Glazed Ham

• Choose a large stock-pot with a heavy bottom for the initial cooking of the ham—slow, even heat is necessary.
• Pour the milk in the pot, and add the onion, garlic, ginger, allspice, peppercorns, and thyme.
• Give the ham a quick rinse, and ease it down into the pot.
• Place the pot on a medium-low flame, checking and stirring often as the milk heats.
• When the milk begins to simmer, lower the heat to maintain a simmer—the milk shouldn’t boil hard.
• Continue to monitor the ham, turning it several times throughout the process, until an instant-reading thermometer registers 71°C in the thickest, meatiest part of the ham.
• You may hold the ham in the hot liquid until you’re ready to glaze it.
• To make the glaze, first remove the black seeds from the cardamom pods, and crush them fine in a mortar.
• Put the cardamom seeds and all the other glaze ingredients in a small saucepan, and heat over a medium flame until bubbling.
• About 45 minutes before serving time, glaze the ham: heat the oven to 190°C.
• Drain the ham from the milk. (My friend Elge suggests saving the strained milk to make a sumptuous gravy for ham biscuits for Boxing Day brunch).
• Pick off any bits of onion or other aromatic ingredients that may be adhering to the ham.
• Put the ham, fat side up, on a rimmed baking sheet.
• Dab the ham with paper towels to help the glaze adhere.
• Using a barbecue brush, apply one third of the glaze, and put the ham in the hot oven.
• Bake 20 minutes, allowing the first layer of glaze to darken and set, then remove the ham and apply half the remaining glaze.
• Bake another 10 minutes, then apply the remainder of the glaze.
• Return to the oven for another 10 minutes, carefully transfer the ham to a serving platter, and bring it, with fanfare, to the dining table!

This recipe is taken from The Commonsense Kitchen by Tom Hudgens