Shelly's Recipe

APPLE MERLOT GLAZED HAM

Category: Ham

1 8-10 lb hickory smoked spiral sliced ham
1 750 ml bottle of good Merlot
1 red apple, peeled, seeded and cut into cubes
12 whole cloves
1/4 cup light brown sugar
a splash of chicken stock or water (if necessary)

Preheat oven to 350.

Place ham cut side down in roasting pan and place, uncovered in oven.

Tie cloves into a bundle, either with a piece of cheesecloth, muslin or if you have one like I do, just put them in a tea bell. this will allow you to infuse their flavor to the glaze without the need to fish them all out later. (You may use ground cloves if you wish, but I have no clue what the amount would be.)

Place apples, Merlot and cloves in a small sauce pot and bring to a simmer. Add brown sugar and stir until sugar is completely dissolved. Simmer for at least 30 minutes, or until apples begin to break down.

Remove cloves. Mash apple mixture with a potato masher or immersion blender until completely broken down. return to a simmer and reduce by 1/3.

Pour mixture over ham and return, covered, to oven. Cook for approximately 30 more minutes, or until glaze begins to caramelize.

Remove from oven, let rest at least 20 minutes before serving.

Plating: Scrape excess glaze from ham onto bottom of roasting pan.

Remove slices from ham and place on a serving tray. Add a splash of chicken stock or water and mix with glaze to thin. Reheat over a burner if necessary.

Drizzle glaze over ham and serve immediately.