How to ham it up
TABLE TALK
AS DELICIOUS as it may be, your glazed Christmas ham is actually about so much more than simply food.
It’s an icon of celebration, an elegant statement piece, a moment of dining pageantry, and a symbol of good taste that reminds us of why it is that sophistication still matters.
With that in mind, and providing you have a sufficiently large assembly to feed, there are few things as aweinspiring or as worthy of applause as a glistening and sticky baked whole leg ham. And ham on the bone means Aussie pork, which is always in good taste.
But if that all sounds like a lot of cultural pressure, put your mind at ease for a moment, because baking a ham is perhaps the simplest task that there is for cooks each Christmas.
For starters, you’ll need to get hands on. After gently cutting a shallow zigzag around the neck of the ham, there’s no device more efficient than fingers to gently remove the skin. And always start from the cut, never from the bottom end.
Hams are already fully cooked, so rather than ‘baking’ them as such, you’re really just warming it through, and giving it a deliciously rich caramel note to the edges.
Lastly, your glaze needs to be really quite sticky in order to adhere, which means jams and marmalades are a perfect building block. And whatever glaze you choose, it should be applied in several stages in order to ensure that the thickest, glossiest and most memorable coating forms.
SPICED APRICOT, ALMOND AND SHERRY BAKED HAM
SERVES: 12
Ingredients
8kg whole leg ham 500ml medium-dry sherry (see note) 4 cinnamon sticks 12 cardamom pods 6 cloves 1 piece nutmeg, cracked 8 fresh bay leaves 600g apricot jam 2 cups whole blanched almonds, toasted
Fresh herbs (rosemary and bay leaves), truss cherry tomatoes and apricots, to garnish
SERVES: 10
PREP: 45 minutes COOK: 3 hours 40 minutes Ingredients
125g butter, chopped 80ml maple syrup 5-6kg whole turkey 10 fresh sage leaves, plus extra, to serve
1kg kent pumpkin, deseeded, cut into large wedges 2 garlic bulbs, sliced in half STUFFING:
250g pkt microwave brown rice and quinoa 55g (1/3 cup) chopped toasted pistachios 125g (3/4 cup) morello cherries, drained, reserving 125ml (1/2 cup) cherry juice GRAVY: 2 tbsp plain flour 375ml (1 1/2 cups) chickenstyle liquid stock 125ml (1/2 cup) white wine
Method
For the stuffing, squeeze the packet to break up the rice and quinoa mix. Place in a bowl. Add the pistachios and cherries and stir to combine. Season and set aside.
Place butter and maple syrup in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring, for 2-3 minutes or until melted. Set aside.
Preheat oven to 180C/160C fan-forced. Remove turkey giblets, neck and excess fat. Pat dry, inside and out, with paper towel. Gently run your fingers under the
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breast skin to loosen. Carefully push the sage leaves under the skin, making sure they sit flat. Fill the cavity with the stuffing. Tie legs with kitchen string and tuck the wings underneath. Place the turkey, breast side up, on a rack in a large roasting pan. Pour 375ml (1 1⁄2 cups) water into base of pan. Brush turkey all over with maple butter. Season. Place a large piece of baking paper over turkey, then 2 layers of foil over pan, securing tightly. Roast for 2 hours, basting with melted maple butter after 1 hour. Remove foil and paper. Roast, basting once, for a further 1 hour or until cooked through. Transfer to a platter, cover and set aside for 30 minutes to rest.
Place pumpkin and garlic on a large baking tray lined with baking paper. Season. Spray with oil. Drizzle pumpkin with the remaining maple butter. Roast for 40 minutes.
For the gravy, skim fat from the juices in the roasting pan and discard. Place the pan over medium heat and scrape base to dislodge any cookedon bits. Add flour and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add stock, wine and reserved cherry juice. Stir until smooth. Bring to the boil. Simmer for 5-7 minutes. Season.
Place the turkey on a large platter with the pumpkin, garlic and extra sage leaves. Serve with the gravy.
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