After years of procrastinating, I finally glazed a leg of ham!
I started with a magnificent free range, double smoked, half-leg ham made by David at Gojak’s Meats in Haberfield.
I wanted to buy a small shoulder, or a boned out leg, but Pete wouldn’t let me – he won’t eat shoulder ham, and announced (rather loudly, in the shop…sigh) that boned ham always “tastes funny because all the connective tissues are squashed up in a strange way”.
Whatever cut you use, I do think it’s important to buy one that tastes wonderful to start with, as no amount of glazing will fix a too salty or too dry ham. I should also point out that our ham was already cooked, so it only needed heating up in the oven.
After allowing the ham to rest at room temperature for a couple of hours, we removed the rind, scored the fat, and basted it with a mixture of homemade quince paste, brown sugar and white wine, following these instructions by Maggie Beer. In just forty minutes, it baked to a glossy, caramelised finish.
Pete’s siblings, Katey and Uncle Steve, came over for an early Christmas dinner, and we all ate until we couldn’t move. We served the ham with a rich potato salad (dressed with a homemade two-yolk mayonnaise), sourdough ciabatta, and cucumbers picked fresh from the garden.
Now…I just need to find recipes for leftover ham!
Fig Jam and Lime Cordial 