Succulent Christmas ham

As thoughts turn to Christmas, the age-old question of what to have for your festive dinner arises. Ham is always a popular choice, and with so many options for glazes it’s always a crowd pleaser.

Regardless of your choice, a glaze will add colour, flavour, and succulence to your ham.

The best glaze for a baked ham usually contains either maple syrup, brown sugar, or honey. The saltiness from the ham and the sweetness of the glaze complement each other.

Basic sweet glaze for a 4-5kg ham

1/2 cup pineapple juice
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup melted unsalted butter
3/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup maple syrup, honey, or apricot jam
2 Tbsp Dijon mustard
1/2 Tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 Tsp ground cloves
Mix together, and use to glaze ham several times during baking.

TIPS
Don’t cut the skin of the ham too deeply or the fat
will come loose off the meat during baking.
Adding port, sherry, and even bourbon instead of water are also options.
Bake at 180 deg C.
Bake until golden on top; usually allowing 45 minutes per kilogram.
Re-glaze your ham several times throughout cooking.
When golden on top, remove from oven and let the ham sit for 15 minutes before serving.