Ham It Up

Ham It Up

STORY AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY NATALIE FINDLAY bone-in leg of ham makes a beautiful and extravagant show at A the centre of your Easter dining table. A quick, sweet glaze to balance the saltiness from the ham along with a couple of sides such as roasted green beans and garlic mashed potatoes and you’ve got yourself a delicious spring feast. It’s a wonder why we don’t have ham more often?

Roasted Ham with Mustard, Honey Bourbon Glaze

200-250 g per person bone-in leg of ham 20-30 whole cloves 1 cup (240 mL) bourbon ½ cup (120 mL) honey ¼ cup (60 mL) maple syrup 1½ Tbs (22 mL) Dijon mustard 4 cloves garlic 1 tsp dried thyme 1 tsp dried sage

To remove or keep the skin is a personal preference. If you are removing the skin: Don’t trim the fat with the skin. The fat layer adds needed moisture so your ham does not dry out during cooking.

1. Cut a line through the skin all around the shank end. Insert a sharp knife between the rind and fat and run it along to detach both layers. 2. Using your fingers, gently separate the rind from the fat and discard the rind. 3. Score into the fat layer a 2 cm deep diamond pattern all over the surface.

If you are keeping the skin on: with a sharp knife, score a 2 cm diamond pattern over the entire ham.

1. Preheat oven to 325° F. 2. Line a shallow roasting pan with several sheets of foil (this will make for easier clean up). 3. Push the cloves into each corner of the diamond. 4. Place ham in your roasting pan and add ½ cup (120 mL) water. Place ham in the oven on the lower shelf. Tent with foil if you find the ham getting too dark. Glaze

Add the bourbon, honey, maple syrup, mustard, garlic, thyme, and sage in a small pot over medium-high heat. Let cook at a low boil for 10 - 15 minutes to reduce. Reserve for coating the ham during the last 30 minutes of cooking (approximately 15º F before fully cooked).

How long to cook your ham?

Approximately 45 minutes per kilo.

For hams that are labelled “cook before eating” cook until the internal temperature reaches 165° F.

For hams that are labelled "fully cooked” or “ready to eat” cook until the internal temperature reaches 150° F.

Let the ham rest for 10 - 20 minutes before slicing.

Go Big!

With all the amazing things you can do with leftover ham and just how easy it is to prepare, you might as well go big and portion out your ham for multiple meals.

The bone makes a great base flavour for a split pea or white bean soup.

Ham is easy to freeze so keep portions on hand for quick meal preparation. Cut up ham into cubes and portion out so you can thaw and add to scrambled eggs, pasta, fried rice, or macaroni and cheese. Freeze some thin slices to thaw and make delicious ham sandwiches like this Monte Cristo.

Monte Cristo-Style Ham Sandwich

Makes 4 sandwiches

This is a filling sandwich. You could even make it for dinner with a side salad. Or brunch with a sweet glaze.

4 eggs 1 Tbs (15 mL) milk or water Pinch salt 240 g Gruyere cheese, grated or thinly sliced 8 slices bread, sourdough or brioche preferably To coat mayonnaise 4-8 slices leftover ham To coat Dijon mustard 2-3 Tbs (30-45 mL) olive oil 2-3 Tbs butter

1. In a medium-sized shallow dish crack eggs and whisk to break up the yolks. Add the milk or water and salt and whisk until fully combined. 2. Lay the bottom slices of bread on your work surface and coat with mayonnaise. 3. Add 30 g of cheese and spread evenly across the bread. Lay the ham slices on top of the cheese. Add the next 30 g of cheese on top of the ham. 4. Coat the top slice of bread with Dijon mustard and close sandwich. 5. Preheat a large frying pan over medium heat. Add half the butter and olive oil to the pan. 6. Gently place sandwiches in the egg mixture and turn to coat both sides. Add sandwich to the pan and cook 4 minutes on each side. Cheese should be fully melted and the outside toasty brown. Remove from frying pan. Continue with same procedure until all sandwiches are cooked. You can keep the sandwiches warm in the oven (on warm or the lowest temperature) while you cook the rest of the sandwiches. Sweet garnish options: bourbon maple syrup glaze and a dusting of sugar.

Savoury garnish options: your favourite barbecue sauce and picked red onions.

Ham isn’t just for Easter or other special occasions. It’s delicious any day.

Note: If you don’t want to use eggs - use softened butter to coat the outside of the bread and sauté like you would a grilled cheese. So good!

Natalie is a freelance writer, photographer, and pastry chef. A graduate of Cordon Bleu’s pastry program, she manages her own business too to create custom-made cakes.

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