My champagne ham unfortunately does not contain champagne. It is the name given to a leg ham that has had most of the bone removed leaving the hock to provide the traditional shape. This makes it very easy to carve. Store vacuum-packed hams in the refrigerator in the protective packaging, until ready to glaze. If the ham is to be served hot, first remove the skin, brush it with a glaze and cook it at 160C 10 minutes per 500 grams. If it is to be served cold, glaze then cook at 180C for about 45 minutes. During both methods of cooking, brush with more glaze three or four times.
I used Anathoth Farm’s Tropical Jam for the glaze. It contains passionfruit seeds that add character to topping. The jam also contains pineapple, mango and guava all of which complement ham extremely well.
Ingredients
| 8 kgs | Champagne ham, semi-boned (Main) |
| 1 cup | Jam, tropical flavoured |
| 20 | Cloves |
| 1 Tbsp | Toasted sesame seeds |
| 1 Tbsp | Fennel seeds |
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 180C.
- Cut the skin around the shank end, about 8cm down from the top. Starting from the thicker end of the ham, carefully run your clean fingers under the skin of the pork and gently remove. Leave the shank end intact. You should finish with a smooth layer of fat.
- Line a baking pan with foil. Place the ham on top. Using the tip of a small sharp knife, score the fat diagonally across the face of the ham, about every 2cm. Turn the ham and repeat the scoring at right angles. This will produce a diamond effect. Sometimes the fat will split during cooking but in the end it will look rustic.
- Brush a good coating of the jam over the ham. Bake on high rack in the oven for about 45 minutes, turning and brushing with more jam every 15 minutes. If you want the top to look more rustic, turn on the grill for a few minutes to sizzle the fat.
- Remove from the oven. Stud the top with a few cloves and sprinkle with the seeds.
- The shank end may be tied with flax and garnished with holly.
