RECIPE VIDEO ABOVE. Making glazed ham is easy! If using a larger ham, use recipe Scaler to scale up the glaze recipe (click on Servings and slide on the respective glaze recipe). A 5 kg / 10lb ham will serve 30 - 40 with another main and sides, or 25 if it's the only main.
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).
Make Glaze per recipe.
Remove ham rind (skin)
Run small knife around bone handle, cutting through rind.
Cut the rind down each side of the ham, from the cut face of the ham, down to the cut you jujst made around the handle of the bone.
Run the knife between the fat and the skin on the cut face of the ham.
Slide fingers under the rind on the cut face of the ham, and run them back and forth to loosen so you can get your fingers under.
Start pulling back, while continuing to slide fingers back and forth. The rind comes of fairly easily. Use knife if needed to slice off any residual rind.
Scoring fat (making diamonds)
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 and 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 (more even browning).
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 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.
Serving and presentation tips
Sauce: Use pan juices as the sauce - it's loaded with flavour. Drizzle sparingly as the glaze flavour is intense! Note juices need to be warm for drizzling, it thickens when cooled. Thin slightly with water if required.
Presentation: Wrap handle with baking paper and ribbon if desired. Remove cloves, if you used them. Cover serving platter with lots of green fluffage, then place ham on. Surround with quartered oranges or other fruit, for colour. Let people admire before carving!
Serving: Personal preference whether to serve at room temp or warm, I like either. I also like to drizzle with pan juices - it looks messier but tastes fabulous. Slice thinly! I start slicing at the table, then finish it in the kitchen (towards end when it gets messy!)
Leftovers: See list in post for recipe using leftover ham and ham bone!
Storing Glazed Ham:
Keeps for 1 week in the fridge in a ham bag or pillowcase.
Soaking solution: Mix 1 litre / 1 quart of water with 2 tablespoons white vinegar. Soak ham bag or pillowcase for 15 minutes.
Storing: Wring dry, place ham inside, seal loosely. Refrigerate.
Repeat ~3 days: When ham bag dries out (usually ~ 3 days), repeat soaking steps above.
Freezing: Freezes for 3 months. Freeze in blocks then slice after thawing (recommended, ham is juicier). Wrap blocks in cling wrap then place in airtight container. Alternatively, slice and place in airtight container then freeze.
Notes
1. HAM:
Skin (rind) on ham - Make sure you get the ham with the skin on (rind - thick rubbery skin). Between the skin and the ham is a layer of fat which is what makes this ham gorgeously sticky. There are some hams which come with the skin and fat removed. Though you can use this recipe for those hams too, you won't get the sticky exterior you see in the photo.
Half or whole - this recipe can be used for half or whole hams.
Larger hams - For larger hams, scale the glaze by using the recipe slider (click on the Servings)
Ham quality - Buy the best ham you can afford. The more you pay, the better the quality. However, for an economical option, I can recommend the Woolworths Smoked Ham Leg for $9/kg (I used a half leg). I was very impressed with how great it was for such good value - I've used it for several years now. There is an even cheaper one for $6/kg - I bypassed this because it wasn't smoked and looked a bit pale.
Cooked ham - Make sure you get a cooked ready-to-eat ham, not a raw one (also referred to as "gammon"). All ham sold in Australia in supermarkets is ready-to-eat but if you get your ham from the butcher, double check that it's not raw. If you have a raw ham (gammon), this recipe is not suitable.
2. Make Ahead - Glazed Ham is excellent made ahead, it's how I do it most of the time!a) PREPARE THEN BAKE FRESH (100% perfect): Remove skin, cut fat, insert cloves, make glaze and store separately. Then refrigerate until required, then glaze etc and bake on the day of per recipe.b) COOK AHEAD (99.9% perfect): Make entirely per recipe, cool. Transfer to non reactive container (do not leave in metal tray), cover sticky surface with baking paper (parchment paper) then the whole ham with foil. Scrape every bit of juice in the pan into a container. Refrigerate both for up to 5 days (longer probably ok, I've done 5 days).To reheat, remove from fridge and bring to room temperature, pour sauce into pan and place ham in pan. Reheat covered loosely with foil in a 160°C/320°F oven for 40 minutes or until a metal skewer inserted into the middle comes out warm. When the inside is warm, remove foil and baste with pan juices, then bake until the surface is sticky and golden - it shouldn't take much longer than 10 minutes.The juices thicken into a jelly when cool so it needs to be reheated (microwave is fine).DO NOT MICROWAVE!!! It can make the fat diamonds "pop" and you might lose the best part - the golden, sticky surface!3. How much ham per person - remember, ham is salty, people don't typically eat giant slabs like steak and you slice it thinly so less goes further.
With other main dishes - 6 to 8 people per 1 kg / 2 lb ham (bone in weight). So a 5 kg / 10 lb ham = 30 - 40 people, about 100 - 130g / 3.4 - 4 oz per person.
As the only main protein - 5 people per 1 kg / 2 lb ham (bone in weight). So a 5 kg / 10lb ham would serve 25 people, about 150g/5oz meat per person..
Note: Ham bone with residual meat weighs anywhere 750g - 1.25 kg (1.5 - 2.5 lb). Assumed 1 kg/2lb for purpose of above.4. Nutrition per serving for the ham and my favourite Maple Ham Glaze, assuming 30 servings and all sauce is consumed (which in reality it won't be).