A festive staple at every holiday table!
Ingredients
5 kg / 10 lb leg ham, bone in, skin on (Note 1)
30 Cloves (for studding the ham, optional – mainly for decorative purposes)
2 oranges , cut into quarters (Note 2)
1 cup (250ml) water
Glaze
3/4 cup (185ml) maple syrup (sub honey)
3/4 cup (165g) brown sugar , packed
3 tbsp dijon mustard (can sub American or other plain mustard)
3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp All Spice (or nutmeg)
Directions
Take ham out of fridge 1 hour prior.
Preheat oven to 160°C / 320°F (140°C fan). Arrange shelf in lower third so the ham will be sitting in the centre of the oven (rather than in top half of oven).
Place the Glaze ingredients in a bowl and mix until combined – use whisk if needed.
Remove Ham Rind
Run small knife around bone handle, down each side of the ham, and under the rind on the cut face. (See video & photos in post)
Slide fingers under the rind on the cut face of the ham, and run them back and forth to loosen while pulling the rind back. Use knife if needed to slice off any residual rind.
Lightly cut 2.5cm / 1" diamonds across the fat surface of the ham, about 75% of the way into the fat. Avoid cutting into the meat.
Insert a clove in the intersection of the cross of each diamond on the surface (optional).
Glaze & Baking
Place the ham in a large baking dish. Prop handle up on edge of pan + scrunched up foil so surface of the ham is level (for more even caramelization).
Squeeze the juice of 1 orange (4 quarters) over the ham. Then place them along with the remaining orange into the baking dish around the ham.
Brush / spoon half the glaze all over the surface and cut face of the ham (don't worry about underside, glaze drips down into pan)
Pour the water in the baking dish, then place in the oven.
Bake for 1.5 – 2 hrs, basting very generously every 30 minutes with remainig glaze + juices in pan, or until sticky and golden.
Use foil patches to protect bits that brown faster than others – press on lightly, caramelisation won't peel off with the foil.
Allow to rest for at least 20 minutes before serving. Baste, baste, baste before serving – as the glaze in the pan cools, it thickens which means it "paints" the ham even better – but be sure to save pan juices for drizzling.
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