Glazed ham three ways

Everyone loves ham in the warm summer months, it feeds the crowds and is a easy dinner to throw together when you’d rather be out enjoying the sun. Here are three brilliant cooked ham recipes to try.

Classic Glazed Ham

• 1 whole bone-in ham
• 70 whole cloves

Brown Sugar Glaze

• ½ cup soft brown sugar
• ¼ cup maple syrup or golden syrup
• ¼ cup rum, pineapple juice or apple juice

Preheat oven to 150ºC. Place ham on a large oven tray and warm in oven for 10-15 minutes until the skin starts to loosen (this helps it peel off easily).

While the ham is warming, make Brown Sugar Glaze by mixing together all ingredients.

Remove ham from oven and increase temperature to 180ºC. Cut through skin around shank then peel off ham skin by gently pushing your fingers between skin and fat. Discard the skin.

Use a sharp knife to lightly score the fat in diagonal crosshatches. Insert a clove at each of the points where the crosshatches intersect. Brush ham all over with Brown Sugar Glaze and bake until golden (about 1 hour), basting with remaining glaze as needed.

Serve hot or at room temperature. Store unused ham in the fridge wrapped in a damp muslin bag or a clean teatowel soaked in water or lemonade.

Ginger & Maple-Glazed Christmas Ham

• 1 whole bone-in ham
• 1/2 cup maple syrup
• 1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 2 cups apricot nectar
• 2 tablespoons char siu sauce (Chinese barbecue sauce)
• 1 tablespoon ground ginger
• 6 star anise, plus extra, to decorate
• 40 cloves

Preheat oven to 150ºC. Place ham on a large oven tray and warm in oven for 10-15 minutes until the skin starts to loosen (this helps it peel off easily).

To make glaze, place the maple syrup, sugar, apricot nectar, char siu sauce, ginger and star anise in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes or until slightly reduced. Set aside until needed.

Remove ham from oven and increase temperature to 180ºC. Cut through skin around shank then peel off ham skin by gently pushing your fingers between skin and fat. Discard the skin. Using a sharp knife, score fat at 3cm intervals in a diamond pattern. Stud points of each diamond with cloves.

Increase the oven temperature to 160ºC. Line an oven tray with 2 layers of foil, place ham on top and brush generously with glaze. Roast ham, basting with glaze every 20 minutes, for 1 1/2 hours. Decorate with extra star anise.

Spice-Crusted Ham with Mango Salsa

• 1 whole bone-in ham

Spice rub

• 1 onion, coarsely grated
• 5 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
• 135 gm brown sugar
• 15 gm (1½ tbsp) sea salt flakes
• 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1½ tsp cayenne
• 1 tsp sweet paprika

Mango salsa

• 1 cup (firmly packed) coriander, coarsely chopped
• 3 mangoes, finely diced
• 1 small Spanish onion, finely chopped
• 3 limes, juice only
• 1-2 green jalepeño chillies, or to taste
• 1 tbsp olive oil

Preheat oven to 150ºC. Place ham on a large oven tray and warm in oven for 10-15 minutes until the skin starts to loosen (this helps it peel off easily).

For spice rub, process onion and garlic in a food processor until finely chopped, transfer to a bowl, add remaining ingredients and stir to combine well.

Remove ham from oven and increase temperature to 180ºC. Cut through skin around shank then peel off ham skin by gently pushing your fingers between skin and fat. Discard the skin.

Spread the spice rub over scored part of ham and roast until deep-golden and crusty (1-1½ hours).

Meanwhile, for mango salsa, combine ingredients in a bowl, season well with sea salt and refrigerate until required.

Balance the salsa’s sweetness with a large pinch of salt and alter the quantity of jalapeños to suit your taste. This is great served with a classic coleslaw.