Peach and spices glazed Christmas ham recipe

 Peach glaze

• 40g butter
• 1 small brown onion, coarsely chopped
• 2 ripe peaches, pitted, coarsely chopped
• 2 whole star anise
• 3/4 tsp ground cardamom
• 3/4 cup (185ml) white wine vinegar, divided
• 1 cup (220g) brown sugar

 Ham

• 1 Half Leg Ham (bone in, approx. 4.5kg)
• Cloves
• Jumbuck spinners spice rub

To make the glaze, melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook, stirring often, for 4 minutes. Add peaches, star anise and cardamom. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 7 minutes. Add water and 1/2 cup (125ml) of the vinegar. Cook for 5 minutes or until reduced by one-quarter. Add sugar and cook, stirring, for 4 minutes or until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat and stir in remaining 1/4 cup (60ml) vinegar. Set aside for 10 minutes to develop the flavours.

Remove star anise and discard. Carefully transfer glaze to a blender and blend until smooth.

Preheat the barbecue to 180°C with the hood down. Make a cut around the shank of the ham, about 8cm in from the end. Cut around the rind at the widest end. Slide fingers under the rind and rub across the ham between rind and fat, peeling back the rind, exposing the white fat layer, until you reach the shank. Remove the rind and discard.

Using the tip of a sharp knife, score the fat in 2cm-wide intervals widthways. Push a clove into the fat at about every 10cm along the lines. Rub the spice rub over the fat and place ham in a BBQ dish.

Brush some glaze over the ham, basting with glaze every 15 mins, and cook in the barbecue for 1-1.5 hours, until warmed through and evenly caramelised.

Preheat your barbecue with all burners on and hood down for about 15 minutes prior to cooking the ham. If you have a gauge, let it reach the desired cooking temperature.

Use a strong metal tray or two heavy-duty large foil trays inside each other for stability. The tray must be large enough to fit the whole ham to allow for any glaze to drip into it.

Elevating the ham is essential so water can be poured underneath to catch the glaze and prevent it from burning and smoking.

Indirect heat is the best way to cook ham in a barbecue. This method uses hot air to circulate around the meat like an oven, rather than directly underneath. On a larger barbecue, switch off the centre burners and leave on the outside burners, and on a smaller barbecue, turn off one side and move the meat to that side.

Always make sure that you have enough fuel for your barbecue before you start cooking your Christmas ham – or stock up on a spare gas bottle to be on the safe side!