DAY #3 - Cloves
Are they devil’s feet?
Or nails and spikes of nature?
An orange might know
CLOVES are indigenous to the Spice Islands. They are the dried unopened buds of a tropical evergreen clove tree native to the Maluko Islands of eastern Indonesia. They have a warm aromatic aroma and the flavour is intensely pungent with warm sweet almost medicinal taste.
Baked Ham with Maple Syrup & Clove Glaze
INGREDIENTS
- 12 lb ham bone in
- 1/8 cup whole CLOVES
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 2 Tbsp prepared mustard ( dijon or any plain mustard)
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
DIRECTIONS
- Preheat oven to 350º.
- Grease a baking tray and line with baking paper. From the end opposite the hock, remove skin from ham, leaving the fat in place. Cut around the hock to release the skin (reserve). Using a sharp knife, score the fat in a criss-cross pattern without cutting to the meat. Insert a clove in the centre of each diamond.
- Place on prepared tray and bake for 30 minutes or until the fat starts to turn light brown.
- Meanwhile, to make glaze, combine sugar, mustard, vinegar and maple syrup in a saucepan over medium-high heat and cook, stirring continuously, until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat. Continue to bake the ham, brushing with glaze every 10 minutes, for a further 45 minutes or until caramelised. Reinsert any cloves that have fallen out. Rest ham, loosely covered with foil, for 15 minutes before carving.
*VEGETARIAN OPTION - Use 4-6 Large eggplants. Peeled, halved, and scored.