Fresh Ham Roasted With Rye Bread And Dried Fruit Stuffing Recipes

ROASTED FRESH HAM WITH CITRUS AND RYE

Steps:

• Using a utility knife or a sharp knife, carefully score skin of ham at 3/4"-1" intervals in a crosshatch pattern, taking care to cut just through skin and fat, not into the meat.
• Whisk sage, 1/4 cup salt, orange zest, and red pepper flakes in a small bowl. Rub salt mixture all over ham. Transfer ham and any excess salt mixture to a jumbo (2-gallon) resealable plastic bag. Place ham in bag on a large rimmed baking sheet and chill, turning ham every day to ensure even curing, for 4 days.
• Remove ham from bag and pat dry with paper towels. Let ham stand at room temperature for 2 hours.
• Arrange a rack in lower third of oven and preheat to 500°F. Place ham, shank bone up, on a rack in a roasting pan.
• Roast ham until skin turns deep golden brown and starts to puff, about 20 minutes. Reduce heat to 325°F. Carefully add 1 cup water to pan (it may spatter) and roast, rotating pan once, for 1 hour.
• Add 2 cups water to pan. Scatter star anise around ham; continue to roast, rotating pan every 45 minutes and adding more water if needed to maintain 1/4" liquid in bottom of pan, until skin is deep golden brown and crisp and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of ham registers 140°F, 1 1/2-2 hours more. If skin does not crisp within last 30 minutes of cooking, increase heat to 450°F and roast about 5 minutes longer (watch closely).
• Transfer ham to a carving board; let rest for at least 30 minutes or up to 1 1/2 hours (the ham's internal temperature will increase as it rests to about 150°F). Pour juices from roasting pan through a fine-mesh sieve into a large measuring cup; set juices aside and discard solids in strainer.
• Set roasting pan over two burners; add rye. Cook over high heat, scraping up any browned bits from bottom of pan, until rye is reduced by half, about 1 minute. Pour rye through same sieve into the measuring cup with ham juices. Chill in freezer for 15 minutes (this will make skimming the fat from the surface much easier).
• Skim fat from surface of juices; discard. Transfer juices (you should have about 1 cup) to a medium saucepan. Add orange juice and broth or 1 cup water. Bring to a gentle boil over medium-high heat. Cook until reduced to 1 1/2 cups, about 20 minutes.
• Remove pan from heat; stir in butter. Season sauce with salt, if needed. Carve ham. Pass sauce alongside.

FRESH HAM WITH TUSCAN BREAD STUFFING

Steps:

• Place the ham on a large cutting board. Remove the bone, and butterfly the meat; reserve the bone. (Alternatively have your butcher do this.)
• Make the ham broth. Put the ham bone into a large stockpot. Add the carrots, onion, celery and sage. Cover with water and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Simmer the ham broth, uncovered. Skim frequently and cook until the broth has reduced to 2 quarts, about 2 hours. Strain the broth and measure out 1 quart and set it aside. Freeze or refrigerate the remaining broth for another purpose.
• Meanwhile, prepare the ham and stuffing. In a medium bowl, soak the bread in the milk until it is soft, about 15 minutes. Squeeze the bread and put it in a large mixing bowl. Add the pine nuts, raisins, olives, garlic, spinach, Parmesan and mix.
• Lay the ham fat-side up. Using a sharp knife, score the fat in a diamond pattern, making each slash about 2-inches apart and 1/4-inch deep. Season the meat generously with salt and pepper. Combine the basil, thyme and parsley leaves in a bowl. Add the lemon juice and enough of olive oil to form a paste, about 1/2 cup. Rub the herb paste all over the ham.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Lay the ham fat-side down. Place several cups of the bread stuffing in the center of the ham. Roll the ham into a log taking care that the stuffing is evenly distributed. (Remaining stuffing can be cooked in a baking dish for 40 minutes before serving.) Tie the rolled ham with kitchen string at 3-inch intervals.
• Heat 1/4 cup of olive oil over medium heat in a roasting pan just large enough to accommodate the ham. Add the ham roll and brown it on all sides, about 20 minutes. Remove the ham and place a rack in the pan (or fabricate 1 from aluminum foil).
• Place the ham on the rack. Pour half of the stock into the pan. Place the roasting pan in the oven and let the ham cook for 4 hours, basting every 30 minutes or so with the pan juices. Add more stock if the pan seems dry. When the ham is tender remove it from the oven and transfer to a cutting board. Tent the ham with aluminum foil and allow it to rest for at least 30 minutes.
• Remove the string and slice the ham about 2 inches thick. Serve with additional stuffing and polenta.
• Serving suggestion: polenta.

ROAST FRESH HAM WITH ONION STUFFING

Steps:

• Heat oven to 325°F. Spread pork flat; sprinkle lightly with salt.
• Heat water to boiling in 2-quart saucepan; add onions. Cook 5 minutes; drain. Mix onions and remaining ingredients. Spread half of the stuffing over pork; roll up. Fasten with metal skewers.
• Place pork fat side down on rack in shallow roasting pan. Spoon any remaining stuffing over top of pork. Insert meat thermometer so tip is in center of thickest part of pork and does not touch stuffing. Roast uncovered 3 to 3 1/2 hours or until thermometer reads 165°F.
• Cover pork with tent of aluminum foil and let stand 15 to 20 minutes or until thermometer reads 170°F. (Temperature will continue to rise about 5° and pork will be easier to carve as juices set up). Remove foil and skewers. Cut into slices.

HERB STUFFING WITH DRIED FRUIT

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Butter a shallow 3-quart baking dish. Cut or tear the bread into bite-size pieces. Divide between 2 rimmed baking sheets and spread into a single layer. Bake until slightly dry and crisp, 15 to 20 minutes. Cool completely.
• Meanwhile, melt 6 tablespoons of butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the dried fruit, sage, thyme, apple, onion, celery, 1/2 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the broth and parsley and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat and pour into a large bowl.
• Add the toasted bread to the onion mixture and toss until evenly moistened. Stir in the egg. Transfer to the prepared baking dish and evenly spread without packing the stuffing down too much. Bake until the top is crusty, about 40 minutes. Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons butter and drizzle over the top. Continue to bake until the top is crisp and golden, about 20 minutes more. Garnish with parsley and thyme.

FRESH HAM ROASTED WITH RYE BREAD AND DRIED FRUIT STUFFING

Steps:

• Have your butcher bone and butterfly the ham and score the fat in a diamond pattern. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine 2/3 of the garlic, 2/3 of the caraway seeds, 3 teaspoons of the salt and pepper to taste and rub the mixture over the inside and outside of the pork. Set aside.
• Heat the olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the remaining garlic and the onion and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Place in a large bowl with the bread cubes, prunes, apricots, apple, rosemary, egg, remaining caraway seeds, remaining teaspoon salt and pepper to taste. Mix until well combined.
• Open out the pork, spread the stuffing, fold the pork around it and tie securely with twine. Place in a large, deep roasting pan and pour in the chicken broth. Bake, basting from time to time, until the roast reaches 145 degrees on a meat thermometer, about 3 1/2 hours. Let stand for 15 minutes. Degrease the pan juices, slice serve passing the juices separately.

DRIED FRUIT STUFFING

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F (120 degrees C).
• Slice bread and discard ends. Arrange bread slices on the rack of the preheated oven.
• Bake in the preheated oven until very dry, about 15 minutes.
• While the bread is baking, melt butter in a heavy, nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and saute until tender, about 10 minutes.
• Remove bread from the oven and crumble into coarse pieces in a large bowl. Add cherries, raisins, currants, and prunes; toss to combine. Mix in sauteed onions and thyme. Season with salt and pepper. Mix in eggs.
• Increase oven temperature to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Spray a 9x13-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Coat a 12x16-inch piece of aluminum foil with cooking spray.
• Stir chicken broth into stuffing mixture and transfer to the prepared baking dish. Cover with the aluminum foil, sprayed-side down.
• Bake in the preheated oven until heated through, about 30 minutes. Remove aluminum foil and bake until top is golden, about 20 minutes more.

RYE BREAD STUFFING

Steps:

• Toss bread cubes in a large bowl.
• In a skillet, cook and crumble sausage just until cooked thru.
• Remove to paper towels to drain.
• To same skillet, add onion, apples, celery, garlic and butter.
• Saute until apples and vegetables are tender.
• Add both the onion mixture and sausage to bread.
• Add nuts (if desired), seasonings and enough broth to moisten.
• Cover and refrigerate til ready to bake.
• Stuff turkey just before baking.
• Bake any additional stuffing separately in a greased 2 quart casserole dish.
• Or bake all stuffing separately in a greased 13x9x2 baking dish.
• To bake stuffing separately, place in greased dish, cover and bake at 325 degrees for one hour; uncover and bake for 10 minutes longer.

DRIED FRUIT STUFFING

Steps:

• Prepare stuffing mix according to package directions, adding dried fruits when adding contents of stuffing mix. Just before serving, stir in almonds.

FRESH HAM WITH CRACKLINGS AND PAN GRAVY

Steps:

• With a small sharp knife prick the ham skin all over, make 4 parallel 1/2-inch-deep incisions through the skin the entire length of the ham, and rub the ham lightly with the oil. In a small bowl rub together the coarse salt, the thyme, the sage, the pepper, and the mustard and rub the mixture over the entire surface of the ham. Put the ham on a roasting rack set in a roasting pan and put the pan in a preheated 500°F. oven. Reduce the temperature immediately to 325°F.> and roast the ham for 1 hour. Pour half the beer over the ham, roast the ham for 30 minutes more, and pour the remaining beer over the ham. Roast the ham for 2 1/2 hours more, or until a meat thermometer registers 170°F., and let it cool on the rack in the pan for 15 minutes. Pull off the brown crisp skin, leaving the layer of fat on the ham, with scissors cut the skin into small pieces, and arrange the cracklings in one layer in a baking pan. Sprinkle the cracklings with salt and bake them in the middle of a preheated 350°F. oven, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes, or until they are crisp and browned. Transfer the cracklings to paper towels and let them drain. Cut the remaining fat from the ham, slice the meat thinly across the grain, and arrange it on a platter. Keep the ham warm, covered.
• Skim off the fat from the juices in the roasting pan, add 1 cup water, and deglaze the pan over moderate heat, scraping up the brown bits. Transfer the liquid to a saucepan. In a small bowl whisk together the flour and 1/4 cup of the broth until the flour is dissolved and whisk the mixture into the deglazing liquid with the remaining 3/4 cup broth, the mustard, the sage, the thyme, and the vinegar and pepper to taste, and simmer the gravy, whisking, for 5 minutes.
• Garnish the ham with the cracklings and the watercress sprigs and serve it with the gravy.

HOLIDAY FRUIT STUFFED ROASTED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Preheat an oven to 275 degrees F (135 degrees C). Spread the walnuts out onto a baking sheet and toast them for about 45 minutes, until the nuts start to brown and become fragrant. Watch the walnuts carefully, because they burn quickly. Set the walnuts aside.
• While the walnuts are roasting, rinse the chicken well with cold water, then pat dry inside and out with paper towels. Place the chicken into a small roasting pan, and sprinkle inside and outside with salt and pepper.
• Combine 2 tablespoons Italian dressing, 2 tablespoons of melted butter, 1 teaspoon orange peel, the lemon peel, thyme, and basil in a small bowl. Brush the chicken inside and out with the mixture.
• To make the stuffing, heat 2 tablespoons of butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add the apple, pear, and pineapple chunks; cook and stir about 5 minutes, until the apple and pear are tender. Mix the cooked fruit mixture with the roasted walnuts, bread, prunes, grapes, 2 tablespoons Italian dressing, orange juice, apple cider, 1 teaspoon of orange zest, honey, and cinnamon in a large bowl and stir to combine.
• Increase oven temperature to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Spoon the stuffing into the chicken cavity, including the area under the neck skin. Secure the skin over the neck cavity with toothpicks, and fold the wings underneath the chicken. Tie the drumsticks together.
• Roast the chicken in the preheated oven for 1 hour, and untie the drumsticks. Return the chicken to the oven and continue roasting until no longer pink at the bone and the juices run clear, about 45 minutes to 1 hour additional roasting time. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh, near the bone should read 180 degrees F (82 degrees C). Remove the chicken from the oven, cover with a doubled sheet of aluminum foil, and allow to rest in a warm area for 10 minutes before slicing.

HAM ON RYE DELI-STYLE SANDWICH

Steps:

• Toast the slices of Jewish Rye bread, then spread the Kraft REAL MAYO on one or both slices. Add your meat(s), cheese, lettuce, tomato. Then if you like, add a green olive to the top or have a dill pickle spear to compliment this sandwich. Enjoy!
• *Of course you can add or delete any items to suit your own taste!
• **When I am out of rye bread, I use HomePride wheat bread. Also, my husband and I have found the best deli style smoked ham at Wal-Mart Supercenters. It is from Land O' Frost and is called DAGWOOD smoked ham. Absolutely the best in our opinion!