Baked Ham with Cranberry-Tangerine Glaze
CRANBERRY-TANGERINE RELISH
- 9 tangerines
- One 12-ounce bag cranberries, rinsed and sorted
- 1 cup sugar
- One 6½-pound smoked ham half on the bone
- 12 ounces ginger ale
Instructions:
Always opt for a ham on the bone, which will be much more flavorful than a presliced one.
- To make the glaze, grate the zest from 2 tangerines and reserve. Cut 7 of the tangerines in half crosswise and squeeze the juice from them. You should have 1 cup tangerine juice. Peel the remaining 2 tangerines and separate them into segments. Cut each segment in half crosswise, discarding any seeds. Set the chopped tangerines aside.
- Combine the cranberries, tangerine juice and zest, and sugar together in a large saucepan. Cook over medium heat just until all of the berries have burst and given off their juices and the juices are boiling. Strain in a wire sieve over a bowl. Measure out and reserve ¾ cup of the juices.
- Transfer the cranberry mixture and any remaining juices to a medium bowl and let cool. Stir in the reserved chopped tangerines. Cover and refrigerate until chilled, at least 1 hour. (The relish can be made up to 1 day ahead.)
- Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350°F. Line a roasting pan with aluminum foil.
- Trim the exterior fat on the ham to ¼-inch thickness. Score the ham in a crosshatch pattern with 1/8-inch-deep score marks about 1 inch apart. Place the ham on a roasting rack in the pan, flat side down, with the bone sticking up. Pour the ginger ale over the ham. Cover the pan with aluminum foil.
- Bake for 1½ hours. Discard the foil. Pour the reserved cranberry juice mixture over the ham. Continue baking, occasionally basting with the pan juices, until the ham is glazed and an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the ham (but not touching a bone) reads 140°F, about 45 minutes. If the ham gets too brown, tent it with foil. If the glaze threatens to scorch, add water to the pan.
- Transfer the ham to a platter and let stand 15 minutes. Carve the ham. Pour the pan juices over the sliced ham and serve with the cranberrytangerine relish on the side.