In the May addition of Fine Cooking magazine, there was a piece written by Bruce Aidells about how to buy and prepare the perfect ham. I found this article particularly helpful because I’ve never been able to make a decent pan sauce from a baked ham. Normally I don’t even use liquid when I bake ham, and I just serve some kind of mustard on the side. But Bruce's method seemed so easy, I decided to try his Maple, Tea and Cardamom Glaze and Sauce recipe. I ended up making a variation of his recipe (because I forgot to buy one of the main ingredients), but it still turned out good in the end.
Ham with Thai Jasmine Tea, Cardamom and Cloves
- 1 bone-in ham (not spiral cut)
- whole cloves (about 1 tbs worth)
- 2 cups strong Thai Jasmine Tea
- 1 cup limeade
- ¼ cup + 1 tbs maple syrup
- 5 cardamom pods, crushed
- 3 tbs light brown sugar
- 2-3 tbs Dijon mustard
- 1 tbs cornstarch mixed with 1 tbs cold Thai Jasmine Tea (or cold water is fine)
Start by scoring the fat on the ham. Dot the ham with the cloves, especially in the fatty areas. The cloves should push easily into the meat. Place the ham, flat side down, in a roasting pan just large enough to accommodate it. Don't forget to remove the plastic thingy they put over the bone.
Combine 1 cup of the tea, limeade and ¼ cup of maple syrup in a bowl. Pour this mixture into a roasting pan so that it comes ¼ inch up the side of the ham. Place the ham into a preheated 325º oven. Cooking time is about 15 minutes per pound for a regular oven and 12 minutes per pound in a convection oven. Add more tea as needed to keep the level of the liquid to ¼ inch.
To make the glaze, combine 1 tbs maple syrup, the crushed cardamom pods, brown sugar and 1 tbs hot water (I made this in advance to let the cardamom flavor develop in the glaze). When the ham is done, brush the glaze on the ham and raise the temperature of the oven to 425º. Allow the glaze to caramelize (watch it because it could happen in 5 minutes). Remove the ham from the oven and transfer it to a large platter. Cover the ham with foil and a few dish towels (I used a folded table cloth), and allow the ham to rest for at least 30 minutes.
To make the sauce, pour the liquid from the pan into a saucepan. Allow the liquid to settle for 5 or 10 minutes so the fat will rise to the top. Skim off the fat and bring the remaining liquid to a boil. Add the mustard and give it a whisk. Taste the sauce. If it tastes diluted or weak, allow it to reduce a bit to concentrate the flavors. It should have a hint of tanginess from the limeade and mustard, yet be sweet. The taste of the tea will be subtle. When you’re happy with the flavors, add about half the cornstarch mixture. The sauce should thicken quickly. Add more cornstarch mixture for a thicker sauce.
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