By Nick Grivas
1 x 4kg ham
2 cups Guinness stout
Glaze:
3/4 cup firmly packed coconut palm sugar or brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp dry mustard
3/4 tsp ground cardamom (grind your own seeds and the flavour will be twice as good)
3/4 tsp ground ginger
1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
2 -3 tbsp extra Guinness stout
- Cut a scallop pattern around thick end of ham shank and ease skin from fat by slipping the thumb of one hand under the skin and firmly sliding it back and forth. Turn ham over and ease away rest of skin, which should come off in one piece. Place ham fat side up on a rack in a roasting pan containing 2 cups stout.
- Cover ham with foil, making it airtight as possible and bake in preheated slow oven (160C) for 2 hours. Lift foil and baste with drippings several times during cooking.
- Remove from oven and pour off liquid into a tin. Using a sharp knife, score fat with 5cm deep diagonal cuts, first one way and then the other to form a diamond pattern.
- Glaze: Mix sugar, mustard and spices with 2-3 tablespoons of stout and spread half the mixture over ham. Mix remaining glaze with orange juice. Increase oven temperature to hot (200C) and bake ham for further 30-40 mins, basting every 10 mins with remaining glaze.
- Serve hot or cold.