Best Chef Johns Mini Christmas Hams Recipes

CHEF JOHN'S HONEY-GLAZED HAM

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
• Pour water, star anise, and cloves into the bottom of a roasting pan. Place a roasting rack into the pan over the water, anise, and cloves; place ham on rack. Cut 1/4-inch deep slashes 1/2-inch apart lengthwise and crosswise across the top of the entire ham.
• Bake ham in the preheated oven for 20 minutes. Whisk brown sugar, honey, mustard, vinegar, black pepper, Worcestershire sauce, and cayenne pepper together in a bowl until glaze has a thick, smooth consistency.
• Brush glaze all over ham. Continue baking ham, brushing glaze on every 20 minutes, until glaze is deep golden and ham is heated through, about 2 hours 10 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read 130 degrees F (54 degrees C).
• Use a kitchen torch to heat the glaze on the ham until it is crispy and caramelized, 2 to 5 minutes.

HOLIDAY HAM AND POTATO CASSEROLE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Heat butter in a pot over medium heat. Add onions and sauté with a pinch of salt until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add flour and cook, stirring, just to take off that starchy, raw edge, about 2 minutes. Pour in heavy cream and whisk to combine. Whisk in milk. Cook, stirring, over medium-high heat until it just starts to simmer and thicken up. Add 1 teaspoon salt, pepper, and cayenne. Grate in nutmeg.
• Turn off heat. Stir in Worcestershire and fresh thyme leaves. Reserve until needed.
• Cover the bottom of a deep 10x15-inch casserole dish with about 25% of the reserved sauce. Add a layer of sliced potatoes, seasoning the tops with some of the remaining salt as desired; ladle over 1/3 of the sauce and sprinkle over 1/3 of the grated Cheddar cheese. Layer in ½ of the sliced ham.
• Place another layer of sliced potatoes on top and season with salt. Ladle over ½ of the remaining sauce; repeat layering with Cheddar cheese and ham.
• Place last layer of potatoes on top. Ladle over remaining sauce and spread out with a spatula. Sprinkle over remaining Cheddar cheese.
• Bake uncovered in the preheated oven until browned, bubbling, and potatoes are very tender, about 1 ½ hours. Let cool for 15 to 20 minutes before serving.