Jambon au Sirop d’Érable (Maple Ham)

There are two ways you can go about making this recipe. You can buy a cured uncooked ham and cook it
yourself, which will give you a less sweet, and more savoury ham, especially if you add the hay. Or you
can save a lot of time by buying a quality cooked and lightly smoked ham and skip- ping directly to the
roasting and glazing step. You’ll still end up with a great result. – Where the River Narrows: Classic
French and Nostalgic Québécois Recipes From St. Lawrence Restaurant by J-C Poirier and Joie Alvaro
Kent, Appetite by Random House

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Jambon au Sirop d’Érable (Maple Ham)

Course Main Course

Prep Time 12 minutes minutes

Cook Time 5 hours hours

Servings 810 servings

Author J-C Poirier and Joie Alvaro Kent, authors of Where the River Narrows: Classic French and Nostalgic Québécois Recipes From St. Lawrence Restaurant

Ingredients

Ham:

• 1/2 bone-in gammon ham cured but not cooked, about 6.5 to 9 pounds (3 to 4 kg)
• 9 ounces (250 g) good organic hay (optional)
• 15 black peppercorns
• 10 juniper berries
• 8 whole cloves
• 5 bay leaves
• 3 sprigs thyme
• 3 sprigs rosemary
• 3 whole shallots peeled
• 2 large carrots
• 1 bulb garlic unpeeled, sliced in half horizontally

Glaze :

• 11/4 cups (300 mL) dry apple cider
• 3/4 cup (175 mL) maple syrup
• 1/3 cup + 1 tablespoon 80 g firmly packed brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons (30 mL) Dijon mustard

Instructions

FOR THE HAM:

• Choose a pot large enough to comfortably fit the ham and line the bottom with a layer of hay (if using). Nestle the ham on top. Add the spices, herbs, and vegetables, then completely cover the ham with more hay. Fill the pot with enough water to just cover the ham and hay.
• Bring to a gentle simmer on medium heat. Continue simmering until the ham is tender and a meat thermometer inserted in the centre registers 160°F (71°C), up to 21⁄2 hours depending on the size of your ham. Use 15 minutes per pound (450 g) as a rough guideline.
• Transfer the ham to a baking sheet and let cool at room temperature for 30 minutes. Discard the cooking liquid.
• Preheat your oven to 325°F (160°C), with the rack in the centre position.
• Using a knife, remove the skin from the ham and shave off some of the fat to even it out. Discard the skin and excess fat. Score the remaining fat all around the ham. Transfer the ham to a baking dish.

FOR THE GLAZE:

• In a small saucepan on medium heat, stir together the cider, maple syrup, brown sugar, and mustard. Bring to a simmer.
• Pour the glaze over the ham and baste it. Roast for 2 to 21⁄2 hours, basting the ham every 20 minutes, until the ham is tender and almost falling off the bone. You should be able to insert a knife blade all the way through the meat without any resistance, and the liquid should be reduced and thickened. Slice and serve.
• TIP Organic hay is usually easy enough to find at a pet store, or you could ask your friendly local farmer for some. It is optional, but will give a unique taste to your ham.

Notes

Excerpted from Where the River Narrows: Classic French & Nostalgic Québécois Recipes From St.

Lawrence Restaurant by Jean-Christophe Poirier. Written with Joie Alvaro Kent. Copyright © 2022 Jean-
Christophe Poirier. Cover and book design by Jennifer Griffiths. Photography by Brit Gill, except page 148.

Photo on page 8 by Amy Ho. Photos on pages 2, 5, and 6 courtesy of the author. Published by Appetite
by Random House, a division of Penguin Random House Canada Limited. Reproduced by arrangement
with the Publisher. All rights reserved.

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