How good is Christmas ham? I feel like this delicious cherry glazed ham should definitely be the centrepiece to your delicious Christmas in July. I mean, doesn’t it just make so much sense to enjoy a delicious roast ham in the middle of winter – rather then on a 40 degree day in December {although, I still eat it then too}.
I’m very much for tradition – and do LOVE this Christmas ham recipe. But I thought that I would try something different for Christmas in July.
This glazed cherry ham is made with my favourite jam – Bonne Maman, cherry jam. I love it so much, that when I was eating my porridge {almond milk and sour cherry porridge – you have to try it} the other day, I thought, why not make a delicious glaze using this, because ‘cherries’ say Christmas to me {even though they aren’t in season right now}.
CHERRY GLAZED HAM
370g jar cherry jam
1/2 cup orange juice
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp ground allspice
1 cinnamon stick
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp mustard powder
4kg 1/2 leg ham
2 tablespoons whole cloves
Preheat oven to 180C. Place jam, juice, sugar, 1/3 cup water, allspice, cinnamon, ground cloves and mustard powder in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Simmer for 10 minutes or until the glaze thickens. Strain the mixture, discarding solids. Meanwhile, cut through the rind 8cm from the shank. Run thumb under rind to separate from fat. Peel back, sliding fingers under rind to remove.
Using a small sharp knife, score the fat, diagonally, at 3cm intervals to form a diamond pattern. Be careful not to score the fat too deeply or it may slide off during cooking and give an uneven finish. Push one whole clove into the centre of each diamond. The cloves help hold the fat layer in place and give the ham a subtle flavour.
Place the ham on a wire rack in a roasting pan. Add boiling water to the pan until it reaches 2cm up the sides of the pan. Brush the ham with a quarter of the cherry mixture. Wrap shank in foil to stop it over-browning. Bake, basting with the cherry mixture every 20 minutes, for 1 hour 20 minutes or until the ham is golden. Remove the foil from the shank and serve.
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