From Scratch

This will be on my Easter table along with the divine roasted asparagus in the photo. Their flavors complement each other well. I’ve made Coca-Cola Ham for years but decided to try something new and this fits the bill. Its gives the ham a more complex taste, less sweet, and there’s a perfect amount of glaze for a small, boneless, spiral-cut half ham.

The recipe was in the Williams-Sonoma catalog; a link to their recommended side dish follows this recipe. I wondered what makes it Creole then noticed cane syrup in the ingredient list; it’s common in Creole cooking and fortunately for those of us who can’t find it, there are several good substitutions. I used Grade B maple syrup, thinner and not as sweet as cane syrup and better suited for cooking and baking than the Grade A we use on pancakes.

I love the ease and “no brainerness” of ham. Timing’s never crucial, as it’s already cooked, and a glaze is unfussy. Usually, I buy a butt portion or shank portion ham but this time, I tried one of those smaller, boneless, spiral-cut half hams and became an instant fan. It was 3 1/2 pounds, enough for a couple meals and sandwiches for two people, and the texture was superb. As much as I love using leftovers and a bone for soup, I don’t always want soup or many leftovers. The half ham took care of that.

If you serve this with the roasted asparagus, a bonus is they need the same position in the oven, so there’s no handling of hot racks. When the ham comes out and is set aside to rest, raise the temperature to 400 and pop in the asparagus.

Roasted Ham with Creole Glaze

Adapted from Williams-Sonoma

1 cooked half ham, 3 1/2 - 5 pounds
1 cup water
1/2 cup cane syrup or golden syrup or a substitution as outlined here - look for golden syrup
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp ground cloves
pinch of allspice

Place a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees.

Line a small roasting pan with a long piece of foil, add the ham and score it, if not using a spiral cut. Pour the water into the pan, pull up the excess foil and close tightly. Roast for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the glaze. Put all the remaining ingredients in a small saucepan, whisk well to blend and cook over medium-low heat until warm. Remove from heat.

Generously brush the ham with some of the glaze and return to the oven. Roast, uncovered, for 45 minutes or until ham is warmed through, brushing with more glaze every 15 minutes.

Let ham rest 10 - 15 minutes before serving.

Williams-Sonoma’s recommended side dish: Potatoes Lyonnaise

Related: Roasted Asparagus with Balsamic Butter

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