Maryland Stuffed Ham
- 4 ounces tender young spinach, trimmed of coarse stems, washed well, and patted dry on paper toweling
- 1 cup loosely packed curly parsley leaves
- ¼ cup loosely packed tender young watercress leaves
- 4 medium scallions, trimmed and chunked (include some green tops)
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- One 6-to 7-pound fully cooked, shank-end half ham
- 1½ cups dry white wine (for basting)
Instructions:
Before the food processor, the stuffing must have been tedious to prepare because there were so many ingredients to chop: spinach, parsley, watercress, scallions.
- Preheat the oven to 325° F.
- Finely chop the spinach in two batches by whizzing in a food processor for 10 seconds. As each batch is chopped, empty into a large bowl. Add the parsley, watercress, scallions, and pepper to the processor bowl and churn 10 to 12 seconds until finely chopped. Add to the spinach and toss well to combine.
- Cut away and discard any tough rind on the ham, then trim the outer covering of fat until it is no more then ¼ inch thick. Using a sharp paring knife, make deep X-shaped cuts over the surface of the ham (each prong of the X should be about 1½ inches long), spacing the Xs about 1½ inches apart.
- Set the ham on a counter covered with wax paper, then, using a teaspoon or your fingers, pack the spinach mixture firmly into each cut. This is messy business. Once the ham is completely stuffed, wipe its surface with dampened paper toweling to remove any spatters or spills of filling.
- Place the ham in an ungreased large shallow roasting pan and slide onto the middle oven shelf. Bake uncovered for 2½ hours or until lightly browned, basting every half hour with the wine.
- Remove the ham from the oven and let stand for 30 minutes before carving.