1. Wash your hands.
2. Remove ham from packaging.
3. Remove brown protective tape from bone (if there is any).
4. If the ham has a hock, cut a line around the bones so you can keep the skin on the hock when removing it from the rest of the ham.
5. To remove the skin, slide your fingers under the thick skin and wiggle them around to loosen it, taking care to leave as much of the soft white fat intact as possible (the fat is where the flavour lives, so don’t be stingy!). Try to take the skin off in nice big pieces – and don’t throw away!
6. With a sharp knife, score the ham in a cross-hatch pattern – you just want to cut through the fat, not the meat below. Scoring the ham looks pretty, but it also helps keep the glaze from sliding off when you bake it.
7. Pop the removed skin in a roasting dish, and place the ham on top of it. Add a little water to the dish… just enough to cover the skin without touching the ham too much. This will keep any glaze drips from burning in the pan and keep your ham moist and glossy.
8. Glaze the ham with a glaze of your choice. To avoid the sugars burning, we recommend brushing the ham lightly with glaze before baking. Then about half way through cook time, take ham out, apply remaining glaze and return to oven. 15 mins from the end of cook time, take it out and spoon over some of the lovely pan juices to give the ham a nice sheen. Recommended heating times are set out below.
9. Get someone else to do the dishes!

Put a ham on the BBQ…

Cooking your ham on the barbecue puts a summery twist on things…and frees up valuable space in the oven! Follow the same instructions for oven cooking, and cook in a lidded barbecue… we’ll leave the gas or charcoal debate up to you! Just take into account that each time you open and close the lid, a barbecue can take a bit longer than an oven would to get back up to temperature.

Skin in the game…

Seems like a waste, peeling off that thick skin. Our recommended cooking method sees it used as a bed for the ham to rest on as it cooks, but there’s life in it yet after that. Slice up leftover rind and…

Peach, Jalapeno + Cider Vinegar Glaze

In a saucepan put the 2-3 ripe peaches, cut into small dice (or use 1 400g can peaches, drained and diced), ¼ cup soft brown sugar, ½  cup apple cider vinegar, 2 Tbsp lime or lemon juice, 2 Tbsp very finely chopped jalapeno (fresh or drained jarred), 2 tsp cumin, 2 tsp cinnamon, ½ tsp sea salt. Bring almost to a boil then lower to a quick simmer and cook, stirring, for 4-5 mins until the peach has softened. If the mixture is still a bit chunky, cool slightly and blitz in a blender. 

Rum + Marmalade Glaze

In a saucepan put ⅓  cup dark or golden rum, ⅓  cup marmalade, 2 Tbsp malt vinegar, 2 tsp allspice, 1 tsp nutmeg. Bring almost to a boil then lower to a quick simmer and cook for 3-4 mins, stirring to combine.

Pineapple + Mustard Glaze

In a saucepan put ½ 400g tin crushed pineapple, ¼ cup Dijon mustard, 1 Tbsp lemon juice, 2 Tbsp coconut sugar, ½ tsp cloves,1 tsp cinnamon, ½ tsp sea salt. Bring almost to a boil then lower to a quick simmer and cook for 3-4 mins, stirring to combine.

Side Show

Ham all on its own is a beautiful thing, but having a couple of condiments on the table doesn’t hurt. A good mustard or relish of some kind is never a bad idea, but there are also other great partners to take ham to the ball. 

• Tamarind chutney
• Fresh peach relish – Combine finely diced firm peach flesh (or mango) and mix with finely sliced shallots, lime juice, chopped coriander or mint, Aleppo pepper and a touch of sea salt. 
• Home made bread & butter pickles
• Home made chilli & lime mayo
• Quick pickles – in a saucepan add 2 parts vinegar of choice, 1 part water, seasonings such as salt, peppercorns, paprika, chilli flakes, cumin, and heat almost to boiling point then cool and pour over thin moons of radish, thinly sliced red onion, or diced watermelon to cover. Let cool then chill until ready to serve. 
• Applesauce – a fave with roast pork, it also goes great with ham. Bought varieties can be very sweet, so you might like to try making your own using Granny Smiths or old-fashioned tart cooking apples if you can find them. 
• Champagne mustard – yes, your favourite mustard, whisked with a bit of the good stuff – also works with whisky or beer, and you can add chilli, chopped tarragon, thyme or oregano, or honey, as you like. 

The After Party

The crackers are cracked, the bellies are full. Leftover ham is best kept whole (so be judicious when carving it) and wrapped in a slightly damp clean ham bag, or clean cotton. There’s no need for soaking the bag in vinegar or wiping the ham with vinegar, unless you’re wanting to somehow feel at one with your ancestors who lacked refrigeration. 

For brekkie… Ham and egg hash with whatever else you have going – potatoes, tomatoes, spinach, herb /  eggs bene sitting on thick slices of ham fried in butter, topped with crisp sage leaves / ham fried rice / ham, egg and cheese brekkie pizza.