Glazed Ham Recipe: Perfect Christmas Lunch
This glazed ham recipe is perfect for your Christmas lunch. Juicy, moist, and visually appealing to the eyes, this ham makes for the perfect centerpiece on your Christmas table.
Christmas lunch can sometimes feel so overwhelming. What to cook or what to take with you to lunch. Once you’ve given this glazed ham a shot, you’ll see just how easy it is to put together.
There’s always the fear of drying out your ham on the inside with a minimal amount of flavor on the outside. But I’ve got you covered with this easy go-to recipe for glazed ham for your Christmas lunch. And bonus, the glaze can be made ahead of time and stored in the fridge ready for you to apply on Christmas day.
Don’t be intimidated by ham this season. With all the tips and tricks I have for you below, you’ll be able to put this beauty together in no time. It’s actually pretty hard to go wrong with this recipe.
The Perfect Glaze For Your Ham
The secret to a perfectly glazed ham is in the glaze. It should have just the right amount of sweetness and stickiness that makes it easy to slather and coat the ham.
The perfect glaze will usually include some sweetener such as brown sugar, honey, or maple syrup. My secret ingredient includes orange marmalade in this recipe. The sweetness from the glaze and the saltiness from the ham go so well and definitely complement each other.
You can also make many variations of this glaze and add a few spices and sugar or cinnamon. I like to decorate the ham with whole cloves but this is not a must. Sometimes if I’m feeling up to it I go all out and use toothpicks to hold pineapple rings on the ham. It makes for a pretty-looking ham.
How To Cook A Glazed Ham
Here is all you need to know to cook the perfect ham
- Remove the rind. It literally just peels off.
- Baste the ham with the delicious glaze. You’ll need to do this a couple of times through the baking process.
- Bake and baste every 15 minutes until done
What Ham to Use
I tend to prefer the half-leg cooked ham on the bone. It’s classier to dress and looks presentable on the table. Of course, if you are feeding a large crowd, you may want to go for a whole-cooked ham on the bone
Should You Take the Skin Off
Personally, I’ve never left the skin on. It’s just a super thick layer that stops your delicious glaze from seeping into the juicy meat. It also tends to get tough and chewy. So, it’s best to take it off in my opinion.
How To Remove Ham Skin
Right underneath the skin, you’ll notice there is a thin layer of fat. This is something you want to leave on the ham as this is what keeps the ham nice and moist.
- Around the shank end, cut through the skin.
- Take a sharp knife and insert it between the rind and the layer of fat. Run it along to separate the two.
- Then use your fingers to separate the rind from the fat. Keep pushing your hand further into the ham and you’ll start to notice the rind detaching away.
- Peel the rind off
- Score a diamond pattern across the layer of fat, about ¼ inch deep, covering the entire ham
- If you are using whole cloves, once the ham has been glazed you can insert each clove into the intersection of the diamonds.
Tips To Make The Best Glazed Ham
- Don’t cook the glaze for too long or you’ll end up with a firm caramel rather than a luscious glaze. Just bring it to a gentle simmer and turn it off.
- Glaze and baste your ham several times throughout the cooking process to achieve optimal flavor and get that caramelized look on top. And finally, glaze at the end just before serving.
- Remove the skin, but make sure you keep the fat underneath.
- Score the fat in even diamonds all over the top. You want to lightly cut the fat without piercing through to the meat below. If you cut too deep, the diamonds of fat will come loose from the meat in the oven.
- Allow the ham to rest for 20 minutes before slicing and serving, to ensure that all the juiciness is retained in the meat.
Glazed Ham Recipe: Perfect Christmas Lunch
Ingredients
- ½ leg bone in ham, cooked (approximately 5 kgs)
- ½ cup Brown sugar
- 2 tbsp Maple syrup
- 2 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 3 tbsp Orange marmalade
- ¼ cup Orange juice
- 1 tbsp Orange zest
- 60 ml Bourbon (optional)
- ¼ cup Cloves (for decoration)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 175 deg C /350 F.
- Take a sharp knife and loosen the skin from the layer of white fat. You want to keep the white fat on the ham as this will keep it nice and moist. Use your fingers to loosen the skin and then pull it off the layer of fat. Score a diamond pattern across the layer of fat, about ¼ inch deep, covering the entire ham.
- Wrap foil around the end (hock/ bone) to avoid it from burning. If you opt for ham without the bone, skip this step. Place the ham on a roasting dish and bake for about 20 mins. Add water to the base of the dish as this will keep your ham moist.
- Meanwhile, to make the glaze, place the brown sugar, maple syrup, Dijon mustard, orange juice, zest and marmalade, and a pinch of salt into a saucepan (remember the ham has salt in it so you just need the tiniest amount here to offset the sweetness). Heat this for a few minutes until the sugar has dissolved and then reduce to the lowest heat to allow the glaze to thicken (the consistency should be similar to that of honey). Switch off the heat and the bourbon if you choose to do so. This is not a must but I like how it elevates the flavor. You could also use brandy or rum.
- Once the 20 minutes baking time is over, carefully take the ham out of the oven and start brushing on the glaze. Be generous with the glaze and make sure you cover every inch of the ham. Return to the oven and bake for a further 15 minutes.
- Remove the ham from the oven, and repeat this process again. Put the ham back into the oven for a further 15 minutes (30 minutes total with the glaze).
- Take the ham out of the oven and cover it with foil. Let it rest for at least 15 to 20 minutes before slicing it to ensure all the juiciness is retained in the meat. If you have leftover glaze, I’d highly recommend brushing some on before serving. Alternatively, you can leave a bowl of leftover glaze on the table and let your guests help themselves.
- Serve on a platter and place it in the center of your Christmas table.
Notes
I get so excited about the possibilities of things I can do with leftover ham. Think ham and cheese toasties, ham quiche, chopped ham in pasta and so many more.
I hope you enjoy this delicious glazed baked ham recipe. It’s a family favorite and one that’s always been so easy to put together.
Serving Suggestions
- Serve with condiments like Dijon mustard, wholegrain mustard, and cranberry sauce.
- You can serve this delicious glazed ham with a side of parsley and duck fat roasted potatoes and some greens like asparagus or green beans cooked off in garlic butter. Yum!
- Have a delicious side salad and some bread rolls to go with this mouth-watering glazed Christmas ham.
How long can you store glazed ham
- If stored well in the fridge, this glazed ham will keep for 1 week. Place in a good airtight container to ensure it doesn’t go off too quickly.
- Leftover ham can be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months. It’s better if you cut and freeze blocks of ham and slice it when you require. This will stop the ham from drying out. To do this, wrap blocks of ham in foil, then cling wrap and place them in an airtight container.
The best part about Christmas glazed ham is the prospect of all the tasty things you can make with leftover ham. If you’re cooking a glazed ham for Christmas this year, and want an easy, mouth-watering recipe, give this recipe a shot, it will easily become one of your family favorites.
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Bon Apetit!
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