Sticky Glazed Ham
Serves up to 20, depending on weight
1 cooked ham (you can cook your own or buy a cooked, undressed ham from the butcher)
cloves (optional)
Glaze 1
300g/10½oz/1¾ cups marmalade
3–4 tablespoons dry mustard powder
Glaze 2
175g/6oz/¾ cup soft brown sugar
2 tablespoons sherry or orange juice
2 tablespoons plain (all-purpose) flour
Glaze 3
400g/14oz/1¾ cups redcurrant jelly
finely grated zest of 1 orange and 1 lemon
2 tablespoons port
Few things speak more eloquently of plenty than a glazed ham. Proudly sitting
atop their stands, cooked whole, bone-in hams have made a reappearance at
delicatessen and supermarket counters recently. Hand-carved, they are a real
link to our past, when every pantry would hold a selection of such delicacies as
game pie, pressed tongue and ham.
Cooking ham is quite simple: simmer it, covered with water, in your largest
pot until tender. That will take about 20 minutes per 500g/18oz. Lift it from the
water, allow to cool, then skin it. For an unglazed ham, you dress the fat with
golden breadcrumbs.
For a glazed ham you can become even more fancy. I like a mixture of
mustard and marmalade: the mustard starch combines with the marmalade to
form a crust which has a glossy finish. Honey works well, too, and you can stud
the ham with cloves should you so desire. I hate cloves with a passion so I leave
this bit out.
Once the ham has cooled, remove the skin, leaving as much fat on the ham as
possible. This layer of fat protects the meat and, whilst you might not wish to eat
it, remember that it is the fat that is most prized by aficionados of jamón ibérico.
Using a sharp knife, score through the fat making a diamond pattern all over
the ham. If you’re using cloves, now is the time to stick one clove into each
diamond shape.
Preheat the oven to 170°C/340°F/Gas Mark 3. Mix your chosen glaze
ingredients together to form a stiffish paste.
Place the ham in a roasting dish and spoon over the glaze. Bake in the
preheated oven for 10 minutes per 500g/18oz, basting as often as you can.
Cool, transfer to a clean dish and store in a cold pantry for up to two weeks.
