Honey and Rosemary Ham

08/04/2019 by Catherine Pappas 34 Comments

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #EasterWithHatfiedHam #SimplyHatfield #CollectiveBias

Brighten up your Easter table this season with our Honey & Rosemary Ham served alongside roasted vegetables for an easy, classic holiday spread!

I remember back when the late great Joan Rivers was the host of Fashion Police, one quip that I found particularly amusing was, and I paraphrase from memory, “You don’t want to be all matchy matchy, you’ll look like you just pulled a heist on a first grader’s closet. You’re an adult now, learn the appeal of a touch of contrast and clash.”

Words of wisdom, to be sure, but there’s no denying that certain things just ‘go together.’ In some cases it’s because they simply make sense together, such as summer weather and outdoor barbeques. Other times it’s because they bring out the best in each other, such as a good wine meeting its match-made-in-heaven pairing. Other times you just can’t imagine the one without the other – such as eggs and coffee. Other times the pairings or ‘matches’ might not make sense, but you do it anyway because that just ‘how things are supposed to be’ – I’m looking at you Christmas trees and electrical lights.

For myself, the Easter season and brunches are one of those types of pairings that just ‘go together.’ An Easter season full of afternoon brunches in the blossoming outdoors, lashed by the still pleasantly chilled air is, for me, one of the season’s most welcomed indulgences, one that I look forward to all winter long.

My key ingredients for the perfect Easter season brunch typically revolve around something light but satisfying, an elegant-yet-relaxed setting, and, of course, nice weather.

To do this, I decided on setting up a brunch setting beside my bay window, and to serve a pair of classic hams prepared with a honey and herb glaze, alongside mixed roasted vegetables with fresh lemon and garlic. Simple, delicious, no-fuss elegance.

And naturally, that brings us to today’s recipe- Honey and Rosemary Ham.

To start things off, we begin with a pair of three pound Hatfield Classic Hams, which I picked up right at my local Shop Rite. For this recipe, I really prefer the Hatfield Classic Hams for a variety of reasons. Aside from simply being delicious, and of reliable quality, they’re also ethically raised, and family-owned American made.

On a side note, I’m sure to have to ham left over, and leftover classic ham makes for great ham with eggs in the morning, or chopped up into scrambled eggs or an omelet, or even as a delicious, thick ham sandwich. In other words, they’re not ‘just’ for sit down brunches or light dinners. On the contrary, these little hams are super versatile, convenient for any time of day.

We begin with the honey herb glaze. In a medium bowl, we combine grating cheese, fresh basil, finely chopped rosemary, some chopped capers with their juice, olive oil, honey, and salt and pepper. Mix that until its thoroughly combined, and then rub it thoroughly over the hams.

Place the hams in a skillet, fill with about a half an inch of water, and then cover the skillet with tin foil, and bake for about thirty to thirty-five minutes at 325 degrees Fahrenheit.

Once done cooking, remove the hams from the oven and let them rest. Leave them covered while resting, and prepare the vegetables.

For this, you’re going to want to turn the oven up to 425 degrees. While the oven heats, you’re going to toss the vegetables together with the fresh zest and juice of half a lemon, chopped rosemary, a drizzle of olive oil, and salt and pepper.

Spread this mixture evenly over a baking sheet, and bake for twenty minutes, or until the vegetables are ever so slightly charred as pictured below. After the vegetables have cooled just a tad bit, the skin from the garlic and shallots will peel right off. While you ‘can’ peel them beforehand, the skin imparts a nice rustic flavor that you won’t otherwise be able to achieve – but if you prefer you certainly ‘can’ do it beforehand.

By this time your hams should be done resting. Slice the hams to about one quarter to one-half inch in thickness. Arrange the ham with the roasted vegetables, and serve for a delicious yet blissfully simple Easter season brunch.