Recipe : Cherry Glazed Ham

Serves 8-12

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Method

1. Preheat oven to 180°C and line baking tray with baking paper.
2. Place ham on the baking tray. Using a sharp knife, remove skin (rind) from the ham – see note above – and score the fat in a diamond pattern.
3. Allow the ham to stand for 15 minutes at room temperature, meanwhile pit the cherries.
4. Place ham in the oven and bake for 10 minutes while you prepare the glaze.
5. To make the glaze, place brown sugar in a medium saucepan set over medium heat and stir for a minute to warm through. Add pitted cherries, lemon juice, cinnamon, allspice and salt. Mix well and bring to a gentle simmer. Cook for 5 minutes. Remove cherries from the saucepan, leaving behind as much of the liquid as possible, set cherries aside.
6. Remove ham from the oven and baste with half of the glaze all over. Bake for a further 15 minutes before glazing again and baking for a final 15 minutes – the ham should turn golden and lightly caramelised.
7. Remove from oven. Wrap a clean napkin around the hock with a ribbon, adding fresh rosemary or thyme for a festive look. Transfer to a serving platter and serve with the reserved glazed cherries on the side.
8. Store any unused ham in a damp ham bag in the fridge for up to 5 days, re-moistening the bag as needed.
9. Leftover sliced ham can also be frozen. Keep the hock and rind to make pea and ham soup – these can be frozen and used later as well.