Holiday Ham recipe

A classic glazed ham recipe to enjoy during the festive holidays!

A holiday feast is never complete without a traditionally smoked ham with a sweet brown sugar glaze. For many families of different cultures, a glazed ham has become a beloved Christmas tradition. With many ways to prepare the ham, we hope you can add this recipe to your list of family traditions during the holidays.

Prep Time: 1 hour 15 minutes

Total Time: 2 hours 45 minutes

Ingredients

1 bone-out smoked ham approximately 8-10 lbs.

24 whole cloves (for studding ham)

Stock for poaching

Approximately 2 gallons water (enough to soak ham)

1 medium onion, peeled

4 bay leaves

5 whole cloves

6 thyme twigs

Glaze for coating

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 2/3 cups Mirepoix, colored

¾ cup plus 1 ½ tablespoons white wine

½ cup Madeira (a fortified wine) plus 1 ½ tablespoons

3 cups brown veal (beef) stock

Glaze for icing

2/3 tablespoon mustard with horseradish

¾ tablespoon raw sugar, brown

1 tablespoon kg honey

2 tablespoons brown veal stock

1/4 teaspoon powdered (ground) cloves

2 teaspoons Madeira (a fortified wine)

½ teaspoon chopped marjoram, fresh

1 ½ tablespoons raw brown sugar

Preparation

Soak ham overnight in water to reduce the salt content.

Preheat oven to 335°F.Cut incisions into the onions and stick thyme twigs into it; afterward stuff the onions with bay leaves and cloves. Bring water to a boil, add the stuffed onions and poach the ham until the temperature reaches 185°F until three-fourths done. Afterward, carefully remove the rind from the ham, then cut incisions in a crisscross manner into the fat layer. It should look grid-like with spaces of 1 cm in between. Prick in the cloves evenly on the cut surface. Wash the marjoram, pick the leaves, pat dry and chop finely. Then mix all ingredients together for the glaze.

Glaze mirepoix in butter in a braising pan. Deglaze with white wine and Madeira. Face the ham with the fat layer up onto the mirepoix and fill it up with brown veal (beef) stock. Bring to a boil and braise the ham covered in the oven at a temperature of 335°F for 30 minutes. Afterward, remove the lid and finish glazing the ham while occasionally pouring the stock and brushing in the glaze (without raw sugar). Before the ham is fully cooked, increase the top heat of the oven to 390°F. Sprinkle raw sugar onto the ham and let caramelize until golden yellow.

Take out the ham and keep it at a warm temperature. Sieve the braising liquid through a fine mesh sieve into a deep sauté pan. If needed, reduce to the desired consistency and thicken up with some cold mixed starch flour and seasoning. Cut ham into even slices and arrange it onto a platter. Serve the sauce separately in a sauce boat.

Makes 8-10 servings