‘Tis the season to be jolly, so gather family and friends around the dining table at Christmas and “wow” them with this The Australian Women’s Weekly recipe for delectable quince-glazed ham.
Prep and cooking time: 2 hours
Serves: 20
Ingredients
8kg cooked leg of ham
Whole cloves, to decorate
2 cups (500ml) water
Quince glaze: 100g quince paste, chopped; ½ cup (125ml) water; ½ cup (175g) honey
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan-forced). Cut through the rind about 10cm from the shank end of the leg.
2. To remove the rind, run your thumb around the edge of the rind just under the skin. Start pulling the rind from the widest edge of ham; continue to pull the rind carefully away from the fat up to the shank. Remove the rind completely (reserved rind can be used to cover the cut surface of the ham to keep it moist during storage).
3. Using a sharp knife, score across the fat at about 3cm intervals, cutting just through the surface of the top fat. Do not cut too deeply or fat will spread during cooking. Score in the opposite direction to form a diamond pattern. Decorate with cloves.
4. QUINCE GLAZE: Combine quince paste and water in a small pan; stir over low heat until combined. Bing to the boil, simmer for 2 minutes. Add honey; stir until combined.
5. Place ham on a wire rack in a large baking dish; pour the water into the dish. Brush ham well with quince glaze. Cover the shank end with foil. Bake ham for up to 1 hour or until browned all over, brushing occasionally with the glaze during cooking.
Kitchen Tips: For a smaller leg or half leg of ham, halve the glaze recipe. If glaze becomes too thick to brush on, reheat until the consistency is correct. The glaze can be made up to one week ahead; store in the refrigerator. Ham can be glazed a day ahead and served cold. Store leftover ham in the refrigerator wrapped in a tea towel rinsed in water and a little vinegar, and wrung out tightly. Change the tea towel daily. The ham will keep for up to two weeks.
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