Family and Faith Magazine Christmas Edition Issue 11 | Page 18
BEST
CHRISTMAS
HAM EVER
It’s not Christmas without a big, glorious
ham, and Chef Daniel shows us how to
prepare it.
CHEF DANIEL
SCHWEIZER
In Switzerland where I am from, we eat our
Christmas meal on Christmas Eve, and a glazed
and perfectly decorated Christmas ham, or
“gammon” as we call it, is essential for an
impressive Christmas table. My holiday tradition
is a routine which brings the family together.
We’d start off the festivities with the hunt for
the perfect Christmas tree in the forest, and end
it with a classic Christmas dinner of “gammon”,
served with scalloped potatoes, with melted
cheeses and milk baked into it, and a glass of
Samichlaus Glühwein (mulled wine), or Heidi
Cocoa (hot cocoa). FIGUGEGL!
Christmas Ham
Ingredients
1 (10-pound) smoked, bone-in Hamilton’s
Smoke House Ham
1 cup honey
1/4 cup whole-grain mustard
1 can pineapples
1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
4 tablespoons unsalted butter (1/2 stick)
1 cup orange liqueur
Maraschino cherries are optional
Directions
Heat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Trim away any
excess fat, leaving about a 1/4-inch layer all over. Set
the Hamilton’s Smoke House Ham aside to rest at room
temperature for 30 minutes.
Wrap ham in several sheets of aluminium foil and place cut
side down, and bake for 45 minutes.
Meanwhile, combine the remaining ingredients in a small
saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally,
until the butter melts and the brown sugar has completely
dissolved, about 3 minutes. Set aside and let cool to
lukewarm (the glaze should be the consistency of roomtemperature honey).
12 CHEFS OF CHRISTMAS
Remove ham from the oven and increase the oven temperature to 425
degrees Fahrenheit. Using a sharp knife, score a 1-inch-wide diamond
pattern (don’t cut more than 1/4-inch deep) over the entire ham. Place
pineapple on the ham and hold in place with toothpicks, remember to
remove them when done cooking.
Brush the ham with a quarter of the glaze, return it to the oven, and bake
uncovered for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven, brush with another
quarter of the glaze, and repeat every 15 minutes until all of the glaze
has been used and a dark golden-brown crust has formed, about 55 to 60
minutes total. Let the ham rest 20 to 30 minutes before slicing.