The most delicious ham that will please your Christmas Day crowd
Recipe and styling Sarah Heeringa. Photography Amanda Reelick
For the ham
6-8kg free-range ham leg, we used Freedom Farms Ham on the Bone
1 1/2 cups lime or orange marmalade
3 tbsp mustard, we used Orange & Ginger from Attitude Foods
1/2 cup cranberry cider
3-4 bacon rashers, we used Freedom Farms free-range streaky bacon
whole cloves to garnish
For the apples
6 small Granny Smith apples
1/2 cup cranberrries
handful of cloves
2 tbsp brown sugar
1/2 cup cranberry cider
salt and pepper to season
Preheat the oven to 200°C.
Combine the marmalade, mustard and cider in a saucepan. Bring to the boil, reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring until it has thickened a little. Set aside. Use clean hands and a small sharp knife to gently remove the skin from the ham, leaving an even covering of white fat.
Core and slice the apples in half, through the equator and place, cut side up, on the fat. Combine the cranberries, cloves, sugar, cider and seasoning and spoon into the apple centres.
Place the ham on large roasting dish. Use a knife to score the ham in a diamond pattern. Wrap the bacon rashers around the hock to add flavour and prevent it from burning. Push a whole clove into each diamond and brush ham with the warm glaze. Add the skin to make crackling.
Roast for 40-45 minutes, brushing with the glaze, until the ham is golden and caramelised. Serves a crowd.
