I like to decorate this glazed ham the traditional way – in a diamond pattern, studded with cloves. The subtly spiced, fruity flavorings and cranberry relish make it that little bit special.
Serves 10
1 bone-in, smoked, butt portion, wet-cured, skinned ham, about 61⁄4 lb (2.4 kg) (see p148, box)
3 (12 oz) bottles hard cider
2 cups (500 ml) orange juice
6in (15cm) cinnamon stick, snapped in half
5 star anise
For the relish
2 oranges
1⁄2 cup mango chutney
5 heaping tbsp cranberry sauce
1⁄2 tsp five-spice powder
salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the decoration
1⁄4 cup mango chutney
about 30 whole cloves
1. Make the relish: finely grate the zest of the oranges into a small bowl. Peel and segment the oranges, holding them over the bowl to catch the juice. Roughly chop the segments and place in a medium pan with the orange zest and juice, mango chutney, cranberry sauce, and five-spice powder.
2. Bring to a boil and simmer over medium–high heat for about 5 minutes or until thickened, stirring often. Remove from the heat, add a good pinch of salt and a few grindings of pepper, and pour into a small heatproof bowl. Let cool, cover, and chill in the fridge until serving time.
3. Preheat the oven to 325ºF (160ºC). Place the ham, cut-side down, in a large, lidded, ovenproof pan or Dutch oven. Pour in the cider and orange juice and add enough cold water so the liquid covers the ham (you will need about 4 cups/750 ml of water). Add the cinnamon and star anise, cover the pan, and bring the liquid to a boil on the stove, then allow it to simmer for a few minutes. Transfer to the oven and cook for 2 to 21⁄2 hours. Remove the pan from the oven and turn the ham over in the liquid. Set aside until lukewarm, turning over once or twice during this time, then lift the meat out of the liquid and place it on a large board. Save 2 cups of the cooking liquid and discard the rest. (See Cook the ham in liquid.)
4. To decorate, score the fat of the ham in a diamond pattern. Brush the scored fat with mango chutney all over, then stud with cloves. Wrap aluminum foil around the sides of the meat, so only the glazed fat is showing—this prevents the meat from drying out. (See Decorate and glaze the ham before roasting.)
5. Preheat the oven to 425ºF (220ºC). Place the ham on a rack in the roasting pan and pour the reserved liquid into the bottom of the pan. Roast for 25–30 minutes or until bubbling and glazed to a dark golden color.
6. Transfer the ham to a cutting board, cover loosely with aluminum foil to keep warm, and let it rest for 15–20 minutes before carving into thick or thin slices, as you wish. This resting time lets the juices be distributed more evenly through the meat so that the fibers relax, making the meat easy to carve into neat slices. Serve hot or cold, with the chilled relish on the side.
GLAZED HAM WITH SPICED CRANBERRY RELISH
KEYS TO PERFECTION
Cook the ham in liquid
1 It’s important that the ham fits snugly in the pan, skin-side up, and is totally covered by liquid. For this size of roast, use a 10in (25cm) lidded ovenproof pan or a Dutch oven with a capacity of 5 quarts.
2 With the lid on the pan, bring the liquid to a boil over high heat. This may take longer than you think, about 10 minutes, but it’s essential for the cooking time in the oven to be accurate. Once the liquid is bubbling, let it simmer for a few minutes to get the cooking started before transferring the pan to the oven.
3 At the end of cooking, you can check the internal temperature of the ham if you have a meat thermometer—it should be around 175°F (80°C). Let the ham cool down in the liquid for at least 2–3 hours. During this time, the meat will continue cooking in the residual heat, which will help redistribute the juices evenly through the meat and make it easier to slice.
Most hams available in grocery stores are bone-in and fully cooked. These types of hams are cured and smoked. Even though they can be eaten as-is, they are even more delicious baked with a sweet glaze on top. For the best flavor, avoid hams that have been injected with a saltwater or liquid smoke solution. They typically will have labels that read “ham, water added” or “ham and water product.”
Decorate and glaze the ham before roasting
1 Cut the string off the ham, then using a sharp knife, strip the skin away from the fat. Start at one end of the joint and cut slowly using a horizontal sawing action, holding the skin in one hand while you cut with the knife in the other.
2 With the tip of the same knife, score parallel diagonal lines in the fat to make a diamond pattern. For this size of ham roast, cutting 8 lines in one direction and 9 lines in the other will make an attractive pattern, but you could do more or fewer, as you prefer and according to the size of your roast.
3 Brush the mango chutney evenly all over the top of the ham, working it into the cuts in the fat, then press cloves into the intersections of the diamond shapes. The chutney glaze gives the fat a deliciously sweet finish and the cloves give a decorative effect.
The ham can be prepared up to the end of step 3 of the method several hours in advance. Once roasted, you can keep the ham in the fridge for up to 5 days and slice it as and when you need it. When the ham is sliced right from the fridge, you’ll be able to get thinner slices and up to double the number of servings. The cranberry relish can be made several days ahead and kept in a rigid container in the fridge. It’s best served chilled.