The BEST Glazed Ham Recipe

• servings: 10 servings
• active time: 30 minutes
• total time: 2 hours 10 minutes

Ingredients

1 bone-in, skin-on, smoked half leg ham (2.8–6.5 kg/6–14 lb 8 oz), see note 1

20–30 cloves

1 cup (250 ml) water

1½ cups (475 g) apricot jam

2 tbsp dijon mustard (see note 2 re gluten)

½ cup, firmly packed (60 g) brown sugar

¼ cup (60 ml) apple cider vinegar or white wine vinegar

1 tsp finely grated ginger

Piccalilli (mustard pickles)

Chutney

Apple sauce

Horseradish

Hot mustard (see note 2 re gluten)

Onion jam

Cornichons

4 rosemary sprigs

Directions

Prepare the ham

Remove the ham from the fridge at least 1 hour before cooking to help with even heating. Remove from the packaging and use a paper towel to remove any excess moisture.

Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F) (140°C/275°F fan-forced) and ensure the position of the oven racks allows sufficient space for your ham – you may need to remove some racks from the oven. Place one rack in the bottom third of the oven, so that the ham will be sitting in the centre of the oven (not at the top).

Using a sharp knife, cut around the shank (bone handle) of the ham, about 10 cm (4 inches) from the end. Cut down one side of the ham through the rind/skin only, taking care not to go all the way through to the fat/flesh(watch the video for guidance).

Slip your fingers between the rind and the fat, gently lifting the rind up before peeling it away. (I use a butter knife to help me.)

Score the fat in a diamond pattern, making shallow cuts with a butter knife. Create superficial scores. Do not go too deep. Only score the fat layer (not into the meat). If you go too deep, the fat will shrink and fall off as it cooks.

Stamp a clove into the middle of each diamond shape you have created.

Place the ham on a wire rack in a roasting pan. Use some foil or baking (parchment) paper rolled up into balls to place underneath the ham shank (bone handle) to prop it up so the top of the ham lies flat (it helps the glaze cook evenly).

Add the water to the base of the roasting pan.

Make the glaze

Make the glaze by adding the jam, mustard, brown sugar, vinegar and ginger to a bowl or jug. Combine well with a whisk.

Bake and glaze

Gently brush one-third of the glaze over the entire surface of the ham, taking care not to disturb the cloves. Bake, brushing with more glaze every 20–25 minutes, for 11/2–2 hours. Cover any of the bits that are caramelising quickly with small pieces of foil. Add an extra ½ cup (125 ml) of water to the base of the pan if it looks like the juices in the base are drying out.

Drizzle the tray juices over the ham and reserve any extras for serving.

Allow the ham to rest for 15–20 minutes before presenting for serving and carving.

After allowing the ham to rest for 15–20 minutes, prepare it for serving.

Wrap the shank (bone handle) in a piece of clean (brown) baking paper or a cotton serviette to give it a polished appearance. Secure it with a piece of natural twine tied in a neat bow or knot.

Place the ham on a large serving platter or chopping board and garnish with fresh rosemary. Serve with your chosen condiments, such as piccalilli, chutney or apple sauce, and the tray juices to spoon over the top.

The ham can be served warm or cold, sliced thinly. I generally like to cut around one-third of the ham to start with so the remaining ham is left on the bone for everyone to admire at the table.

Nutrition

• Calories: 556
• Total Fat: 19 g
• Saturated Fat: 6.5 g
• Trans Fat: 0 g
• Cholesterol: 175.7 mg
• Sodium: 343.8 mg
• Total Carbohydrate: 39.4 g
• Dietary Fiber: 2.6 g
• Total Sugars: 25.6 g
• Protein: 56.3 g