My Thanksgiving Ham Recipies

During the holiday season particularly for Christmas and Easter and Thanksgiving in America, many families include a large cooked ham in the culinary celebrations. I first enjoyed this tradition when I was invited along with my then boss Steven ( the short wearing Springbok ) and his family to dine with Russ and Teresa. They lived with their lovely family near Cambridge and Teresa worked in the Red Lion with us. As a serving member of the American air force man, Russ bought a Thanksgiving ham of epic proportions, ingeniously spirally sliced and then glazed, from the massive air force hypermarket on the local base. It was a stunning meal with great company and a great day.

The Thanksgiving meal has evolved like a traditional English Christmas dinner into a celebration of good food and a table laden with sides, sauces, and vegetables. Roast turkey or Thanksgiving ham, sweet potato casserole topped with fluffy toasted mallow pieces, cornbread dressing ( a type of stuffing ), cranberry sauce, creamed potatoes, mac ‘n’ cheese, wild rice pilaf, green beans with creamed mushrooms, glazed carrots and lots of pan gravy. Then to finish a veritable array of pies from pecan to pumpkin. Yummy.

Traditional Baked Ham

Ask your butcher to source a traditionally prepared dry cure ham and to tie it for you. A dry cure ham will shrink less during cooking and produce a better quality easier to cut joint of meat. Now for the crafty part, poaching the ham before finishing the joint in the oven also improves the carving quality and produces a flavoursome stock from which you can make traditional pea and ham soup. I added a selection of my favourite glazes for you to try out.

1 whole or piece of boned and rolled dry cured ham around 3 to 4 lb is a nice joint

( ask your butcher to weigh it this is important for cooking times )

1 to 2 White Onions, peeled and quartered

2 large Carrots, peeled and halved

2 sticks of Celery, washed

2 Bay Leaves

4 Cloves

Around 10 whole Coriander Seeds

5 or 6 Black Peppercorns

Place the ham in the pan and cover with cold water. Place on the cooker and bring to the boil. Carefully take to the sink and pour out the water and wash off any scum from the ham. This initial boiling will help reduce excess salt in the finished ham. Cover again with cold water and add the carrots, celery, coriander seeds, and peppercorns. Pierce the bay leaves with the cloves, pin to the onions and add to the pan. Bring back to the boil, turn down to a gentle simmer and cover with lid. Cook for twenty minutes per pound of raw weight. Once the cooking time is finished turn off the heat and leave to go cold in the cooking liquor. This can be done the night before.

 

For the Delicious Glazes and Baking

 Wholegrain Mustard and Honey

4 tablespoons Soft Brown Sugar

4 tablespoons Runny Honey

2 tablespoons Wholegrain Mustard

Mix the sugar and mustard together in a small bowl. Rub in half of the mustard and sugar mix. Pour over one tablespoon of honey and put in the oven. After fifteen minutes spread on the remaining sugar, mustard, and honey. Finish off glazing in the oven for another fifteen minutes turning the oven down if the ham starts to burn. Remove and serve hot or cold.

Spicy Mustard with Apricot and Peach Preserve

4 tablespoons of Apricot Jam or Preserve

1 fl oz Peach Schnapps

3 tablespoons Dijon Mustard

¼ teaspoon freshly ground Black Pepper

¼ teaspoon Cayenne Pepper

Heat the preserve in a small thick bottomed pan until it melts whisk in remaining ingredients until thoroughly combined. Spread half the mixture over the ham and place in the oven. After fifteen minutes spread on the remaining mix. Finish off glazing in the oven for another fifteen minutes turning the oven down if the ham starts to burn. Remove and serve hot or cold.

Wicked Bourbon and Coca-Cola Glaze

1 can of Coca Cola

2 fl oz Bourbon Whiskey

2 oz Soft Brown Sugar

½ teaspoon ground Allspice

½ teaspoon Cayenne Pepper

¼ teaspoon freshly ground Black Pepper

Pour the coca cola into a small heavy bottomed pan. Reduce by two-thirds, simmering over a medium heat until you achieve a thin syrup. Add the sugar, whiskey, and spices and reduce again by half. Spread half the mixture over the ham and place in the oven. After fifteen minutes spread on the remaining mix. Finish off glazing in the oven for another fifteen minutes turning the oven down if the ham starts to burn. Remove and serve hot or cold.

Cinnamon and Mustard

2 oz Soft Brown Sugar

1 tablespoon French Mustard

½ tsp ground Cinnamon

¼ tsp freshly ground Black Pepper

Mix the ingredients together in a small bowl. Spread half the mixture over the ham and place in the oven. After fifteen minutes spread on the remaining mix. Finish off glazing in the oven for another fifteen minutes turning the oven down if the ham starts to burn. Remove and serve hot or cold.

Traditional Spiced Christmas Ham

2 tablespoons soft Brown Sugar

2 tablespoons English mustard

½ teaspoon ground Allspice

¼ teaspoon freshly ground Black Pepper

A large handful of Cloves

Mix all the ingredients, except the cloves, together in a small bowl. Spread half the mixture over the ham and then stud the fat with cloves pushing the pointed ends down in towards the meat. Place in the oven, after fifteen minutes spread on the remaining mix. Finish off glazing in the oven for another fifteen minutes turning the oven down if the ham starts to burn. Remove and serve hot or cold.