Cider Glazed Baby Ham With Ginger Cardamom Food

ROASTED FRESH HAM WITH CIDER GLAZE

Steps:

• One day before roasting: In a plastic container large enough to hold the ham, stir the water with the salt and brown sugar until dissolved. Add the spices. Score ham in a diamond pattern through the skin and fat, taking care not to cut into the meat. Add ham to brine, weight it with a plate to keep it submerged, and refrigerate for at least 4 but no more than 8 hours. Drain, rinse, pat the ham dry, and refrigerate.
• One hour before roasting, remove the ham from the refrigerator. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. For the rub: Pulse the olive oil, mustard, parsley, sage, garlic, red pepper, salt, and black pepper in a food processor to make a paste. Rub it all over ham. In a large roasting pan, toss the onion wedges with 1 cup of the apple cider, and set the ham on top. Roast the ham for 30 minutes, reduce the oven temperature 325 degrees F, and roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part registers 165 degrees F, about 4 hours. After the first hour, loosely wrap aluminum foil around the bone to keep it from burning.
• Meanwhile, for the glaze: Boil, then simmer, the remaining apple cider in a saucepan, skimming as needed, until syrupy and reduced to about 2 cups, about 1 1/2 hours.
• During the last 1 1/2 hours of cooking the ham, brush it with the glaze every 30 minutes. Transfer the cooked ham to an ovenproof platter and let it rest in the turned-off oven for 30 minutes. Loosely cover the onions in a bowl, and put them in the oven as well. Strain the pan juices into a saucepan, skim off any excess fat, and bring to a boil. Make a paste with the flour and butter and whisk a bit at a time into the juices. Boil until thick. Carve the ham and serve with the onions and sauce.
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GINGER CHILE GLAZED HAM WITH FLAMBE FINISH

Steps:

• Temper the ham by bringing it out of the fridge 90 minutes before cooking. (This will allow it to heat more evenly and not dry out.)
• Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.
• Place the ham in a shallow roasting pan fitted with a rack. Using a paring knife, score the fatty side of the ham by gently slicing lines 1/2-inch apart, crisscrossing on an angle to create a diamond pattern. This will allow the glaze to soak into the ham. Add the chicken stock to the bottom of the pan, then cover the pan in foil. Cook for 40 minutes, basting every 10 to 15 minutes.
• To make the glaze, warm the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the ginger and chile flakes and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the brown sugar, honey, lime juice and Dijon mustard. Bring to a simmer, then cook until slightly reduced, about 2 minutes. Set aside the glaze in a bowl, leaving about 1/4 cup behind in the pan for finishing.
• Remove the ham from the oven and raise the oven to 425 degrees F.
• Remove the foil from the ham and discard the drippings from the pan. Brush the ham liberally with half of the glaze. Return to the oven and cook, uncovered, for 15 minutes, then brush again. Bake again until dark and caramelized, another 15 minutes. Remove the ham to a rimmed platter.
• Heat the remaining 1/4 cup glaze to a simmer over medium-low heat. If using the bourbon, remove the glaze from heat and add the bourbon. Using a lighter, flambe the alcohol in the pan and very carefully pour over the ham. (The alcohol can be omitted and you can just put the warm glaze over the ham.)