Company Ham

This is the kind of ham you pull out when people are coming over and you want the kitchen to smell incredible by the time the doorbell rings. Instead of leaning on the usual brown sugar and pineapple glaze, the seasoning here goes savory and aromatic: thyme, cinnamon, marjoram, whole cloves and peppercorns, bloomed by a pour of sherry at the start of the roast.

The onion and apple slices underneath do double duty. They keep the ham off the bottom of the Dutch oven so it roasts instead of steams, and they flavor the pan juices with a sweet, mellow base that becomes your basting liquid.

Covering the pot for the last 30 minutes locks in moisture after the surface has developed a burnished spice crust. The 30-minute rest before slicing is what gives you clean, juicy slices rather than a puddle on the cutting board.

Chef Tips

• Score the surface of the ham in a shallow diamond pattern so the spice rub works its way in.
• Baste every 20 minutes or so. The pan juices are where the flavor concentrates.
• Use a dry sherry, not a sweet cream sherry. Sweet sherry can turn the crust cloying.
• Rest the ham tented loosely with foil. Sealing it tightly softens the crust.

Variations

• Swap sherry for dry white wine or hard cider for a brighter, autumnal note.
• Add a few sprigs of fresh rosemary to the onion-apple bed.
• Strain the pan juices and reduce them with a splash of cream for a quick sauce.