Festive Glazed Ham with Cranberry Orange Compote 🎄

It's almost sad 'un-decorating' my Christmas tree after the festive period, but I am pleased about the lovely ham enjoyed on Christmas Day and the leftovers which are being used up for various delicious things. We always have ham for Christmas lunch because it's easy to prepare, especially on a hot and sweaty summer day here in Perth.  As we don't have a big family around or a crowd to feed, I opt for a ham portion instead of a whole leg of ham which still looks impressive on the table and is much easier to manage.  Choose one with a good surrounding layer of fat for best results.  Take time to score and stud it with cloves.  Glaze before, during and after baking for a golden, glossy finish.  Garnish with fresh herbs (I use bay leaves) and cherries.  Serve with my cranberry orange compote alongside cheesy scalloped potatoes, coleslaw, mango & avocado salad or Lebanese tabbouleh salad if you like.  Happy 2025 everyone!

Serves 6-8

INGREDIENTS

• 2.5kg / 5½lb smoked leg ham portion
• ¼ cup brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• whole cloves, to stud
• fresh herbs and cherries, for garnishing

Cranberry orange compote:

• 1 cup dried cranberries
• juice and zest of 1 orange 
• ¼ cup water
• 2 tablespoons sugar (more can be added to your taste)
• pinch of salt

METHOD

1. In a bowl, combine brown sugar, maple syrup, honey and mustard to make the glaze.  Stir until the sugar dissolves.
2. Make the cranberry orange compote by following instructions below.
3. Line a large baking dish with 2 layers of baking paper.
4. Run a small sharp knife under the rind around edge of the ham.  Gently lift the rind off in one piece by running your fingers between the rind and the fat.  Discard the rind.
5. Run the knife over fat to lightly score all over in a diamond pattern.  Stud the centres of the diamonds with cloves.
6. Transfer the ham to the prepared dish.  Brush ⅓ of the glaze over the ham.  Place in a preheated 180°C/350°F oven to bake for 20 minutes.  After 20 minutes, brush it with another ⅓ of the glaze, then continue to bake for a further 20 minutes or until heated through and golden brown.
7. Remove ham from the oven and brush with the remaining glaze.  Place the ham on a platter for 10 minutes to rest.  Garnish with fresh herbs and cherries.  Serve with the cranberry orange compote. 

Cranberry orange compote:

1. In a medium saucepan, add dried cranberries, sugar, orange juice and zest, water and salt. Bring it to a boil under medium heat, stirring to combine all ingredients.  Reduce heat to low and continue to cook for 5-10 minutes.  Add more water if necessary.  The sauce is done when the cranberries have plumped up and most of the liquid is evaporated.  
2. Remove the pan from heat.  Let the sauce cool slightly in the pan before transferring it into a dish for serving or a glass jar for storage in the refrigerator for a few days.