Amazing Glaze

If the thought of cooking something big — really big — scares you right out of the kitchen, then Chris Schlesinger can help. He's the chef and owner of two New England restaurants and the co-author of How to Cook Meat. "When I entertain," he says, "I find that preparing one large piece of meat is actually easier than doing lots of individual pieces, like steaks."

In fact, the hardest part about making Schlesinger's special-occasion entrée is carrying home the 16-pound bone-in ham from the market. Once you start cooking, there's no special equipment needed, and preparation is super easy.

The secret is the tropical glaze and curried pineapple chutney, which provide a deliciously modern twist to the classic spring ham. Together, they balance the slight saltiness of the ham with sweet, tart, and spicy flavor combinations. The chutney can even be made days in advance to streamline the dinner prep even more.

After your guests rave about this dish, you may be tempted to create "special occasions" a whole lot more often.

TROPICAL GLAZED HAM WITH CURRIED PINEAPPLE CHUTNEY

20 servings

CHUTNEY

6 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 large red onion, chopped
2 medium-size red bell peppers, chopped
5 tablespoons minced seeded jalapeño chilies
3 tablespoons curry powder
9 cups 1/2-inch cubes peeled quartered cored pineapple (from 2 large)



1 1/2 cups orange juice
1 1/2 cups apple cider vinegar
1 1/2 cups (packed) golden brown sugar


Heat oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add red onion and bell peppers and sauté until onion begins to soften, about 8 minutes. Add jalapeño chilies and curry powder; stir 2 minutes. Add pineapple cubes, orange juice, apple cider vinegar, and golden brown sugar. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer mixture until thick and reduced to about 7 1/2 cups, stirring often, about 1 hour 10 minutes. Season chutney to taste with salt and pepper. (Can be prepared 4 days ahead. Cool completely, then cover and refrigerate.)

HAM AND GLAZE

1 16-pound bone-in fully cooked whole ham with rind
1/4 cup (about) whole cloves
2 cups mango nectar
1/4 cup apricot preserves
4 teaspoons minced peeled fresh ginger
1 tablespoon grated lemon peel
1 tablespoon grated lime peel
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon fresh lime juice

Position rack in bottom third of oven and preheat to 350°F. Using sharp knife, cut parallel lines 1 inch apart in fat layer and rind on ham. Cut more lines in crosswise direction, making diamond pattern.



Stick 1 whole clove into center of each diamond. Place rack in roasting pan. Place ham on rack. Roast ham 2 hours. Reduce oven temperature to 300°F. Continue to roast ham until golden, about 1 hour. Meanwhile, combine mango nectar and next 6 ingredients in heavy medium saucepan. Bring to simmer over medium heat. Cook until glaze thickens and coats spoon, stirring often, about 14 minutes; set glaze aside.
Remove ham from oven. Maintain oven temperature. Using pastry brush, dab all the glaze over ham, being careful not to dislodge crisp diamonds of fat and rind.

Return ham to oven. Roast until ham is heated through and glaze is brown, about 35 minutes.



Transfer ham to platter; let stand 15 minutes, spoon chutney into bowl. Slice ham and serve with chutney.