CARAMELISED SPICED PINEAPPLE HAM GLAZE
I’ve been making versions of this spiced pineapple ham glaze for as long as I can remember. I love the way the crushed pineapple creates a sticky caramelised crust around the ham. Cooking a big piece of meat can be intimidating but remember the ham is already cooked through, you’re just baking on a delicious sweet glaze.
Thrilled to be collaborating with the wonderful @freedomfarmsnz on this festive recipe. Their meat is farmed ethically on sustainable New Zealand farms - and tastes delicious!
INGREDIENTS
Ham
1 leg Freedom Farms Champagne Ham
20-30 whole cloves
Glaze
600 grams tinned crushed pineapple in juice
1 ½ cups soft brown sugar
1 orange, zest only
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
4 star anise
1 cinnamon quill
¼ cup spice rum or dark rum
1 cup pineapple juice
METHOD
Heat the oven to 140ºC regular bake.
Position a wire rack on top of a large roasting dish then place the ham on top, skin side up.
Place the ham in the oven for 8 minutes to warm, this will make removing the skin easier.
While the ham is warming, in a pot, combine the glaze ingredients. Cook over a medium heat for 15 minutes, stir often.
Remove the ham for the oven and increase the oven temperature to 180ºC regular bake.
To remove the ham skin, start by cutting around the base of the shank. Use your fingertips to gently separate the skin from the fat, peeling the skin back as you go. The aim is to keep as much fat on the ham as possible.
Score the fat in a diagonal pattern, being careful not to cut into the meat.
Pierce the ham with cloves in the corners of each diamond.
Spoon half of the glaze over the ham, use the back of a spoon to carefully press the crushed pineapple into the ham fat.
Place the ham in the oven and pour 250ml of boiling water into the base of the roasting dish.
Bake for 40 minutes then carefully remove from the oven and spoon over the remaining glaze. Return the ham to the oven and bake for a further 30-40 minutes or until the pineapple crust is golden and sticky.