Gammon egg and chips has become a quintessential British pub grub dish, my version comes with pineapple, tomato and peas… of course!
This is very much a timing guide allowing you to get your ham, egg and chips perfectly cooked no matter your cooking method or equipment.
Pub Style Ham, Egg and Chips
When I moved back to the UK this dish gammon steak, egg and chips was one of the first things that I wanted to eat. A nice horseshoe gammon steak really is exceptionally difficult (read impossible) to find in central Europe.
Of course, it is a perennial British pub favourite dish like hunters chicken, bangers and mash, battered fish and cottage pie!
But I love eating at home and I think you can usually do better cooking at home than eating out. But this dish is surprisingly tricky to get right.
Each element is outrageously easy to rustle up, but the logistics can be a headache.
This recipe is more of a timing guide rather than a recipe and walks you through many options.
These include cooking the chips in the oven, air fryer and fryer and the gammon steak under the broiler and in a frying pan.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it best to cook the gammon under the grill (broiler) or in a frying pan?
As far as I am concerned a frying pan is the best method, however, you need a big frying pan (32-35cm or 13-14″).
If you do not have one that big then use the grill it works ok, however, if you have an oven combined with a grill you can then not cook your chips in the oven!
What is the best way to cook the chips?
I usually cook my chips in an air fryer, it is simple, quick, and arguably better than the oven. It is also significantly more efficient too.
However, if you want the objective best then for me you can’t beat plain old potatoes and fry them twice in a proper fryer as I do with my chip shop chops.
However, I do not use a deep-fat fryer often enough to have one out all of the time.
What oven chips are the best?
There ain’t no such thing as an objective best, just personal favourites.
After extensive research (life is hard for me), my personal favourites for something like this are McCain’s triple-cooked gastro chips or Lidl’s finest beef dripping chips.
Yes, beef dripping makes a HUGE difference!
Why bother defrosting the peas?
Frozen peas really do not need cooking, just made hot. As a result, if you defrost them you can pour over some boiling water meaning you have a spare ring on your hob.
Why do you cut the rind?
The rind contracts when it cooks and as a result, this causes the gammon steak to curl up and cook unevenly.
What Combination of Cooking Methods Work Best?
Well, that depends on your kitchen set-up and the tools that you have!
I am assuming as a bare minimum a four-ring stovetop. I have 3 timing plans for this gammon, egg and chips recipe and number 1 suits my set-up the best.
If you want me to add more feel free to ask away and I will test them for you. It’s ok, I love gammon lol!
Timing Plan 1: Frying the gammon & air frying the chips.
If you have a large frying pan cook your gammon steaks in there, then chips in an air fryer (or oven). A small frying pan for the fried eggs and a separate one to sear the tomato and pineapple. You could also use a single large frying pan.
Timing Plan 2: Grilling the gammon & air frying the chips.
If you do not have a large frying pan then you will need to cook the gammon under the grill. Unless your cooker has a separate grill you will need to cook your chips in an air fryer. Fry the eggs in a separate frying pan with the pineapple and grill the tomato.
Timing Plan 3: Frying the gammon & cooking the chips in the oven.
If you have no air fryer then you need to cook the chips in the oven and unless you have a separate grill you must fry the gammon steaks.
Note: I have not included the frying of the chips in oil option as I have not tested the timing.
Equipment Used
I only recommend specific brands of equipment if I think that they may make a material difference to a recipe. If you have any questions feel free to ask them in the comment section below the recipe.
- Stovetop.
- Oven or Air Fryer (to cook the chips), I use a Phillips XXL air fryer.
- Grill (broiler).
- Large frying pan (32-35cm or 13-14″).
- 2 small-medium frying pans (20-24cm or 8-10″).
- Baking tray (if you are cooking the chips in the oven).
- Fish slice or spatula.
- Chopping board.
- Sharp kitchen knife.
Gammon Steak, Egg and Chips Recipe
When it comes to pub food a horseshoe gammon steak with egg and chips is one of my favourites, but it is much cheaper to make it at home and with a bit of timing nouse it is easy too!
Ingredients
- 2 (200g each) Horseshoe Gammon Steaks
- 400-500g Oven Chips
- 2 Eggs
- 1 Medium (125-150g) Tomato
- 2-4 Pineapple Slices
- 150g (1 Cup) Garden Peas
- ¼-½ Tsp Salt
- ¼ Tsp Coarsely Ground Black Pepper
- Oil for Frying
Instructions
Timing Plan 1: Frying the gammon steak & air frying the chips.
- 25 minutes before serving: Gather all of your ingredients and open the pineapple, cut the tomato in half and place the peas in a sieve and run them under cold water for 5 minutes to defrost.
- 23 minutes before serving: Place the chips in the air fryer and cook for 17-18 minutes at 180°C or 350°F shaking halfway through. Then give them a final 5-6 minutes at 200°C or 400°F. If you are using potatoes rather than frozen chips pour over a little beef dripping, lard or cooking oil.
- 15 minutes before serving: Heat a large frying pan over a high-medium heat and cut slits in the rind of the common steak 1cm or ½" apart.
- 12 minutes before serving: Heat the small frying pans one over a medium-high heat (eggs) and the other over a high heat (pineapple and tomato).
- 10 minutes before serving: Pour 1 tablespoon of cooking into the large saucepan and place the gammon steaks in the pan and cook them for 4-5 minutes, if they do not sizzle immediately the pan is not hot enough. Place the peas in a medium bowl and give the chips a shake.
- 6 minutes before serving: Add a thin layer of cooking oil to the pan that you are planning to fry the eggs in and 1 tablespoon of oil to the pan that you are planning to cook the tomatoes and pineapple in.
- 5 minutes before serving: Flip the gammon steaks and cook for another 4-5 minutes. Boil the kettle.
- 4 minutes before serving: Season the cut side of the tomato with coarse sea salt and black pepper, then place it cut side down in the pan for 3-4. Crack the eggs for frying into their pan and fry for 3-4 minutes.
- 3 minutes before serving: Pour the boiling water over the peas and allow to sit.
- 2 minutes before serving: Fry the pineapple slices for 1 minute per side in the same pan as the tomato and season the egg with coarse black pepper and sea salt.
- Ready to serve, drain the peas and dish it all up!
Timing Plan 2: Grilling the gammon & air frying the chips.
- XX minutes before serving: I can't give an accurate timing on this as I have no idea how quickly your grill needs to heat up, but it will need preheating as high as possible, this will likely take somewhere between 10 and 20 minutes, quicker if it is a gas grill..=
- 23 minutes before serving: Place the chips in the air fryer and cook for 17-18 minutes at 180°C or 350°F shaking halfway through. Then give them a final 5-6 minutes at 200°C or 400°F. If you are using potatoes rather than frozen chips pour over a little beef dripping, lard or cooking oil.
- 19 minutes before serving: Gather all of your ingredients and open the pineapple, cut the tomato in half and place the peas in a sieve and run them under cold water for 5 minutes to defrost and cut slits in the rind of the common steak 1cm or ½" apart.
- 12 minutes before serving: Heat the small frying pans one over a medium-high heat (eggs) and the other over a high heat (pineapple and tomato).
- 10 minutes before serving: Brush the gammon steaks with oil then slide them under the grill for 4-5 minutes (check that they are not burning regularly). Place the peas in a medium bowl and give the chips a shake.
- 6 minutes before serving: Add a thin layer of cooking oil to the pan that you are planning to fry the eggs in and 1 tablespoon of oil to the pan that you are planning to cook the tomatoes and pineapple in.
- 5 minutes before serving: Flip the gammon steaks and cook for another 4-5 minutes. Boil the kettle.
- 4 minutes before serving: Season the cut side of the tomato with coarse sea salt and black pepper, then place it cut side down in the pan for 3-4. Crack the eggs for frying into their pan and fry for 3-4 minutes.
- 3 minutes before serving: Pour the boiling water over the peas and allow to sit.
- 2 minutes before serving: Fry the pineapple slices for 1 minute per side in the same pan as the tomato and season the egg with coarse black pepper and sea salt.
- Ready to serve, drain the peas and dish it all up!
Timing Plan 3: Frying the gammon & cooking the chips in the oven.
- XX minutes before serving: I can't give an accurate timing on this as I have no idea how quickly your oven needs to heat up, but it will need preheating to 200°C or 400°F if it is a fan oven or 220°C or 430°F (I find this is a better temperature than the instructions on any packets).
- 25 minutes before serving: Gather all of your ingredients and open the pineapple, cut the tomato in half and place the peas in a sieve and run them under cold water for 5 minutes to defrost.
- 20 minutes before serving: Place the chips in a baking tray and pop them in the oven.
- 15 minutes before serving: Heat a large frying pan over a high-medium heat and cut slits in the rind of the common steak 1cm or ½" apart.
- 12 minutes before serving: Heat the small frying pans one over a medium-high heat (eggs) and the other over a high heat (pineapple and tomato).
- 10 minutes before serving: Pour 1 tablespoon of cooking into the large saucepan and place the gammon steaks in the pan and cook them for 4-5 minutes, if they do not sizzle immediately the pan is not hot enough. Place the peas in a medium bowl and give the chips a shake.
- 6 minutes before serving: Add a thin layer of cooking oil to the pan that you are planning to fry the eggs in and 1 tablespoon of oil to the pan that you are planning to cook the tomatoes and pineapple in.
- 5 minutes before serving: Flip the gammon steaks and cook for another 4-5 minutes. Boil the kettle.
- 4 minutes before serving: Season the cut side of the tomato with coarse sea salt and black pepper, then place it cut side down in the pan for 3-4. Crack the eggs for frying into their pan and fry for 3-4 minutes.
- 3 minutes before serving: Pour the boiling water over the peas and allow to sit.
- 2 minutes before serving: Fry the pineapple slices for 1 minute per side in the same pan as the tomato and season the egg with coarse black pepper and sea salt.
- Ready to serve, drain the peas and dish it all up!
Notes
You will know your stovetop better than I do, some will heat up quicker than others, some more slowly. I use an induction hob so things happen pretty quickly, if you are using a ceramic hob allow 3-5 minutes longer for your pans to heat up.
The same goes for your oven and grill!
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
2Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 1498Total Fat: 82gSaturated Fat: 23gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 50gCholesterol: 400mgSodium: 1194mgCarbohydrates: 111gFiber: 14gSugar: 17gProtein: 76g
Calorific details are provided by a third-party application and are to be used as indicative figures only.