CHRISTMAS isn’t an event without ham – and what I love about it is the fact the meat will keep us going for light meals for quite some time afterwards. The glaze is a big part of it because it infuses the meat again with its rich taste and again, there are as many ways you can create a glaze as there are gifts under a tree. This is a favourite of mine I got off the net some years ago; it’s easy and tastes delicious. Make sure you don’t cut through to the meat below when scoring through the fat; this is important. Ingredients 1 fully-cooked, bone-in ham 2 tsp whole cloves ¼ tsp ground cinnamon 2 tbs brown mustard ½ C packed brown sugar ¼ C packed brown sugar 2 tbs apple cider vinegar 1 C peach nectar 1 C peach preserves 5 C frozen peach slices 2 tsp minced fresh ginger root 1 hot small pepper, seeded and minced 1 cinnamon stick Method Preheat the oven to 165C. Score the top of the ham with a sharp knife in a diamond pattern. Press whole cloves into the ham and place on a roasting rack in a roasting pan. Bake for one-and-a-half to two hours or until the internal temperature of the ham has reached 60C. Cover with aluminum foil if the ham starts to look dry. While the ham is cooking, mix together the cinnamon, mustard and half cup of brown sugar in a cup or small bowl to make the mustard sauce. In a saucepan on medium heat, mix together the remaining brown sugar, cider vinegar, peach nectar and peach preserves. Bring to a boil and then stir in the sliced peaches, ginger, small pepper and the cinnamon stick. Simmer until the peaches are tender and the sauce has thickened, which should take 25 to 30 minutes. Remove the ham from the oven and brush liberally with the mustard glaze. Increase the oven temperature to 175C and return the ham to the oven, uncovered. Bake for an additional 20 to 30 minutes, or until glaze is bubbly. Allow the ham to rest for 15 to 20 minutes before carving. Serve with hot sauce.
