For this issue, chef Georgie Watson takes us back to her British upbringing with a family classic: ham with parsley sauce. The recipe was handed down to Watson’s mother from her grandmother. A real crowd pleaser, this dish is luxurious, relatively easy to make, and the parsley sauce is a perfectly English complement to the ham. (And Watson jokes that the abundant sauce is how her mother snuck veggies into their diet.) Leftover ham can be enjoyed in pea and ham soup—another British classic—eggs Benedict, or ham sandwiches.
SERVES 10–12
Ham & Glaze
1 fully cooked, bone-in ham
A handful of cloves
1½ cups brown sugar
½ cup water
⅓ cup apricot jam
⅓ cup apple butter
Juice from 1 orange
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
Sauce
3 cups whole milk
3 bay leaves
3 leeks, diced
Bone broth to taste
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
Nutmeg to taste
1 large parsley bunch, finely chopped
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste
Lemon juice or vinegar, optional
Preheat oven to 325°F. Score the ham diagonally in opposite directions, creating a crossing pattern. Stick a clove into each crossing. Place the ham on a rack in a deep roasting pan fat side up. Bake covered in foil for 15–20 minutes per pound, or until the internal temperature reaches 130°.
Meanwhile, prepare the glaze by dissolving the sugar with the water, apricot jam, apple butter, orange juice, and Dijon in a small saucepan. Bring to boil then reduce to a simmer until the mixture becomes thick, about 5 minutes.
Once the ham has reached an internal temperature of 120°, remove the foil and cloves and brush the ham with the glaze every 10 minutes for 30 minutes. Once the ham reaches an internal temperature of 130° it is ready. Let it rest uncovered for 10 minutes before carving.
While the ham is in the oven, make the parsley sauce: Bring the milk, bay leaves, and leeks to a gentle simmer, then remove from heat. Let the greens infuse the milk for about 1 hour. Strain the milk and set aside. Warm the bone broth in a saucepan.
Melt the butter, add flour, and stir over low heat until it smells slightly nutty and sweet. Stir in milk and whisk continuously until thick, then stream in bone broth until it reaches desired texture. Whisk in the Dijon, grate in the nutmeg, and finish with the chopped parsley. Add salt and pepper; taste and adjust seasonings as you see fit, remembering that the ham will be salty. Add lemon juice or vinegar to brighten the sauce if it tastes too rich.
Slice the ham and pour the parsley sauce generously over the slices, almost like a soup. Finish with freshly cracked pepper. Indulge.
