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Maple, honey and spice-basted ham with glazed pears

Name: Maple, honey and spice-basted ham with glazed pears
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 75 min
Yield: 8
Ingredients: 6-7kg whole leg ham on the bone; 1/2 firmly packed cup (110g) brown sugar; 1/3 cup (80ml) each maple syrup and honey; 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard; 1/4 cup chervil sprigs, to garnish (optional); 1 lemon; 6 firm pears (such as beurre bosc); 1/4 cup (55g) brown sugar; 1/4 cup (60ml) maple syrup; 3 cinnamon quills; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; 1 cup (150g) frozen cranberries

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Maple, honey and spice-basted ham with glazed pears

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Follow the Nordic take on traditional trimmings and serve up this glazed ham for Christmas.

6-7kg whole leg ham on the bone
1/2 firmly packed cup (110g) brown sugar
1/3 cup (80ml) each maple syrup and honey
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/4 cup chervil sprigs, to garnish (optional)

Glazed pears

1 lemon
6 firm pears (such as beurre bosc)
1/4 cup (55g) brown sugar
1/4 cup (60ml) maple syrup
3 cinnamon quills
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup (150g) frozen cranberries

Method

1.

Preheat oven to 180°C. Remove skin from ham, leaving fat on. Score fat in a diamond pattern. Place ham on a rack in a baking pan and fill with 5cm water. Set aside.
2.

Warm sugar, syrup, honey and mustard in a pan over medium-high heat, stirring until combined. Brush glaze over ham, then bake for 45 minutes, basting every 15 minutes, until golden and caramelised.
3.

Meanwhile, for pears, remove rind from lemon in long strips, then halve lemon. Peel and quarter pears, then rub with lemon. Place in a pan with lemon rind, sugar, syrup, cinnamon, vanilla and enough water to cover. Bring to the boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 10 minutes or until pears are tender. Remove pears with a slotted spoon, increase heat to medium-high and simmer for 8-10 minutes until sauce is syrupy. Add cranberries for the final 5 minutes of cooking. Remove from heat and return pears to pan. Cool.
4.

Thinly slice ham, then serve with pears and berries, drizzled with some of the syrup and garnished with chervil, if using.