Woman's Day
Ingredients
Glaze
Method
1.Preheat oven to 190°C. Place one oven shelf on lowest position and remove other shelves.
2.Remove ham rind: using a small sharp knife, cut through rind 10cm from top of shank. Then run your thumb underneath skin and above fat layer to separate edges all the way around. Starting from widest edge, gently pull back rind to remove.
3.Using a sharp knife, score a diamond pattern at 2cm intervals, about 5mm deep, all over ham fat. (Do not cut too deeply or the fat will spread apart during cooking.)
4.Press a clove into centre of each diamond. Pour 1 cup of water into a baking pan large enough to hold the ham. Place ham on a wire rack in pan.
5.To make glaze: Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan. Stir over low heat until smooth. Strain into a bowl, reserving 2 tablespoons of glaze (for figs). Makes about 2 1/2 cups.
6.Brush quarter of remaining glaze over ham. Bake 30 minutes, basting every 15 minutes. Cook a further 15 minutes, basting twice with remaining glaze and juices from pan until glaze caramelises. Remove from oven and rest 10 minutes.
7.Meanwhile, brush figs with reserved glaze (optional) and arrange on an oven tray. Bake 8-10 minutes, until beginning to caramelise.
8.Carve ham into slices. Serve warm or at room temperature with figs.
Look for the pink Australian Pork mark on products that contain only Australian pork. Store ham in a calico ham bag. Wash the bag in a solution of 2 cups water and 1 tablespoon white vinegar and wring out. Cover the cut ham with the reserved rind or baking paper. Place ham in bag and keep in the coldest part of the fridge for up to 3 weeks. Rinse the bag in the solution every 2-3 days (and change the paper if using) to help keep the ham moist and fresh. Whole hams on the bone range from 7-14 kilograms. For something smaller, ask your butcher for a half ham. You can also buy a boneless leg ham with shank still attached to make carving easier.
Note
