Cranberry Glazed Ham with Sticky French Tarragon Honeyed Carrots

Ready for some holiday ham? Delight your guests this Christmas with the show-stopping cranberry glazed ham baked on a casserole. It only takes three ingredients to make the sweet and tangy cranberry sauce: frozen cranberries, fresh orange juice, and some brown sugar. Pair the succulent ham with honeyed carrots for a perfectly delicious holiday menu.

Holiday ham is one of the easiest roasts to serve on any Christmas table. It’s already flavoured and only needs heating up. But topping it up with a delicious glaze simply makes the season even more special. Easy to make with only a few ingredients on the list, the cranberry orange sauce and honeyed carrots are sure to pair well with your golden studded ham. Now, let’s get into cooking!

Equipment

• 29cm Le Creuset Signature Cast Iron Oval Casserole (or any similarly sized pan)
• Digital scale
• Measuring cups
• Measuring spoons
• Saucepans
• Wooden spoon
• Serving platter

Ingredients

For the ham

• 3kg ham (approximate weight)
• 1 large onion
• 30 whole cloves
• 3 bay leaves
• 10 black peppercorns

For the glaze

• 4 tbsp brown sugar
• 250ml fresh orange juice
• 1 cup frozen cranberries

For the honeyed carrots

• 200g baby carrots
• 200ml water
• 2 tsp butter
• 3 tbsp honey
• 1 tsp dried French tarragon

Instructions

1. Weigh ham on a kitchen scale. Allow 20 minutes cooking time per 500 grams. Place in the Le Creuset Signature Cast Iron Oval Casserole.
2. Before cooking, pin 10 whole cloves to the onion then add to the casserole together with the bay leaves and peppercorns. 
3. Fill the casserole with water just to cover the ham. Bring to a boil on the stovetop then reduce the heat. Cover with the lid and simmer for the calculated time (2 hours for a 3kg ham). In the last 15 to 20 minutes of simmering, preheat the oven to 180C. 
4. Once done, lift the ham out and remove the rind, leaving a thin layer of fat. Score the fat into a diamond pattern and press a clove into the centre of each diamond shape. 

To make the glaze

1. Add sugar and orange juice in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a simmer, stirring regularly with a wooden spoon to break up any lumps. Reduce the heat to medium-low and continue to simmer for about 5 minutes or until a dark sticky glaze forms.
2. Add the frozen cranberries and mix until well incorporated. Spoon glaze over the ham and bake for about 25 minutes or until golden.

To make the honeyed carrots

1. Add carrots and water into a small saucepan. Bring to a boil and simmer uncovered for about 10 to 15 minutes or until the carrots are cooked but still crisp. 
2. Drain off excess water and add butter, honey and French tarragon to pot. Cook for about 5 minutes or until a glaze coats the carrots. 
3. Slice the cranberry glazed ham or serve it whole on a platter with the honeyed carrots.

For more Christmas ham inspiration, try our holiday revival Baked Ham with Grilled Stone Fruit recipe or the traditional Easy Christmas Ham recipe. 

Recipe and image adapted from Le Creuset.