It isn’t Christmas without a ham, but for baking, not just any old ham will do. Hams differ greatly in quality; you want something that’s naturally smoked, and with a thick layer of insulating fat to protect the meat during cooking. It’s the glaze, too, that makes it really special.

Typically a mixture of sugar, mustard and lime or lemon juice, a glaze is a simple and really delicious complement to the salt and smoke of a good ham. Bear in mind a few key points and you’ll soon be glazing with the best of them. Removing the skin in a single piece is important as it can be used later in the storage of the ham. Glazing is a technique that requires some attention: its success depends on building the layers of the glaze during the cooking process, like lacquering a fine piece of furniture. The sugar in the glaze will caramelise to a deep mahogany – you should aim to get the colouring as even as possible. A little water in the base of the roasting pan will prevent any excess glaze burning as it runs off the ham while baking.

To store your ham, buy a ham bag or use a clean old pillowcase. The ham bag or pillowcase should be rinsed in cold water and a little vinegar and wrung out every few days to prevent bacteria forming.

Ingredients

8 kg leg ham (see note)

To stud: whole cloves

½ cup Dijon mustard

1 tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice

220 gm brown sugar (1 cup)

2 tsp ground ginger

Method

Main

1.Preheat oven to 180C. Using your hands, gently peel back the skin from the leg to the shank being careful not to tear the fat. Using a sharp knife score the skin around the shank, remove the skin in a single piece and reserve.

2.Using a sharp knife score the fat in lines running diagonal to the leg about 4cm apart. Repeat scoring in the opposite direction to create a diamond pattern.

3.Place a clove in the centre of each diamond. Place ham on a wire rack inside a baking dish and pour 2cm of water into baking dish.

4.In a bowl combine remaining ingredients and season to taste with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Brush half the glaze over the ham and place in the oven. Cook for 1 hour, brushing frequently with remaining glaze, until deep golden in colour. Serve sliced glazed ham with pickled onion wedges.

The ham leg we have chosen for this recipe is from a Kurobuta pig. It has a thick layer of fat and even marbling which prevents it drying out during baking.
Notes

Styling by Rodney Dunn

Recipe / styling by Lisa Featherby

Styling by Geraldine Muñoz

Ingredients

Method

Main

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