Plum and Cardamom Glazed Ham
If you're wanting a slightly different glaze for your ham this year, try this easy version. Plum and five spice powder are natural partners and go brilliantly with warm Christmas ham.
Ingredients
1 free-farmed half champagne ham
For the glaze:
¼ cup Pepler's plum and cardamom paste
1 Tbsp soy sauce
¼ tsp five spice powder
2 tsp Dijon mustard
Method
Place all the glaze ingredients in a saucepan with ¼ cup water and simmer for a few minutes to reduce slightly. Set aside to cool.
To glaze your ham, remove the ham from the fridge 1 hour before baking to bring it up to room temperature.
Preheat the oven to 160°C.
Gently remove the skin of the ham with your fingers, taking care to retain as much fat as possible. Use a sharp knife to score the fat in a diamond pattern.
Take a note of the weight of the ham, then place it in a large roasting dish lined with baking paper, along with 1 cup of water. Dilute the glaze with 2 tablespoons of water (or more if very thick), then use a pastry brush to coat the ham all over with some of the glaze.
Place the ham into the oven to cook, allowing 10 minutes cooking time for each 500g of meat to ensure it warms through completely. Brush the ham with the remaining glaze every 20 minutes and lightly cover the top with foil or baking paper if the glaze starts to darken too quickly.
Cool slightly, then transfer onto a platter ready for slicing.