Ham leg
Description
The dish is prepared without unnecessary complications. I'm not exactly sure why this type of ham is called "Merchant-style," but the result is truly wonderful in every sense! To prepare "Merchant-style" ham, you'll need a good, medium-fat ham, fresh (preferably) cranberries, meat spices, and vegetables and fruits for garnish. The combination of apples, pears, potatoes, and mustard sauce makes the dish very piquant, original, and delicious. You can also serve it on a bed of fresh greens. I'd like to note that you can vary the side vegetables according to your taste. For the marinade, you'll need the following spices and ingredients: cloves, ginger root, whole peppercorns, dried thyme, basil, and rosemary, a bit of chili pepper and bay leaf, honey, salt, soy sauce, and sherry. The finished dish is ready to be served.
Instructions
- 1
Step 1
The ham should be prepared: marinate it one day before cooking. I recommend using fresh cranberries; if you don't have them, use frozen ones (thaw them first).
- 2
Step 2
Prepare the marinade: pour water into a saucepan, add spices (cloves, ginger root, peppercorns, dried thyme, rosemary, and basil, bay leaf) and a little honey. Bring to a boil, add salt. Let it boil for about 5 minutes, then add soy sauce and sherry. Cool the marinade, then pour it over the ham. Leave the ham to marinate overnight in the refrigerator.
- 3
Step 3
The next day, prepare the vegetables and berries that will be used to stuff the ham. Slice the garlic (each clove in half), rinse the cranberries, and cut the carrot into thin strips.
- 4
Step 4
Remove the ham from the marinade and pat dry with paper towels. Make deep cuts in the meat with a knife, and stuff them with carrots, cranberries, and garlic.
- 5
Step 5
The holes should be deep, but not going all the way through.
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Step 6
Now for the side dish: slice the potatoes and onions into wedges, add spices, and place them on a baking tray or dish greased with vegetable oil. Place the ham hock on top.
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Step 7
Place our ham in a preheated oven at 180 degrees for 40 minutes.
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Step 8
While the ham is baking, baste it with the accumulated juices to prevent it from drying out. Also, prepare the sauce for baking it in the second cooking stage: mix 1 egg yolk, 1 tablespoon of sugar, and 2 tablespoons of grainy mustard.
- 9
Step 9
After forty minutes, brush the meat with the previously prepared mustard sauce and surround it with apple and pear slices cut into quarters, large pieces of pineapple, and cauliflower florets. Place the fruit on top of the previously arranged potatoes and onions so that their juices gradually soak into them. Return the dish to the oven for another 30–40 minutes.
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Step 10
Here's how the "Merchant-style" ham looks after another half hour. The aroma is simply divine!
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Step 11
Before serving, you can slice the ham into thin pieces. The dish can also be served with roasted vegetables and fruits.
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Step 12
Serve at the table.