MARMALADE-GLAZED LEG OF HAM

PREPARATION 30 MINUTES / COOKING VARIES ACCORDING TO SIZE OF HAM

The cooking time in this recipe is to heat the ham through completely. If you just want to glaze the ham, allow 45 minutes at 160°C.

1 cooked whole ham on the bone whole cloves to dress the ham

At the shank end of the ham, use a sharp knife to cut a zigzag pattern through the skin 6cm from the end. Carefully use your fingers to remove the skin, leaving all the fat behind (which helps keep the meat moist during cooking as well as providing flavour). Score through the fat in a diamond pattern, ensuring you don’t cut through to the meat. In each diamond, push in a whole clove. Keep the skin to cover the cooked ham; it helps prevent it from drying out. It is also good for adding flavour to ham stocks and soups.

WHOLE HAM GLAZE

zest and juice of 2 oranges 1 cup marmalade, coarsely chopped if necessary ½ cup brown sugar ¼ cup brandy 2 tablespoons hot English mustard

Blanch the zest in boiling water for 1 minute then drain and mix together with the remaining ingredients.

Take the ham out of the refrigerator 1 hour before baking to bring it up to room temperature. Preheat the oven to 150°C. Place the ham in a large roasting dish and baste with the glaze. Allow 15 minutes cooking time for each 500g of meat. Baste every 30 minutes and lower the temperature if the glaze starts to brown too fast.

Keep your leftover ham wrapped in a ham bag or muslin that has been rinsed with water and a little vinegar. Rinse out every couple of days to keep the ham fresh.