Sticky, sweet, and with just a hint of warmth from Dijon mustard, this honey-mustard glazed ham is one of our all-time favourite recipes when it comes to feeding a crowd, proof that classics are classics for a reason.
Simmering the joint with aromatic veg and herbs like onion, carrot, celery and bay imparts layers of flavour as well as keeping the ham moist. The simple glaze and fragrant cloves (a traditional finish that not only adds perfume but helps stop the glaze sliding off the minute it hits the oven!) finishes it off quickly and easily.
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Yields:
10 serving(s)
Prep Time:
15 mins
Cook Time:
2 hrs 30 mins
Total Time:
2 hrs 45 mins
Ingredients
4
kg ham, bone in
1
onion, quartered
1
carrot, chopped into three
1
celery stick, chopped into three
1
sprig each parsley, rosemary and thyme
1
bay leaf
Handful of whole cloves
4Tbsp.
runny honey
4Tbsp.
Dijon mustard
Directions
Step 1Put the ham into a large pan. Add the onion, carrot, celery stick and herbs. Add cold water to cover and bring to the boil. Simmer, half-covered with a lid, for 2hr 15min.
Step 2Lift the ham out of the pan and put into a roasting tin lined with baking parchment or foil. Preheat oven to 220°C (200°C fan) mark 7. Remove the skin using a sharp knife, leaving a thin layer of fat behind. Discard skin.
Step 3Score the fat lightly in a diamond pattern and stud each diamond with a clove. Put the honey into a small bowl, add the mustard and mix well. Brush the mixture all over the exposed fat. Roast the ham for 15min until golden. Rest for at least 20min, if serving hot, or leave to cool before serving warm or at room temperature, in slices.
Get ahead
If you have the time - and space in your fridge - cook the ham up to the end of step 2 the day before you want to serve. Cool, cover and chill. To serve, take the ham from the fridge 30min before roasting to allow it to come up to room temperature, then complete recipe.
Smoked or unsmoked?
This is a simple, classic recipe and will work with either, so go with your preference!
What if my ham is bigger (or smaller)?
Adjust the cooking time at step 1, allowing 15min per 450g.
An experienced and highly skilled team of food writers, stylists and digital content producers, the Good Housekeeping Cookery Team is a close-knit squad of food obsessives. Cookery Editor Emma Franklin is our resident chilli obsessive and barbecue expert, who spends an inordinate amount of time on holidays poking round the local supermarkets seeking out new and exciting foods. Senior Cookery Writer Alice Shields is a former pastry chef and baking fanatic who loves making bread and would have peanut butter with everything if she could. Her favourite carb is pasta, and our vibrant green spaghetti is her weeknight go-to. Lover of all things savoury, Senior Cookery Writer Grace Evans can be found eating crispy corn and nocellara olives at every opportunity, and will take the cheeseboard over dessert any time (though she cannot resist a slice of tres leches cake). With a wealth of professional kitchen know-how, culinary training and years of experience between them, they are all dedicated to ensuring every Good Housekeeping recipe is the best it can be, so you can trust they’ll work (and if they don’t – we’ll have the answer for why*) every time (*90% of the time the answer is: “buy an separate oven thermometer”!).
