The most Moreish Ham you’ll ever eat!

THE HAM and GLAZE

½ Moreish Ham leg, shank end
⅓ c maple syrup
¼ c brown sugar
2 T coarse ground mustard - Julie Le Clerc’s is the best
Cloves or not if you don't like them!
4 small tangelos or large mandarins halved
Extra olive oil and salt

THE COMPOTE

2 T olive oil
1 T butter
1 red onion finely diced
2 cloves garlic
2 bay leaves
6 cardamom pods crushed
4 T balsamic vinegar glaze
Large handful of fresh thyme

3/4 cup red wine

2 cups fresh cherries, pitted
Salt and pepper to taste
½ c toasted walnuts

THE HAM

Combine the maple syrup, brown sugar and mustard and leave to dissolve whilst you get everything else ready.

Cut tangelos or mandarins in half, sprinkle with salt, pepper and a drizzle of olive oil and roast in your Ironclad Pan for 15 minutes at 180°C.

Remove from oven and pan and set aside.

Remove the skin from the ham by slipping your hand between the skin and the fat and gently removing. You want to leave as much tasty fat on the ham as possible.

Score the fat using a small sharp knife (don’t cut down through the meat) and insert a clove in each diamond point or not!

Pop the ham, shank end up, into your Ironclad Pan and place in an oven heated to 160°C.

You will cook the ham for a total of 1 hour and 20 minutes.

After 40 minutes remove the pan from the oven and brush the ham with half the glaze and bake a further 20 minutes.

At the one hour mark baste the ham with the last of the glaze and tuck the pre roasted tangelos around the ham.

Turn the oven up to 200°C and roast ham and tangelos for a further 20 minutes until beautifully browned and sizzling.

THE CHERRIES

Sauté red onion, bay leaf and cardamom pods in butter and olive oil over a medium heat till onion is soft but not brown.

Add balsamic vinegar glaze, turn up the heat and let it sizzle for a minute.

Add red wine and fresh thyme and simmer until red wine has reduced by half.

Add fresh cherries, season with salt and pepper and simmer for a further 5 minutes.

If your cherries are very juicy and there is lots of juice in the pan remove cherries from sauce and reduce remaining liquid till it’s syrupy.

Fold the toasted walnuts gently through the compote and serve hot. If serving cold fold the walnuts through just before you serve so they stay crunchy.

TO SERVE

Slice the ham, cut tangelo halves into quarters and arrange on platter with the cherry compote.

Or just bang it all on the table and let everyone help themselves!

Happy Christmas and thank you Moreish!