Glazed ham
This is my favourite way to do my ham and always goes down a treat! I make the ham on Christmas eve. We used to go to midnight mass on Christmas eve and always have a ham sandwich when we got home. I’m sure many of you do the same!
1 x 4.5kg (10lb) fresh ham, ask your butcher for one with the rind on and has a nice layer of fat.
30 or more whole cloves
350g brown Demerara sugar
25ml of pineapple juice from a small tin of pineapple
If the ham is salty, soak it in cold water overnight and discard the water the next day.
On the day cover the ham with fresh, cold water and bring it slowly to the boil uncovered. If the meat is still salty, there will be a white froth on top of the water. In this case, it is preferable to discard this water, cover the ham with fresh cold water again and repeat the process. I know this sounds like its very time consuming but believe me it will be worth it!!
Allow 25-30 minutes approx. to the lb/450g of cooking time. When the ham is fully cooked the rind will peel off easily.
Take the ham out rest for 10/15 min.
Preheat the oven to 250ºC/ 500ºF/gas mark 9.
While ham is still warm, peel the rind, score the fat into a diamond pattern and stud each diamond with a whole clove.
Blend brown sugar and pineapple juice to a paste. Don’t add all the pineapple juice at once, you may not use all of it so add little by little. It needs to be a thick, a little like a marmalade!
Transfer the ham to a roasting tin just large enough to take the joint.
Spread the glaze over the entire top surface of the ham. Bake for 20 minutes or until it has caramelised. While it is glazing, baste the ham regularly with the syrup and juice.
