William James Cellars Baked Honey-Brandy Glazed Ham

Impress your guests with this classic honey-baked ham.

Servings: 10 -12

Cook Time: 3 1/2 hours

Pair With: The smoky, spicy William James Cellars 2007 Grenache "Smoke Rings".

Source: Recipe courtesy Robin Bogue--owner William James Cellars; photo by Tama Takahashi.

INGREDIENTS

1 fully cooked bone-in 18 pound smoked ham

36 whole cloves

3 cups water

1 cup brandy

1 cup unfiltered apple cider

3/4 cup honey

DIRECTIONS

Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat the oven to 325 degrees.  Slice away the rind and most of the fat from the upper surface of the ham, leaving a layer of fat about 1/4” thick.  Score the upper surface of the ham into a diamond pattern.  Insert a clove into the center of each diamond.  Place the ham on a rack in a shallow roasting pan just large enough to hold it comfortably.  Add water to the pan and place it in the oven.  Bake for 2 1/4 hours.

Meanwhile, in a measuring pitcher, stir together the brandy, cider and honey.  After 2 1/4 hours of baking the ham, pour off the water from the roasting pan.  Baste the ham with about 1/3 of the brandy mixture and bake for 12 minutes.  Continue to bake, basting the ham with the brandy mixture at 12-minute intervals, first from the measuring pitcher and then from the roasting pan, until the ham is glazed and shiny, for another 35 minutes or so (for a total baking time of about 3 hours).

Let the ham rest on a cutting board for 15 minutes.  For easier carving, remove the cloves, leaving a few for decoration.  Serve hot or warm.

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Recipe Courtesy Of

William James Cellars

Robin Bogue, founder of William James Cellars, puts a lot of energy into getting wines the attention they deserve.