Ham glazed with bourbon, vanilla, coarse mustard and brown sugar.

Ham glazed with bourbon, vanilla, coarse mustard and brown sugar. Credit: Marge Perry

If Easter just isn’t Easter without a ham, take heart. That six to seven-pound ham you cook will not only make a showstopping centerpiece for your Easter dinner — it will also give you plenty of fixings for lunches and dinners in the week ahead.

This year, glaze your ham with bourbon, vanilla, brown sugar and a touch of mustard. Some of you may be sad to learn the alcohol will cook off, but the bourbon adds warmth and depth to the glaze.

After your Easter feast, leave the remaining ham unsliced, so it retains its moisture. Wrap it well in plastic and keep it in the refrigerator for no more than five days.

Ah, but it probably won’t last that long. After all, there are ham and cheese sandwiches to be had for a quick lunch; warm Cubanos made with ham and/or pork for dinner; and, of course, mac and cheese with diced ham and broccoli to eat any time of day. (In this recipe, the ham and broccoli stand in for the chickpeas and tomatoes).

BOURBON-VANILLA GLAZED HAM

2/3 cup packed brown sugar

3 tablespoons country style (coarse) Dijon mustard

2 tablespoons bourbon

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

6 1/2 to 7 pound bone-in shank portion fully cooked ham

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a sheet pan with foil and top with a wire rack; coat the rack with cooking spray.

2. Combine the sugar, Dijon, bourbon and vanilla extract in a small bowl and stir to dissolve the sugar.

Trim the fat on the ham to 1/4-inch if needed. Use the tip of your knife to cut parallel lines 1-inch apart across the fat; repeat going across those lines to form a diamond pattern.

Place the ham on the wire rack. Brush some of the glaze over the entire surface and place in the center of the oven.

Bake, basting the ham every 30 minutes or so, the ham until it reaches an internal temperature of 140 degrees, about 2 hours and 10 minutes.

Allow the ham to rest 5 minutes before slicing.

Newsday LogoSUBSCRIBEUnlimited Digital AccessOnly 25¢for 5 months
ACT NOWSALE ENDS SOON | CANCEL ANYTIME