Festive Food Favourite – Glazed Ham

Prep time: 30 mins

Cook time: 1.5-2 hours

Serves: 20-30 people

Ingredients:

5kg leg ham, bone in, skin on

30 cloves for studding the ham

2 oranges, cut into quarters

1 cup (250ml) water

3/4 cup Nature’s Delight Organic Pure Canadian Maple Syrup

1/2 cup brown sugar, packed

2 tblsp  Adelaide’s Finest Christmas ham spice blend

Method:

Take ham out of fridge 1 hour prior.

Preheat oven to 160°C. Arrange shelf in lower third so the ham will be sitting in oven center.

Place the glaze ingredients in a bowl and mix until combined – use whisk if needed.

To remove ham rind:

Run small knife around bone handle, down each side of the ham, and under the rind on the cut face.

Slide fingers under the rind, and run them back and forth to loosen while pulling the rind back.  (Reserve the skin  to cover leftover ham to help prevent it from drying out).

Use knife if needed to slice off any residual rind.

Lightly cut 2.5cm diamonds across the fat surface of the ham, about 75% of the way into the fat. Avoid cutting into the meat. Then insert or “stud” the cloves in the surface of the ham.

Glaze and baking:

Place the ham in a large baking dish.

Squeeze the juice of 1 orange over the ham. Then place it along with the remaining orange into the baking dish around the ham.

Brush half the glaze all over the surface and cut face of the ham.

Pour the water in the baking dish, then place in the oven.

Bake for 1.5 – 2 hrs, basting generously every 30 minutes with remaining glaze and juices in pan until ham is golden and caramelised. Allow to rest for at least 20 minutes and baste before serving. Slice and serve warm or cold.