Family and Faith Magazine Christmas Edition Issue 11 | Page 18

BEST CHRISTMAS HAM EVER It’s not Christmas without a big, glorious ham, and Chef Daniel shows us how to prepare it. CHEF DANIEL SCHWEIZER In Switzerland where I am from, we eat our Christmas meal on Christmas Eve, and a glazed and perfectly decorated Christmas ham, or “gammon” as we call it, is essential for an impressive Christmas table. My holiday tradition is a routine which brings the family together. We’d start off the festivities with the hunt for the perfect Christmas tree in the forest, and end it with a classic Christmas dinner of “gammon”, served with scalloped potatoes, with melted cheeses and milk baked into it, and a glass of Samichlaus Glühwein (mulled wine), or Heidi Cocoa (hot cocoa). FIGUGEGL! Christmas Ham Ingredients 1 (10-pound) smoked, bone-in Hamilton’s Smoke House Ham 1 cup honey 1/4 cup whole-grain mustard 1 can pineapples 1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar 4 tablespoons unsalted butter (1/2 stick) 1 cup orange liqueur Maraschino cherries are optional Directions Heat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Trim away any excess fat, leaving about a 1/4-inch layer all over. Set the Hamilton’s Smoke House Ham aside to rest at room temperature for 30 minutes. Wrap ham in several sheets of aluminium foil and place cut side down, and bake for 45 minutes. Meanwhile, combine the remaining ingredients in a small saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until the butter melts and the brown sugar has completely dissolved, about 3 minutes. Set aside and let cool to lukewarm (the glaze should be the consistency of roomtemperature honey). 12 CHEFS OF CHRISTMAS Remove ham from the oven and increase the oven temperature to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Using a sharp knife, score a 1-inch-wide diamond pattern (don’t cut more than 1/4-inch deep) over the entire ham. Place pineapple on the ham and hold in place with toothpicks, remember to remove them when done cooking. Brush the ham with a quarter of the glaze, return it to the oven, and bake uncovered for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven, brush with another quarter of the glaze, and repeat every 15 minutes until all of the glaze has been used and a dark golden-brown crust has formed, about 55 to 60 minutes total. Let the ham rest 20 to 30 minutes before slicing.