Holidays call for a special main course, and you can’t get more special than serving up a Champagne glazed ham at your next family feast!
We were inspired by a segment on this week’s edition of The Splendid Table (a fabulous cooking program on NPR, National Public Radio), listening to them tell the history of a version of this recipe. Besides the elegance of using Champagne (or sparkling wine will do), we are really not for sure if there is a purpose except for the fact of being absolutely delicious!
Champagne Glazed Ham
Ingredients
1 (9- to 10-pound) bone-in smoked ham
2 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
2 (750 ml) bottles extra-dry Champagne or other sparkling wine
3 tablespoons honey or maple syrup
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
Whole cloves
Pineapple slices, for serving (optional)
Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line a roasting pan with foil and place a rack on top of the foil.
2. Place the ham on the rack, fat side up. Using a sharp knife, score the fat across the top in a crisscross pattern, cutting just through the fat to the meat. Insert whole cloves at each crisscross. Spoon 1 cup of the brown sugar over the top of the ham, pressing with your fingers or the back of a spoon. Carefully pour 1 bottle of Champagne over the ham and the brown sugar. Cover the ham with foil and bake for 2 hours.
3. Meanwhile, in a saucepan, combine the remaining bottle of Champagne, 1 1/2 cups brown sugar, the honey, mustard, and ginger. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, until the glaze thickens, about 15 minutes.
4. Remove the ham from the oven and spoon half of the glaze on top. Keep the remaining glaze warm over low heat. Return the ham to the oven and bake, basting with the remaining glaze every 15 minutes, until a meat thermometer inserted in the ham registers 145°F, 1 hour longer or more. Tent with foil and let stand for 15 minutes before serving. Garnish with pineapple slices, if you’d like.
Delicious picture and recipe from The Splendid Table.