Ask the experts: how to glaze and carve a ham
A glazed ham is a Christmas tradition, but carving it can be daunting. Follow our easy step-by-step guide to ham perfection.
1. Removing the rind
Using a small sharp knife, cut through the rind 10cm from the shank end of the leg. Lift rind off in one piece by running your thumb around edge of rind under the skin; pull from the widest edge of the ham up to the shank.
4. Before you start carving
Place the ham on a chopping board and steady it with a carving fork. Using a large sharp knife, make a vertical cut towards the bone at the shank end, then cut and remove a small wedge of ham, to give you a greater surface area for carving slices.
2. Scoring the fat
Using a large sharp knife, score across the fat at about 3cm intervals, following the curve of the ham and cutting just through the surface of the top fat. Do not cut too deeply or the fat will spread apart during cooking.
5. Carving the ham
Carve towards the bone, taking long sweeps with the knife to get long slices. The pieces of ham will increase in size as you carve. It is best to carve only as much ham as you need at a time or the meat will dry out.
3. Glazing the ham
Brush ham well with the glaze (see our recipe, below). Place ham on a rack in a large roasting pan; add water to pan. Cover shank end with foil. Bake for 1 hour 20 minutes or until browned all over, brushing occasionally with the glaze.
6. Leftover ham bone
Turn the ham over and carve parallel to the bone. The leftover ham bone may be frozen for up to three months and used for stock or soup. Keep in mind it will contribute quite a bit of salt to a recipe so additional salt is unlikely to be required.