A ham in Hollywood.

Our Christmas ham fresh from the oven. Photo taken by Mara Kelly

A long time ago when my daughter was a baby my wife and I decided that rather than make the rounds on Christmas Day it was easier just to stay home. We set up a buffet so friends and family came and went as they wished and their holiday schedule permitted. Checking out the cost of things we made a baked ham the center piece of the buffet table, ham was and remains the most cost effective way to provide meat for a large crowd. We made a large potato salad and set out a spread of pickles, olives and other garnishes. My wife made her signature holiday dish, a Pizza Rustica, which is not a pizza but a tall pie of puff pastry over layers of salami, Italian ham, spinach, provolone, mortadella and dried tomatoes, sort of classic hero sandwich without bread. Our friends and family would bring something, usually sweet and we would have a pleasant relaxed day. Since we live in Hollywood most of the time people sat in the back yard during the afternoon.

We still have our Open House on the afternoon of Christmas Day. The center piece is still a baked whole ham. Today, for most of visitors it is the one and only time of the year they eat real ham. Unlike spiral hams, this whole ham does not dry out or get too salty or sugary when slow roasted. The slow roasting does cook out most of the brine added to the ham in processing. The glaze and the cloves give it a richer more complex flavor. Here is how we do it:

Take one large ham, 20 to 25 pounds. We use Farmer John’s, since it is the local favorite. In those parts of the country where real “county hams” are available they would be even better. In the south and the Midwest people are as serious and fussy about ham as Californians are about wine. In Virginia the virtues of ham from York or Surrey counties are taken very seriously, like wine lovers contrasting the virtues of wine from Sonoma and Napa counties. The last thing before going to bed on Christmas Eve, we take it out of the refrigerator and set it in the sink to come to room temperature over night. This is important because it lets the ham cook evenly and come to temperature more quickly the next day. In the morning we unwrap the ham and prepare it. First we spray the big black roasting pan and the rack with Pam -- this will save you hours of scrubbing the next day. Then we wash off and dry the ham, set it on the rack. Now we score the fat and pork skin in the traditional crisscross cross pattern of one inch squares. Next we take a cup full of whole cloves and stick one in the center of each of the squares. Then we make our ham glaze.

Ham Glaze:

The glaze is savory, meaning it is sweet and salty, tangy and with sharp citrus edge. The brown sugar and molasses ensure a rich deep caramelized crust while the sour orange pulp and tartness of the marmalade and the sharp hotness of the mustard are the counterpoint to the rich sweetness.

One jar of tart rough cut orange marmalade, preferably the original Dundee brand from Scotland, although a homemade or domestic one works if it is chunky and on the tart side.

To this we add one cup of Dijon mustard (A sharp “brown” mustard works too).

Next add a cup of brown sugar, two tablespoons of dark molasses and as much orange juice to thin the mixture so it can be beaten together.

Brush this on the ham. Now tent the ham loosely in aluminum foil and put a couple quarts of water and a sliced orange in the bottom of the roasting pan. (This makes for a moist heat and does not dry out the ham.)

Once an hour brush on a thin coat of the glaze. When you are down to the last hour removed the aluminum foil and bush on a heavy coat of the glaze, repeat every fifteen minutes until you have used up the glaze mixture.

Pull the ham out and let it rest half an hour on a platter in the center of the buffet table. It is a very impressive dish and one whose rich fragrance permeates the whole house. People like to take pictures of it. Finally, carve it into two platters, one for the large slices and another for the cracklings and odd and irregular pieces. We have loaves of sliced rye and sourdough bread on the table, young people seem to prefer sandwiches while adults eat their ham “straight.”

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