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Cumquat-glazed ham with pickled cumquats and salad

Name: Cumquat-glazed ham recipe
Yield: 12
Ingredients: 5-8kg whole Bundarra leg ham on the bone; 500g cumquats, halved, seeds discarded; 375ml cider vinegar; 110g caster sugar; 10 peppercorns; 2.00 cinnamon quill; 2 whole star anise; 4 whole cloves; 500g cumquats, quartered, seeds discarded (see notes); 250ml orange juice; 170g brown sugar; 125ml verjuice; 40.00 ml wholegrain mustard; 4 each whole star anise and whole cloves; 1 small red onion, thinly sliced; 80ml olive oil; 40.00 ml red wine vinegar; 2 oranges, peeled and segmented (see notes); 82.50 ml finely chopped tarragon leaves, plus extra sprigs to serve; 8 radishes, thinly sliced; 1 small fennel bulb, thinly sliced with fronds reserved (we used a mandoline); 250.00 ml flat-leaf parsley leaves

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Cumquat-glazed ham with pickled cumquats and salad

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by Lauren Mathers

CHEF

Dec 08, 2023

“We have the most lovely cumquat tree at my mum’s place. They’re in abundance, so we always do something with them at Christmas. The cumquat glaze is inspired by a recipe from my favourite cookbook, Stephanie Alexander’s The Cook’s Companion.” – Lauren Mathers

5-8kg whole Bundarra leg ham on the bone

Pickled cumquats

500g cumquats, halved, seeds discarded
1 1/2 cups (375ml) apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup (110g) caster sugar
10 peppercorns
1 cinnamon quill
2 whole star anise
4 whole cloves

Cumquat glaze

500g cumquats, quartered, seeds discarded (see notes)
1 cup (250ml) orange juice
3/4 cup (170g) firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup (125ml) verjuice
2 tbs wholegrain mustard
1 cinnamon quill
4 each whole star anise and whole cloves

Salad

1 small red onion, thinly sliced
1/3 cup (80ml) extra virgin olive oil
2 tbs red wine vinegar
2 oranges, peeled and segmented (see notes)
1/3 cup finely chopped tarragon leaves, plus extra sprigs to serve
8 radishes, thinly sliced
1 small fennel bulb, thinly sliced with fronds reserved (we used a mandoline)
1 cup flat-leaf parsley leaves

Method

1.

For the pickled cumquats, place fruit in a medium saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring to the boil over medium-high heat. Remove from heat and stand for 5 minutes. Drain and set aside. Add vinegar, sugar, spices and 1 tsp fine salt to same pan and bring to the boil, stirring, until sugar dissolves. Add cumquat, bring to a simmer, then cook for 2 minutes. Pour into a 1L sterilised jar. Close lid and set aside to cool. Chill for at least 24 hours before serving.
2.

To make the glaze, place all ingredients in a medium saucepan and bring to the boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium and gently boil for 35 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until cumquats are very soft and liquid has thickened. Preheat oven to 200°C/180°C fan-forced.
3.

Using a small sharp knife, cut through ham rind about 8cm from shank (see notes). To remove rind from ham, start at opposite end to shank and run thumb under rind to separate from fat. Peel back and remove rind. Wrap shank end in foil. Use the tip of a small sharp knife to lightly score fat layer of ham into 3cm-wide diamonds, being careful not to cut all the way through. Place ham on a large roasting tray. Generously spoon over half the glaze, pressing down to adhere. Bake for 1 hour, spooning over remaining glaze after 30 minutes, or until golden and caramelised. Transfer ham to a serving platter, scoop out caramelised cumquats from base of pan and spoon over.
4.

For the salad, place the onion in a large bowl and season generously with salt flakes. Add the oil and toss to coat. Stand for 10 minutes. Add vinegar and orange segments and toss to combine. Add remaining ingredients. Wait until ready to serve, then toss to coat in dressing. Serve sliced ham warm with salad and pickled cumquats on the side.

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Recipe Notes

Pickled cumquats need to be made at least 24 hours before.

“This glaze will work with a smaller ham, a piece of ham leg or even thick-cut ham steaks. You can make the glaze up to 1 week in advance. Store in a container in the fridge. The pickled cumquats will keep unopened in the fridge for up to 3 weeks. Once open, eat within the week.”

For the glaze and pickle, you can substitute cumquats with oranges. Ask your butcher to remove the skin on the ham if you don’t feel confident. Segment oranges over the bowl with the onion to catch the juice.