Ham it up this Christmas
Why not make a Peter Rowland glazed ham the centrepiece of your festive entertaining. Our Group Executive Chef talks Christmas ham.
Q: Why is ham so popular for Christmas?
A: While people eat ham every day, a glossy big glazed ham takes it to another level of celebration. It’s around the tradition, the lovely caramelised sweet smells, the impression of a big festive ham as a centrepiece. It’s engaging, festive and of course delicious.
Q: What glaze do you use for the Peter Rowland ham?
A: The traditional Peter Rowland ham glaze combines honey, orange juice, mustard, cloves, bay leaves and a little brown sugar. The ingredients are gently heated together and then we pour over the scored fat. We blast the ham in a hot oven then turn down the heat and cook gently to get the sugars to caramelise, basting several times during the roasting process.
Q: Bone in or bone out?
A: If your ham has a bone you know it’s been grown in Australia. Bone-in is great for presentation and flavour, but can get a bit tricky with carving. Bone-out is more convenient as it’s easier to carve and the size is easier to manage, but you lose a bit of the flavour with the removal of the bone.
Q: What garnish is served with the Peter Rowland ham and why are garnishes important?
A: We make a citrus relish that is complimentary with each ham order. It has just the right amount of sweetness with a hint of brandy to really bring out the flavours of the ham.
Q: Can you give us some tips on how to carve a whole ham?
A: Place the ham skin side up. At the opposite end to the hock run a small sharp knife under the rind around the bottom and each side of the ham to about half way, then peel the rind back.
Slice on a slight angle down to the bone, run the knife length ways along the bone to remove the slices.
To keep the ham fresh fold back the rind over the leg and place in a ham bag.
Q: What is your favourite way to serve leftovers?
A: Ham is so versatile. For the weeks after Christmas my family continue to feast from the Christmas ham. We grill thick slices on the BBQ and toss with a peach, rocket and buffalo mozzarella salad, we make toasted sandwiches with a great crusty loaf with cheese and mustard béchamel. For breakfast we flash-heat slices in a frypan and serve with a fried egg and sautéed potato and we also enjoy a very special spaghetti carbonara with aged parmesan and free range eggs.
Talk to our event planners about hero-ing our ham at your next event or order online and we’ll deliver to your door.
