A woman who once worked with me said, “I used to think I cooked. Then I realized all I was doing was heating things up.” Frankly, when you “cook” a spiral-cut ham, that’s all you’re doing: heating it up. But in the process, you can dry it out. You can prevent this by providing moisture during heating. I’ve borrowed this process from Judith and Evan Jones, authors of The Book of New New England Cookery, but I’ve simplified their recipe and modified it to make it more cost-effective:
One 10- to 12-pound ham, fully cooked
½-cup brown sugar
½-cup maple syrup
2 teaspoons whole cloves
12 bay leaves
1 cup applejack, brandy or rum
Place the ham, cut side down on a rack inside a roasting pan. Pour 1 cup applejack (or other liquor) plus an equal amount of water into the bottom of the pan. Add the cloves and bay leaves to the liquid. In a bowl, mix together the brown sugar and maple syrup to make a glaze. Spread half the glaze on the ham. Tent the pan with aluminum foil, sealing the edges well. Bake the ham in a 350-degree oven for two hours or until heated through. Remove the ham from the oven and spread remaining glaze. Replace aluminum foil and let the ham stand for about 10 minutes before serving. Serves 15 to 20.
