Did someone say it’s only five weeks until Christmas?
Every year for the past ten years or so, our Christmas menu has consisted of basically the same fare. We do the typical Aussie cheese plate, with some mixed nuts and dips while people are mingling, before bringing out the big guns for lunch. Of course, this includes prawns and Balmain bugs, hot bread rolls, a potato and pasta salad, a roast turkey breast and most importantly, a whole baked ham.
This simple but amazingly delicious showstopper never fails to impress and gets oodles of praise every year. Something that seems complicated and might make people shy people away from trying, is so incredibly simple and requires minimal effort. I thought I would share the recipe I use every year, and hope some of you can impress your loved ones too.
Ingredients:
- One leg of ham (I buy mine from Coles, and choose the side with the bone sticking out the end)
- One jar of orange marmalade
- 2 tsp Chinese five spice
- 1/4 cup of soy sauce
- 1/4 cup of brown sugar
- Whole cloves
Method:
Scoop out the jar of marmalade into a small pot, and mix in all ingredients except the cloves. Warm this on a stove until liquid enough that everything is well combined. Remove the plastic wrap from the ham and carefully remove the skin, whilst leaving the fat layer intact. I use a my hands to do this and just run my fingers under the skin to remove it. Take a sharp knife, and make 1cm deep slices all the way across the ham through the fat. Then do this again crossing over the first cuts, which will make diamonds (or squares!) on the skin. Stud the cloves through the centre of the diamonds, sharp side into the ham.
Now, I personally like to cook this on the BBQ as it gets amazingly smokey, but it works just as well in the oven. If using the oven, go for a moderate heat of around 140 degrees fan forced. If using the BBQ, use the burners on the outside so it doesn’t get direct heat. Simply put your ham into an oven proof dish and baste it with your marinade. Place in the oven and let it cook for around 2.5-3 hours, lightly basting every 30 mins or so.
That’s it! You’ll know it’s done when it’s incredibly shiny and starting to burn ever so slightly on the edges (Hint: Grab these bits before anyone else does, trust me). If using the BBQ, just remember you want a gentle constant heat and no direct heat or it may burn on the bottom.
All the best and have a great Christmas!!
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