Ham is not the first meat I go to when thinking of Christmas dinner, in all honesty. But I do still love delicious pieces of ham, especially with a good marinade or glaze.

I can tell you now, I’d eat this citrus-glazes ham at any meal. It is sweet and tangy, and all around incredibly flavourful. Using a pre-cooked ham will take the stress away from your day, and allow you more time to focus on other aspects of your Christmas meal. But the choice is entirely yours.

As I was only cooking for me (I had some great work lunches thanks to this ham), I only needed a small 1 kilo ham. If you’re entertaining more than 4 or 5 guests, you will very likely want to get a bigger joint of ham.

You can also make a delicious gravy from the juices and glaze left in the tray. Simply add a cup of water, and place the roasting tin over a low heat. Gently scrape the bottom of the roasting tray with a wooden or silicon spoon, getting all the good stuff mixed in with the water. Bring to the boil, and then simmer for a few minutes. Pour into a gravy boat to serve.

Ingredients

1kg ham (I bought mine cooked and frozen from Ikea, and thawed it out)*
45 grams soft brown sugar
50 grams Dijon mustard
100 grams orange marmalade
100 ml grapefruit juice (roughly juice from 1 grapefruit)
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 sprig rosemary, finely chopped
pinch of salt

*If you choose to use an un-cooked ham, or a larger joint, cooking times will vary.

1. Preheat oven to 190°C.
2. In a saucepan, combine all ingredients (excluding the ham). Bring to boil over a medium heat, then reduce the heat and allow to simmer and thicken for 7 – 8 minutes.
3. Place ham in a large roasting tin. Pour the glaze over the ham, covering as much of the meat as possible. Cover the ham and roasting tin loosely with tin foil and place in the oven. Cook for 40 minutes.
4. Remove from the oven, and remove the tin foil. Increase the oven temperature to 220C and cook for an additional 10 – 15 minutes.
5. Remove from the oven and allow to rest for 15 minutes before carving.