COUNTDOWN to Christmas

'Tis soon the season to be jolly, so to help you plan ahead, we bring you a festive, flavour-filled menu from The Christmas Collection, a delightful new cookbook by The Australian Women's Weekly

- 

STICKY PEACH & PEPPER-GLAZED HAM

SERVES 20

Prep + cook time 1 hour 40 minutes

• 1 tsp Sichuan peppercorns

• 1 tbsp medley peppercorns

• 1 tsp fennel seeds

• 2 tsp dried chilli flakes

• 1⅔ cups (430g) peach jam

• 1 tbsp grated ginger

• ⅓ cup (115g) honey

• ½ cup (110g) brown sugar, firmly packed

• ¼ cup (60ml) Chinese cooking wine (shao hsing) or dry sherry

• 2 tbsp rice wine vinegar

• 8kg whole ham leg

• 3 long sprigs rosemary

Caramelised peaches

• 6 yellow peaches (900g), halved, stones removed

• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

• ¼ cup (55g) light brown sugar, firmly packed

1 Place peppercorns, fennel seeds and chilli flakes in a mortar and pestle (or spice grinder) and lightly crush. Place in a medium saucepan with jam, ginger, honey, sugar, cooking wine and vinegar; bring to the boil. Reduce heat. Simmer for 5 minutes or until thickened. Remove from heat. Cool. Reserve ½ cup of the glaze.

2 Place oven shelf in the lowest position. Preheat oven to 180°C.

3 Using a small, sharp knife, cut the ham rind about 12cm from the shank end of the leg. Remove rind from ham by sliding your hand between the rind and the fat layer. (Rind can be used to cover the cut surface of the ham to keep it moist during storage.) Score the ham fat at 2cm intervals and cover the hock with foil.