Glazed Ham Recipe: Perfect Christmas Lunch
Juicy, moist and appealing to the eyes, this glazed ham recipe makes the perfect centre piece for your Christmas lunch. This orange, brown sugar, maple glazed ham is slathered with a sticky glaze that gives it crispy edges and an incredible flavor
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 love having a nice fresh salad on the side along with some roasted duck fat and parsley potatoes. The options are endless.
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.
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.