GLAZED HAM

New Year's Glazed Ham

1 picnic ham (about 10 pounds)

1/4 cup honey

1/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

1 teaspoon dry mustard

1 (15-ounce) can pineapple rings, drained and juice reserved

Maraschino cherries

Whole cloves

Rinse the ham under cool tap water, then put in a deep, heavy pot or Dutch oven. Add enough water to cover the ham, bring to a boil, and let boil, uncovered, over medium-high heat for 1 hour. Skim away any foam that rises to the surface. Remove the ham from the pot and let cool. When cool enough to handle, remove the skin and excess fat.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Put ham in a large roasting pan and bake for 1 hour.

Meanwhile, combine the honey, brown sugar, mustard, and 1/4 cup of the reserved pineapple juice in a small saucepan over medium heat. Whisk until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is smooth. Remove from the heat.

Remove the ham from the oven and brush the glaze mixture over the ham. Reduce the oven temperature to 250°F and bake for another hour.

Remove from the oven and arrange the pineapple slices with a cherry in the center of each (securing with toothpicks) and dot the top of the ham with the cloves. Return the ham to the oven and bake for another 20 minutes.

Remove from the oven and let sit for about 10 minutes before slicing to serve.

Makes about 12 servings

A baked ham goes a long way at gatherings on New Year's Day. The bone from the ham can always be used later to flavor split pea or white bean soup. 

PEPPERED HAM SALAD SPREAD

Peppered Ham Salad Spread 

3 cups diced cooked ham 

1/2 cup minced green onions 

3/4 cup minced celery 

1/4 cup minced black olives 

2 tablespoons minced pimientos 

Mayonnaise 

1 tablespoon hot sauce or to taste 

Black pepper to taste 

Worcestershire sauce to taste

Party crackers or small slices of rye bread 

Finely chop the ham in a food processor. In a mixing bowl, combine the ham with the rest of the ingredients (except the bread). Cover and chill for an hour before serving. Serve with the party crackers or rye.

OKRA HAM AND TOMATO GUMBO

Okra, Ham and Tomato Gumbo

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
4 strips hickory-smoked bacon, chopped
2 packages sliced, frozen okra, 16-ounce size
2 cans chopped tomatoes, 14.5 ounce size
1 -1/2 cups store-bought chopped vegetable seasoning
1 cup frozen yellow corn
2 teaspoons seafood seasoning
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
¾ cup vegetable or seafood stock
4 whole bay leaves
½ teaspoon dried thyme
2 pounds 51-60 shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 cup small diced ham
1 pound tiny elbow macaroni, cooked al dente
Flat leaf parsley, finely chopped for garnish
½ cup green onions, thinly sliced for garnish

Put a 5-quart heavy cast iron Dutch oven on the stove top over medium heat. Then fry down the bacon in the vegetable oil until lightly browned and crispy. Remove it from the pot and set it aside for a while.
Now drop into the pot the frozen okra and fry it down, too, until the okra begins to brown and the "rope" starts to disappear (about 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally). Then, with the fire still at medium heat, drop in the chopped tomatoes, the vegetable seasoning mix, the corn, the seafood seasoning, they cayenne pepper, the bay leaves, and the dried thyme.
Next, stir everything together well, making sure it is all totally combined. Now reduce the heat to low, cover the pot, and let the gumbo simmer for about 20-25 minute or until the veggies are tender.
At this point, drop in the shrimp and the ham, stir them into the mixture, cover the pot, and let the pot of gumbo simmer once more for about 10 minutes.
When you’re ready to eat, spoon out a generous helping of elbow macaroni in a large soup bowl, ladle the gumbo over the pasta, and garnish the bowl with a scattering of parsley and green onions and top off the dish with a light sprinkling of bacon.
========
Editor’s Note:
Traditionally, gumbos, regardless of the kind, are served over hot, steamed, white rice. But not this one. The elbow macaroni lends a different dimension and rounds out the depth of flavor.
If you can find really tender, young okra at, say, a farmers’ market, you can substitute it for the frozen stuff. But make certain the pods are young and tender otherwise the okra will turn out tasting tough and "woody."
It is perfectly permissible to use "fresh" tomatoes (preferably Roma) when making this recipe. Just remember to peel and de-seed the tomatoes before dicing them an smothering them down in the Dutch oven.
In lieu of frozen corn on the cob, you may also prefer to use fresh corn. Simply strip off the kernels (along with the corn "milk") and blend them into the other ingredients, allowing them to smother long enough to soften and tenderize the hulls.
　

PEACH GLAZED EASTER HAM

Peach Glazed Easter Ham

A welcome change from the traditional adornment of pineapple slices and marashcino cherries.

Serves 10 to 12

2 Tablespoons whole cloves
2 cups packed brown sugar
1 stick butter
1/4 cup orange juice
1 16-oz can peaches with their juice
1/4 cup Creole mustard
½ cup peach or apricot preserves
1 tsp. Cinnamon
2 tsp. Allspice
1 tsp. Ginger
1 10-14 lb. Ham
1 large plastic marinating bag with twist tie

Mix 1 Tbsp. Of the cloves with brown sugar, butter, orange juice, liquid from peaches, mustard, preserves, cinnamon, allspice and ginger together in a large saucepan. Cook on medium heat until mixture becomes thick and bubbly. Remove from heat and let cool. Rinse ham and pat dry. Press the remaining cloves evenly all over the ham. Place ham in the plastic roasting bag and pour the cooled peach glaze over the ham. The glaze will be very thick. Close the bag tightly with a twist tie and leave the ham in the refrigerator overnight.

Next day, dremove it from the refrigerator and put peaches on top, securing with toothpicks. Place ham on cooking rack and put n a baking pan. Pour the glaze from the marinating bag all over ham. Cover the ham tightly with foil and place in a preheated 325 degree oven. Bake 18 minutes per pound. Cook the ham 1–1 ½ hours covered, then remove the foil and finish cooking. Baste ham with the pan drippings every 20 minutes.

You may add 2 Tbsp of peach liqueur, schnapps or vodka to the peach glaze before baking.