A decorated ham on the bone is an easy and cost-efficient way to feed a large number of people. For brunch, you only need warm croissants and a little Brie to go with steaming coffee. And for lunch, a salad or vege dish or two and crusty bread.

Ingredients

• ½ leg of ham on the bone, cooked
• 1 tablespoon whole cloves
• ½ cup savoury apricot sauce

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180ºC. Line a large baking tray or shallow roasting dish with two layers of foil.
2. Carefully run your fingers under the skin of the cooked ham and slowly lift the skin away. By doing this with care, you will finish with a smooth layer of fat that will glaze beautifully. Place the ham on the prepared tray.
3. Using a small sharp knife, cut the ham's fat layer into a criss-cross diamond pattern. Decorate with cloves. Brush a little of the apricot sauce over the ham.
4. Bake in the preheated oven for 40-45 minutes, brushing with the remaining sauce every 10 minutes until well glazed. Transfer the ham to a serving platter.
5. Decorate by wrapping a clean, preferably old, cloth or large paper serviette around the knuckle end and tie to secure. Add cuttings of herbs, if wished, to garnish.

Cooks Tips

- To serve the ham hot, weigh the ham, glaze as per recipe and bake at 160ºC for 20 minutes per 500 grams, brushing with the apricto sauce every 20 minutes. Should the ham brown too much, cover with foil or baking paper. - For easy carving, buy a knuckle-end ½ ham on the bone. Or, for a very easy carving ham, buy a champagne ham. This is where the large bone has been removed, leaving only the knuckle bone in place. - I use two layers of foil to try to prevent any glaze getting under the foil and burning on the tray as the sugar in the glaze will make a mess if it does. - Use a savoury apricot sauce - there are a number to choose from in the supermarket. Alternatively, try plum sauce.