Watch Neven's Christmas at Adare on RTÉ One at 8pm on Thursday, 7th and 14th of December.
Ingredients
Serves 6-8
- 2.5kg piece of Quality Assured ham, off the bone
- 4 celery stocks, roughly chopped
- 2 onions, sliced
- 1 bunch of fresh thyme
- 1 tbsp black peppercorns
Maple Glaze
- 200ml Irish whiskey
- 200ml Maple Syrup (or honey)
- 2tbsp redcurrant jelly
- 2tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1 tsp ground allspice
- 1 tsp ground cloves
Method
- Weigh the ham joint to calculate the cooking time (20 minutes per 450g plus 20 minutes
- Place in a large pan, cover with water & bring to the boil, skimming off any scum.
- Add the celery, onions, thyme and peppercorns and return to the boil, then cover, reduce the heat and simmer until completely tender, occasionally skimming off any scum that rises to the top.
- Drain and leave to cool completely
For the maple glaze
- Place the whiskey maple syrup, redcurrant jelly, balsamic vinegar, ground allspice and ground cloves in a high sided pot
- Bring to the boil and simmer for about 10 minutes, until slightly thickened
- Place in kilner jar until required
To glaze the ham
- Preheat the oven to 160°C/320°F/Gas Mark 3
- Carefully peel away the skin, leaving the layer of white fat intact. Using a sharp knife, score the fat diagonally to make a diamond pattern, being careful not to cut into the meat.
- Place in a large roasting tin lined with parchment paper
- Brush a layer of the glaze all over the ham, reserving the remainder
- Bake for 1 hour, brushing over another layer of the glaze every 15 minutes
- Remove the cooked ham from the oven, transfer to a serving platter and leave to rest for 15 minutes.
