapes, with the lines about 4cm apart. Brush a third of the marmalade glaze over the joint, really pushing it into the creases and cuts. Now stud the ham with the cloves by poking a clove into the corner of each diamond.
Put a trivet into the roasting tin (if you don’t have one, a few halved carrots will do), then sit the ham on top. Roast the ham, uncovered, for 45-50 mins, brushing with the remaining glaze a few times during cooking, until caramelised and delicious. Carve hot or cold.
Sticky orange marmalade cake
Sponge
175g unsalted butter, suftened
175g caster sugar
3 large eggs at room temperature, beaten
175g self-raising flour
A pinch of salt
1/2 tsp of baking powder
3tbsp Proper Marmalade Seville Orange or Orange & Cardamom marmalade
2 tbsp milk
To finish:
3 tbsp Proper Marmalade Seville Orange or Orange & Cardamom marmalade
100g Icing Sugar
2 tbsp warm water
You will need 1 x 20cm round, deep cake tin or springclip tin, greased and the base lined with baking paper.
Method
Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas 4. Put the soft butter into a mixing bowl and beat with a wooden spoon or electric mixer for 1 minute or until creamy. Gradually beat in the sugar, then continue beating until the mixture becomes paler and fluffy.
Gradually add the eggs, beating well after each addition; add a tablespoon of the flour with the last portion of egg. Sift the remaining flour, the salt and baking powder into the bowl and gently fold into the mixture with a large metal spoon. When thoroughly combined add the marmalade and milk and stir in.
Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin and spread evenly. Bake for 50 to 55 minutes or until a good golden brown and firm to the touch. Run a round-bladed knife around the inside of the tin to loosen the cake, then carefully turn out onto a wire rack. Gently warm the second portion of marmalade and brush over the top of the warm cake. Leave to cool completely.
Sift the icing sugar into a bowl, add the warm water and mix to a smooth, runny icing using a wooden spoon. Spoon the icing over the cake and let it run down the sides – the chunks of marmalade will stick up through the icing. Leave until set before cutting. Store in an airtight container and eat within 5 days.
Marmalade Cocktail
4 tsps of Proper Seville Marmalade
60ml Gin
25ml freshly squeezed lemon juice
Serve with a twist of orange.
Marmalde Panacotta Makes 6
3 gelatine leaves
250ml double cream
400ml creme fraiche
100ml whole milk
2 cardamom pods bashed
150g Proper orange & cardamom marmalade
Juice and zest of 1 orange, plus extra zest to serve
Zest of 1 lemon
1 Put the gelatine leaves in a bowl of cold water for around 5 minutes, or until they soften.
2 Heat the cream, creme fraiche and milk with the cardamom pods and marmalade until it is all just starting to simmer. Remove from the heat and add the zest and juice of an orange and the lemon zest, then simmer for a few minutes until slightly thickened.
3 Remove the gelatine from the water, squeezing to remove any excess, then take the cream mixture off the heat and whisk in the gelatine. Remove the bay leaves and leave to cool for about 20-30 minutes before pouring into 250ml ramekins, or other serving dishes. Refrigerate to set for about 3-5 hours, or overnight.
4 Garnish with a bit of extra orange zest on top of each dessert before serving.