Recipe: Honey Roast Ham

the appetizer:

The Beekeeper's Bible: Bees, Honey, Recipes & Other Home Uses by Richard A. Jones and Sharon Sweeney-Lynch includes excerpts & recipes like Honey Types and Descriptions; Curried Honey Sweet Potato Soup; and Honey Roast Ham.

Honey Roast Ham

Serves: 6 to 8

Honey roast ham has become a Christmas and Thanksgiving staple, along with turkey, as it is delicious served as part of a cold buffet or in sandwiches, with pickles and relish. It is best to buy a boned, rolled, and tied ham with a good layer of fat. The ham is cooked at relatively high heat, so use a dark honey such as chestnut; keep an eye on the meat as it cooks and baste regularly.

1 (3-1/2- to 4-lb) boned and tied unsmoked ham
1/3 cup apple cider or apple juice
1/4 cup dark honey, such as chestnut
2 tbsp demerara sugar
1/2 tsp dry mustard powder
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

To serve:

Fresh bay leaves

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Place a large piece of foil (that will wrap around the ham) in a roasting pan big enough to fit the ham comfortably. Wipe the ham dry with paper towel and place it in the roasting pan with the rind side up.

3. Pour the cider around the ham and loosely wrap the ham in the foil, making sure the edges are sealed so the cider does not leak out. Roast in the center of the oven for 1 hour 15 minutes, and then remove. Increase the oven temperature to 400 degrees F.

4. Open the foil and lift the ham onto a board; empty the juices from the pan.

5. With a sharp knife, carefully cut away the rind from the meat, leaving the fat intact. Score the fat into a diamond pattern and return the ham to the roasting pan; pull the foil up to protect the sides of the ham but leave the fat uncovered.

6. In a small bowl, mix together the honey, sugar, mustard powder, and cinnamon and, using a palette knife, spread the mixture evenly over the fat.

7. Return the ham to the oven for 15 to 20 minutes, baste, then roast for 10 to 15 minutes longer, until golden brown.

8. Let cool to room temperature in the pan, then remove the ham and carve it. Garnish with fresh bay leaves and serve.