Maple Glazed Ham (with bourbon and orange)
Glazing a ham is quite effortless, and it is a wonderful centerpiece for a holiday dinner, parties and special brunch tables. The ham is already cooked, and the oven does its thing with the glaze, which comes together in minutes. And you'll have the best leftovers the next day.
Servings 24 servings
Ingredients
- 1 whole ham about 6-7 pounds or 3 kg, boneless and cooked, with a top layer of fat
- 1 cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup orange juice
- ¼ cup bourbon
- ½ cup maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 1 garlic clove minced
- ⅛ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 3 or 4 sprigs of fresh thyme plus more to serve
- 1 orange in thin slices, to serve
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 300°F (150°C). You’ll probably need to use the lower third oven rack for your ham to fit comfortably, so adjust accordingly.
- Prepare a large roasting pan. Line it with aluminum foil big enough to wrap the whole ham.
- Have 1 whole ham at room temperature. Pat it dry, place it on top of the foil and score a straight or crisscross pattern with a sharp knife. Be careful not to cut the ham itself, just the fat layer.
- In a small saucepan, mix 1 cup brown sugar, ¼ cup orange juice, ¼ cup bourbon, ½ cup maple syrup, 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard, 1 garlic clove, ⅛ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper and 3 or 4 sprigs of fresh thyme. Stir over medium heat until fully integrated and the sugar is dissolved.
- Brush the ham with ¼ part of this mixture.
- Wrap it completely with the foil and cook it in the preheated oven for 1 ½ hours (about 15 minutes per pound). At half time, carefully open the foil (it'll steam) and brush the ham with more glaze, making sure you have glaze left for a final brush.
- Remove the ham from the oven, open the foil and brush it with the remaining glaze. Bake for 10-15 more minutes without wrapping to allow the glaze to become shiny and sticky. If not browning quickly, increase the temperature to 350°F (180°C) or place it under the broiler in the oven to caramelize it more. Be careful not to burn it!
- Transfer the ham to the serving platter and allow it to stand for 15-20 minutes before cutting. Serve surrounded with 1 orange, thinly sliced, and more thyme sprigs.
Notes
Substitutions: For a sweeter glaze, use honey instead of maple syrup. If you don't want alcohol, use more orange juice or water instead of bourbon.
