Orange Bourbon Glazed Ham

🧂 Ingredients

• 6.5 lbs cooked ham

  shoulder or leg (3 kilograms)
• 1 cup orange juice

  225 ml or juice of about 3 medium oranges
• ⅓ cup maple syrup

  plus 1 tablespoon
• ⅓ cup orange marmalade

  smooth is best
• 3 tablespoons bourbon

  I used Jim Beam, or whiskey
• ½ teaspoon mixed spice
• ¼ teaspoon ground clove
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 3 teaspoons brown sugar

  heaped; white sugar works as well
• 2-3 oranges

  sliced
• A little olive oil for pan-frying orange slices
• Rosemary twigs

Instructions

• 1 Preheat the oven to 170 C. Remove the ham out of the fridge 30 minutes to 1 hour
  before cooking.
• 2 The rind is chewy and gummy and doesn't really get crispy during cooking, so you
  have to remove it. This will expose the fat layer, which will render off quite a
  bit during baking and get all sweet, sticky and caramelized. Plus, the glaze
  will seep into the fleshy part of the ham, which it can't do if the rind is
  there.
• 3 Insert a sharp knife between the rind and the fat and run it along to detach
  both layers. Then, use your fingers to gently separate the rind from the fat.
  Simply run the finger under the rind (with some pressure), and it will peel off
  quite easily. If it gets stuck at any stage, use the knife to detach it. Peel
  off all of the rind but you can leave some on the narrow, handle part of the leg
  or shoulder. 
• 4 Score the fat to get a diamond pattern all over the surface. Cut diagonal lines
  going both ways, making 1-2cm-wide strips. Most people recommend only cutting
  through some of the fat but I like to go all the way to the meat so that more
  glaze can penetrate the ham. The choice is more aesthetic, in my opinion.
• 5 With the ham shoulder, I cut off the rounded edge on the front and scored the
  meat for visual effect.
• 6 Simply add all glaze ingredients to a shallow pan or a pot, bring to a boil and
  then simmer for 10-15 minutes, until it’s reduced and thickened.
• 7 You have to stir frequently and MAKE SURE you don’t over-reduce it. You want it
  to be thickened enough to leave a trace on a spoon but not as thick as honey.
  The glaze will thicken more once it cools down so it can be deceiving while it’s
  still hot and can be easily over-cooked, giving you a really thick glaze, which
  will be hard to spread.
• 8 You will use this glaze to brush over the ham before and during baking. However,
  once there are baking pan juices, they will become part of the basting glaze.
• 9 Brush the ham all over (bottom, top and sides) with the glaze using a pastry
  brush. Alternatively, use a spoon to drizzle the glaze over. Place in a large
  baking dish that can catch the juices and place in the oven, on a lower shelf.
  Don’t place the dish too close to the top grill part of the oven as the ham will
  burn too quickly.
• 10 How long to cook a ham?
  
  This will depend on the size of the ham but generally speaking 1.5 to 2 hours is
  sufficient to heat through the meat and to caramelize and brown the glazed
  outside of the ham.
• 11 Let the ham bake for 20-25 minutes to render off some of the fat and to get the
  pan juices going. Then baste the ham with the pan juices and brush with extra
  glaze every 15-20 minutes, until you reach the total cooking time of about 1.5
  hours or when the ham looks like it's browned and caramelized all over.
• 12 Some of the edges might be more exposed to heat and will darken faster, in which
  case you can protect those with pieces of foil. Make sure to rotate the ham in
  the oven every time you put it back to ensure even baking.
• 13 Once done, remove the ham from the oven and let it rest for 10-15 minutes, then
  transfer to a serving platter. Pour all the glaze juices into a bowl or a jug
  and mix well. Use some to or drizzle brush over the ham once it’s on a serving
  platter and leave the rest in the jug to serve alongside ham on the table.
• 14 While the ham is baking, you can prepare charred orange slices for garnish.
  Slice 2-3 oranges into thin slices. Drizzle a large frying pan or a skillet with
  olive oil and heat over medium-high heat. Add the orange slices and cook until
  charred, about 2 minutes each side. Set aside.
• 15 Serve the ham on a big platter with orange slices and rosemary twigs for
  garnish. Drizzle extra glaze over the top. Slice thinly when serving.

Nutrition Info