Ingredients
| 1 x 6–7kg ham leg* | |
| JUNIPER GLAZE | |
| 1.25 litres fresh orange juice | |
| 1¼ cups (310ml) white wine vinegar | |
| 1 cup (250ml) tonic water | |
| ½ cup (125ml) gin | |
| 1.2kg firmly packed brown sugar | |
| 2 tablespoons juniper berries | |
| 6 bay leaves | |
| 8 sprigs lemon thyme |
View the recipe collection here
Instructions
| 1. | To make the juniper glaze, place the juice, vinegar, tonic, gin, sugar, juniper berries, bay leaves and lemon thyme in a saucepan over high heat. Stir until the sugar is dissolved. |
| 2. | Bring to the boil and cook, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes or until reduced by a third. |
| 3. | Strain the glaze into a jug, reserving the juniper berries. Set aside. |
| 4. | Preheat oven to 220°C. |
| 5. | Use a sharp knife to score the skin around the sides and hock of the ham, before using your fingers to gently remove the rind. Trim any excess fat. |
| 6. | Wrap the hock of the ham with non-stick baking paper, then aluminium foil. |
| 7. | Pour the glaze into a deep-sided roasting pan. |
| 8. | Carefully place the ham, top-side down, into the pan and brush with the glaze. Roast for 30 minutes. |
| 9. | Remove from the oven and reduce the oven temperature to 200°C. |
| 10. | Remove a third of the glaze and place in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. |
| 11. | Cook for 15 minutes or until reduced and thickened. |
| 12. | While the glaze is cooking, turn the ham over and brush with the roasting pan glaze. Cook for a further 15 minutes. |
| 13. | Brush the ham with the reduced and thickened glaze and cook for a further 10 minutes or until golden. |
| 14. | Place the ham on a serving platter and brush with any remaining glaze before carving to serve. |
| 15. | * This recipe calls for a whole leg of ham, with the bone in, that has been pre-cured and pre-cooked. |
Recipes and images extracted
from Christmas Feasts
and Treats by Donna Hay,
published by 4th Estate AU.
Photography by Con Poulos
& Chris Court, styling by
Steve Pearce. $49.99.