What Happens When You Stuff Gammon with Sausage? (Hint: It’s Like Cured Ham)

Stuffed gammon steaks with sausage? Yes, this simple idea creates something truly special. In this video, I show you how to take two thin British gammon steaks, tenderise them gently, and stuff them with a homemade herb battuto or a spoonful of fresh pesto and a juicy sausage in the centre. Rolled and cooked until golden, they become flavourful spirals of Italian-British comfort. Gammon is a term not widely used outside the UK. It’s the cured but uncooked back leg of the pig, essentially a raw ham steak. Once cooked, it becomes ham, but in this form it’s a wonderful base for stuffing, rolling, roasting, or frying. I explain the difference and how to adapt the dish if you live in the US or elsewhere. Alongside the stuffed rolls, I also make air-fried potatoes with fresh rosemary, garlic, and shallots, plus a vibrant Mediterranean salad of tomatoes, olives, and herbs, light, fresh, and full of summer flavour. This recipe uses garden herbs, leftovers like frozen pesto cubes, and a few thoughtful ingredients to create something easy but memorable. If you enjoy the mix of British and Italian traditions, I think you’ll really like this one. As always, let me know if you try it, Julie and I love hearing from you.

🧾 Ingredients (Grouped & in Narrative Order)

🪴 For the Herb Battuto Stuffing
Fresh rosemary (a few sprigs, leaves only)
Fresh sage leaves (a few)
Fresh mint leaves (a few)
Fresh basil leaves (a handful)
Grated Parmesan cheese (1 heaped tablespoon, or Pecorino or another hard Italian cheese)
Dry breadcrumbs (1 small handful)
Olive oil (enough to bind into a moist paste)

🥩 For the Gammon Rolls
2 gammon steaks (450g total, thin cut, unsmoked)
2 pork sausages
Pesto (homemade or good-quality jarred)
Toothpicks or kitchen string (to secure rolls)
Olive oil (for brushing before air-frying)

🥔 For the Potatoes & Aromatics
Small potatoes (enough for two people, ideally garden-grown)
1 full head of fresh garlic (or 3–4 cloves of supermarket garlic)
6 small shallots (or substitute with red or white onion)
Fresh rosemary sprig (whole, unchopped)
Residual battuto mixture (optional, to coat the potatoes)
Olive oil (for drizzling)
Freshly ground black pepper (to taste)
Salt (optional, added only at the end if needed)

🍅 For the Tomato & Olive Salad
Fresh cherry tomatoes (or mixed summer tomatoes)
1 small shallot (or red onion), finely sliced
A handful of basil leaves
Mixed olives (green and black, preferably kept in olive oil)
1–2 sun-dried tomatoes (optional)
Olive oil from the olives or fresh
Balsamic vinegar (or wine vinegar of choice)
Salt and pepper (to taste)

🍳 Cooking Instructions
Prepare the Herb Battuto
Rinse and pat dry rosemary, sage, mint, and basil. Strip the leaves and finely chop them together using a knife to create a rough paste (“battuto”). Add grated Parmesan, breadcrumbs, and enough olive oil to create a moist mixture. Stir to combine.

Prepare the Gammon Steaks
Lay out your gammon steaks on a board and use a meat basher to gently flatten them. Spread a thin layer of pesto over the surface of each steak. On one steak, add a generous layer of the herb battuto on top of the pesto. On the other, use just the pesto (with optional breadcrumbs). Place a sausage in the centre of each steak and roll gently but firmly. Secure with toothpicks and place on an air fryer tray.

Prepare the Potatoes & Aromatics
If using fresh garden potatoes, leave them whole or halve if needed. Peel the shallots gently and leave them whole. Add the garlic head whole (or halved if large). Toss everything in a bowl with the leftover battuto mix (if any), fresh rosemary sprig, a drizzle of olive oil, and black pepper. Mix well and lay out on the air fryer tray around the gammon rolls.

Air Frying Instructions
Cook for 22 minutes total at a temperature of 180°C for 11 minutes, then turn the gammon rolls and stir the potatoes and onions. Cook for a further 11 minutes.
Optional: drizzle a little olive oil over the gammon before cooking for colour.

Prepare the Tomato Salad While Cooking
Halve or slice the tomatoes. Finely slice the shallot (or red onion) and add to the bowl. Add olives and chopped sun-dried tomatoes (if using). Tear basil leaves and add them in. Drizzle with olive oil (or oil from the olives) and a touch of balsamic vinegar. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Let the salad marinate while the rolls cook. Serve & Enjoy

Allow the gammon rolls to rest 5 minutes after cooking.
Remove toothpicks, slice each roll into rounds, and plate with the air-fried potatoes and tomato salad. Garnish with fresh basil sprigs. Serve warm or at room temperature.

⏱️ Chapters
00:00 Intro & Drying Garden Herbs
00:43 Making the Battuto Stuffing
03:40 Pesto Option & Rolling the Gammon
06:14 Prepping the Potatoes & Shallots
10:31 Making a Mediterranean Tomato Salad
13:48 Final Cook, Plating & Tasting

#StuffedGammon #GammonAndSausage #SummerDinnerIdeas #BritishItalianRecipe #AirFryerGammon #PestoRecipe #tortellinotime

Ciao! Today’s recipe starts with a battuto, 
and I’m actually drying some herbs which I picked from the garden: some rosemary, some 
basil, and a few leaves of mint and sage. So, I’m drying them up. I just washed them, and 
I’m going to make a battuto as a side. A “battuto” is an Italian word for something you 
batter, and it’s done by battering it with a knife. It’s different from the English 
dictionary’s definition of the word, but that’s where it comes from. As I’m going 
to be removing all of my leaves and the parts of the rosemary stems, you can see what 
I mean by using the knife for battering. The reason I’ve chosen these four herbs is 
because of the variety of flavors they will bring to my dish. Also, it’s because it’s what I have 
available in my garden as far as fresh herbs go, and actually, they combine quite well together. 
Well, of course, you can use anything you like. You do not have to be constrained, but those 
are my four choices. So, my hands are ready, and I’ll move them into a glass bowl over here. 
This is Parmesan cheese. You can also use pecorino or any Italian hard cheese if you like, and I’m 
going to add a generous tablespoon of it today. I’m going to be stuffing some gammon steaks with 
battuto and also with sausages, so they’re already very salty by nature. So, I’m not going to be 
using salt. This is just backup for moisture. Next, I’ll add just enough to make the battuto 
nice and moist. It works a bit like a glue agent. My last ingredient for the battuto is going to 
be a small handful of dry breadcrumbs. You can also use breadcrumbs made from fresh or stale 
bread if you wish, and if you were to do so, you can add a little bit more base because the 
dry breadcrumbs will absorb more moisture than the fresh ones. So, you can add a little 
bit more. I can bring my gammon steaks over next. I’ve got a couple of sausages, 
which I’ll put to the side for a moment. So, let’s work on this, and this is actually 
a very simple recipe. If you take your time, you will come up with something which looks good 
but also tastes delicious. This is a little meat tenderizer or basha, and I will be using it 
to just flatten my gammon steaks so that I can roll them. I’m not sure if you can tell much of a 
difference since gammon is not like a beef steak, but we’ll have a look. By the way, I understand 
from some of my previous videos that the word “gammon” is not widely used across the 
world. For example, I think in America, it’s not as common. In terms of what it 
is, it’s the back leg of the pig. It’s raw, and it’s what they use to make ham. The difference 
is that ham is cooked, while this isn’t. It’s actually cured with brine and salt, which is why 
it’s quite salty. You can also find gammon smoked or unsmoked. This is unsmoked, which I’m using 
today. The smoked gammon has a very intense, deep flavor because it’s smoked with wood, 
whereas unsmoked gammon is ideal for rolling. The reason I say they’re great for rolling is for 
personal purposes because I like to roll them and add additional flavors, but they are widely used 
in English cuisine for breakfast, for example, or for dinner. They fry them and serve them 
with fried eggs or sometimes with pineapple. Both versions, smoked and unsmoked, are very 
popular. But today, I’m combining both traditions, Italian and English cuisine, together 
and doing one of my mixed recipes. Right now, I’m spreading some pesto. This is my 
homemade pesto. I did a video earlier this week where I made pesto for pasta alla genovese, and 
I froze a few cubes. I use it on occasions like these, or it’s also great for crostini. I’m 
starting by spreading it across my gammon steaks to give them an initial layer of Italian 
flavor. Of course, you can use store-bought pesto; I’ve got a jar here. This is something we buy, 
and I’ve just opened it. You can see it’s nearly finished. If I didn’t have my homemade pesto, I 
would have used that jar. This side is going to be an easy recipe, so you can see what I’m doing. 
I’m placing my battuto on top of my gammon steaks. I’ll go back and make sure it’s spread 
across the entire surface of my steak, pressing it down with the palm of my hand to 
ensure that it sticks well. The more you press, the better. This helps when you’re rolling 
it. I’m nearly done, and I’ve got a couple of beautiful sausages here, so I’ll place them on 
top of my gammon steaks and gently start rolling them. The reason I say gently is because they 
are a little bit open, so I want to make sure I retain the shape that I want at the end. But 
if you press the steak down as you roll it, you’ll see it tends to work quite well. 
I’m not worried at all if a little bit comes off because it will go in the oven anyway. 
Actually, in my case, it’ll go in my air fryer. So, here’s a toothpick just to secure it. 
I’ll put it in, and then I’ll put it on my tray. Like this, and this is ready. I’ll 
do the next one, and here’s number two. So, the greatest tip I can give you with this recipe 
is, hey, take your time. It’s a quick recipe, so you don’t need to rush. Also, do not 
add any salt. Trust me, there is plenty of salt going on. As it happens, the pesto 
already has salt, so I think it’s plenty. These are ready to go in my air fryer. But before 
I put them in, I want to get some potatoes ready, and I’ll show you what I’m going to do with 
them. Here are the residues of my battuto. I’m going to add a little olive oil to the 
bottom of the dish. And here’s my spoon, and I’ll scrape the dish as much as I can, mixing 
it all together. This will give me a great base for my potatoes. I’m not going to chop this sprig 
of rosemary; I’ll leave it whole. This is a garlic head which I picked from Julie’s garden. We’ve 
got quite a bit going on at the moment, and it’s quite lovely having access to fresh garlic. 
This is the first time we’re growing it. I’m going to show you something you can do with 
potatoes. You can also use regular garlic from the supermarket; you don’t have to use fresh 
garlic for this, but fresh is great. I’ll literally pick it as it is, and the whole thing 
can go in with my potatoes. The garlic is tiny, very young, and quite mild in flavor. But 
if you buy garlic from the supermarket, you might want to use just a few cloves—3 
or 4, depending on how much you like garlic. Next, I’ve got my potatoes, which are from 
Julie’s garden. I’ve selected very small ones, and I’m going to see if I can use them whole, 
but there’s one here that has a green tinge, so Julie tells me I need to cut it off. 
I’ll do that now. These are shallots, a different type of onion. They’re very 
small and sweet. I’m using six of them, but of course, you don’t have to add them 
if you don’t want to, or you can just use normal onions. The reason I like shallots in 
this dish is that I can put them in whole, and you’ll see when I cook them in the air 
fryer, they turn out absolutely beautiful. I’m just removing the skin gently with my 
knife. Just like peeling a normal onion, and here is number six. The last ingredient is 
a little pepper. I’m not going to add any salt to this either because I tend to salt 
my potatoes or vegetables at the end, and these are going to cook with the gammon. 
I’m not sure if some of the saltiness of the gammon will transfer to the potatoes, so it’s just 
as well to wait and season at the end if needed. So, I’ll give them a good mix. Here’s my air 
fryer, and I’ll get everything into the tray. You can, of course, also use the oven, but the 
air fryer is more economical. So, if you have one, definitely use the air fryer. Can you see 
here? Some of my mixture left from the gammon, so I’m just going to put it in with the potatoes 
and give them one final mix with my hands. I’ll spread them evenly in the tray, and you want 
to try to distribute them as widely as possible so that they’re not stacked on top of each 
other. Otherwise, they won’t cook properly. Before I put them in the air fryer, I’ll drizzle 
a little olive oil over the gammon steaks. They’re ready. I set my air fryer temperature to 180°. 
If you’re using a normal oven, the timing will be about the same, but I’ll cook them for 22 
minutes in total, splitting the cooking into two phases. 11 minutes the first time, then 
I’ll flip them over and cook for another 11 minutes. If you’re using an oven, cook for about 
25 minutes, but halfway through, give the potatoes a little toss. You won’t need to worry about 
the gammon steaks—they will cook perfectly. So, I’ll put this in and make a quick tomato 
salad. The reason I’m videoing me making this salad is that whenever we have friends around, 
they’re always so impressed by it. They ask what’s in it, and then I tell them, and they 
think, “Oh, so simple!” So, I’m making it because it’s not commonly made in this country. 
It’s a true Mediterranean, simple tomato salad. Basil is key for a proper tomato salad; otherwise, 
it’s not a proper tomato salad. Here’s another shallot. You can also use red onions, but I 
prefer red. If you don’t have red, you can use white onions. The key is to chop them finely, as 
raw onions can be sharp and harsh on your palate. Now, I’m adding some olives, which I’ve kept in 
olive oil. They’re a mixture of green and black, and I carry a little bit of the oil with them. 
I’ve also got some sun-dried tomatoes in there. I won’t add too many because Julie is not keen on 
them, and I think just one or two will be plenty. In terms of olives, I think that’s enough. 
I’ll add a bit more of my olive oil with the herbs and sun-dried 
tomatoes for extra flavor. Next, vinegar. You can use white wine 
vinegar, apple cider vinegar, or red wine vinegar, but I personally prefer 
balsamic, so I add a little balsamic vinegar. Oh, the timer’s going off. I’ll 
just check on my gammon steaks. The reason I panic is because 
balsamic vinegar can be sweet, and I think in this particular case, it 
contrasts nicely with the raw shallots. So, the salad is ready. All I need to do now 
is add a little salt and some pepper, and I’ll mix it all together. The salad 
will marinate while I finish cooking. Let me show you what my gammon steaks look like 
now. They’re partly cooked, but one feature of air fryers is that they cook from the top, as 
there’s a fan that blows the hot air down. So, I’m going to turn them around now. You’ll 
see the other side isn’t cooked as much. I’ll simply turn them around, and as I’ve 
used toothpicks to secure them, they’ll stay in place. With the potatoes and onions, I’ll 
give everything a good mix to ensure they cook evenly. I’ll pop them back in for another 11 
minutes at 180°. Then we’ll be ready to eat. Here they are! They’re still really 
hot. You might hear them sizzling. Now, they’ve been cooling for about 5 minutes, so don’t forget to remove the toothpicks. As 
I often say, one of the reasons I let these things cool down slightly is that they’re 
easier to cut and to handle with my hands. Look at that beautiful sausage and the herbs 
on the outside. I’ll slice a few pieces and put a plate together with the salad and 
potatoes. That’s one, two, and three. Of course, you can leave this to cool, put it 
in the fridge, and heat it up the next day if you want. Or you can eat it right away, like 
we are. Don’t forget the shallots and garlic, by the way. When you cook garlic like this, it 
loses its bitterness and becomes incredibly sweet. I’ll finish the dish with a couple of little 
basil sprigs just to garnish. And it’s ready! I’ll just try some from my tray. It’s 
absolutely delicious, and I don’t need to add any salt. If you make this, you’ll 
love it because it’s so simple, so quick, but so tasty. Let me know if you do. Thank 
you for watching, and arrivederci! Ciao ciao.