Christmas French Glazed Ham

Cornichon Butter:

• 10 cornichon (baby gherkins), finely chopped (reserve 2 tbs pickling agent)
• 5 sprigs of tarragon, leaves picked and finely chopped
• 2 French shallots, finely chopped
• 2 tbsp Dijon mustard
• Pinch of cayenne pepper
• 250g butter, softened

Glazed Ham:

• 5-7 kg whole ham leg on the bone
• 1 cup CSR Brown Sugar
• ¼ cup cognac
• ¼ cup Dijon mustard
• 1 tsp tomato paste
• ¼ cup red wine vinegar
• Juice and zest of 1 orange
• ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
• ¼ tsp clove
• ¼ tsp white pepper
• ¼ tsp ginger

To serve:

• Crusty baguette, to serve
• 1 bunch of small radish, thinly sliced

1. To make the cornichon butter, add a teaspoon of butter to a small pan and add the shallots. Cook on a low heat for 6-8 mins to soften. Remove and cool.
2. In a mixer bowl add softened butter and whip with the pickling agent until it becomes pale in colour. Mix in the cornichon, tarragon, cooled shallots, extra Dijon and cayenne.
3. Place two sheets of cling film on a clean surface and dollop the butter into the center. Wrap into a cylinder and twist the end to make a bonbon-like shape. Place in the fridge for a few hours to firm up.
4. Preheat oven to 170°C.
5. Carefully peel back the skin of the ham and with your hands ensuring the fat is kept intact. Using a small knife score a crisscross pattern in the fat. Place the ham on a rack in a large baking tray that fits in your oven. Add 1 cup of water to the tray.
6. In a small saucepan heat the glaze ingredients together whisking to combine well.
7. Using a spoon, drizzle the ham with half of the glaze. Bake in the oven for 1 ½ hours, checking it every 20 mins to ensure it does not burn and to baste each time with extra glaze. Rest for 30 mins before carving.
8. To serve, thinly slice ham. Spread cornichon butter over bread and drape ham on top. Garnish with extra cornichon and radish.