Night 1: The Ham

So, around these parts, when you spend an obsene amount of money before Christmas you earn a "free" gift from the grocery store.  This year, I decided on a 15 pound ham.  I then decided to put it in the freezer and leave it there until my husband forced me to cook it and make room for important products, like fancy bacon from Wisconsin (Nueske's is the company if you're interested in changing your life).

Anyway, the ham finally came out (on Oscar night, although there is no pig to movie connection that I can think of) and here is the debacle that followed...

Night 1: The Ham

Unwrap the ham and cut off any large chunks of fat.  This is disgusting, but you'll be happy you took the time to do this.

Put ham in a large baking pan and cut diagonal lines to create a checkerboard pattern.  Spike in whole cloves where lines meet.

Bake according to package directions.

The Glaze
1 cup water
1 packet boullian
(or substitute the above for 1 cup chicken broth/stock)
10 figs, halved with hard stem removed
1/2 red onion, roughly chopped
1 tablespoon fresh or 1 teaspoon dried thyme

In a medim pot simmer on medium for 5 minutes. 

Add
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup honey

Stir until dissolved.

Place liquid in food processor and add
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon stone grain mustard (or a spicy mustard- no yellow crap)

Pulse until figs and onions are finely diced.  Set aside on counter.


With 1/2 hour remaining on recommended time, brush glaze on ham and leave uncovered to crisp and carmelize.  Serve with your favorite potato and veggie.

*See following posts for what to do with all of the leftovers!

Jambalaya and Toasted Parsley Rice

Our Fat Tuesday meal was a great success! I used a combo of a few online recipes and some of what I remember from my own trip to New Orlearns post-Katrina.  This meal wasn't served by teachers in evening gowns to a bunch of sweaty 24 hour car-bound New Yorkers, but the taste was still there:) 

In celebration of an area of our country that has survived so much. 

Jambalaya
1 red onion, chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
3 strips of bacon, chopped
2 bay leaves
1/2 teaspoon red pepper
1 teaspoon ancho chili powder
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon paprika
salt/pepper

Cook in large dutch oven (or large pot) in olive oil on med-low until veggies are soft- about 10-15 minutes.

2 chicken breasts, chopped
1 1/2 cups shredded ham
1 28 oz can diced tomatoes

Add above ingredients and simmer for 45 minutes with cover on. 

1/2 pound shrimp, peeled, deveined, tails removed

Add shrimp, stir, remove from heat and cover immediately.  Let sit for about 5 minutes until shrimp are just pink.  Serve with Toasted Parsley Rice.


Toasted Parsley Rice
1 tablespoon butter
1 1/2 cups brown minute rice

Melt butter in small pot on med-high heat.  Add brown rice and stir constantly for 4-5 minutes, toasted.  You should smell a nutty scent.

1 1/2 cups chicken broth
handful of chopped parsley

Add broth and parsley.  Cook on med-low for 5 minutes covered.  Let sit for 5 minutes covered.  Check for doneness.  If rice is still hard (mine was) add a little more chicken broth and keep on lowest flame covered.  Check every few minutes until rice reaches desired consistency.