Easter Ham Rosemary Glaze

Isn't she a beaut? For a non-ham lover to say this tells you how impressed I was with my own on-the-fly glaze. I've learned the hard way that packaged glazes and gravies are not very tasty, so I usually set aside extra time to make my own.

I've been trying to grow fresh herbs on my patio, which has been a love/hate/frustrating hobby, since I usually end up drowning them with water. 

I am without a doubt destined to be a good "neighborhood mom" and eventually a good southern Memaw since I think everything can be fixed with more love/nutrition/something edible. I see the plants faltering and I immediately think that they need more water. I see my husband come home from work at 0100 and become very distraught when he does not let me get out of bed to make him a full plate of food. Choosing not to replenish your self with food or water does not compute in my brain- inherently I feel like the soul is connected to the belly. They feed each other. It makes sense, right? It's a wonder I am not 5,000 pounds!

Nonetheless, I have managed to kill my basil, but the rosemary has survived. It's a persistent little plant, I'll give it that! I wanted to use some before I inevitably kill the poor plant, and Easter turned out to be the best time for it.

Worth-every-calorie-scalloped potatoes

Easter Ham Rosemary Glaze

a Butter Than Toast original

*This glaze was formulated for a quarter ham. Adjust accordingly if using a larger piece of meat.

3 sprigs fresh rosemary, minced

2/3 cup honey

1/4 cup white wine

3 tablespoons butter

1/2 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper

1/2 tablespoon lemon juice

2 cloves garlic, crushed

pinch salt

Place all of the ingredients in a small saucepan and heat until simmering. Let simmer uncovered for about 10 minutes, adding a tablespoon or two of water every now and then so the honey doesn't burn onto the pan. Let cool slightly, taste- it should be very rosemary-ish. Add additional wine, butter, lemon, garlic or salt/pepper to taste- it's very flexible. Place ham into an oven bag, pour over the ham, getting it into all the crevices. Bundle a few more sprigs of rosemary together with some butcher's twine, place in the oven bag, then tie the bag closed. Bake the ham per label instructions, about 2.5 hours for a quarter bone in ham. Discard rosemary bundle and oven bag, but be sure to pour the rendered juices onto the ham once you've slice it all up and put it on a serving platter!