Cooking recipes

A very delectable and classic no-fail roasted ham  with Smashed Potatoes N Carrots...

Servings: (12)
Prep: 10 Mins.
Roast Ham: 2 Hrs.
Let Ham Stand: 20 Mins.

INGREDIENTS

---Roasting Ham:
· 6 to 8 pounds fully-cooked boneless ham
· ¼ cup honey
· ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
· ½ teaspoon ground mustard

---Smashed Potatoes N Carrots
2 pounds peeled potatoes, cut into 1-1/2” cubes
2 pounds carrots, cut into 1" pieces
1-1/2 to 2 cups milk
3 tablespoons butter, at room temp
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste




METHOD

--Roasting Ham:
Place ham fat side up on rack in a shallow roasting pan. Score top and sides in a diagonal fashion to make diamond shapes on outer skin.  Roast, covered, for 2 hours.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl mix honey, mustard and ground cloves.  Remove ham from oven and brush with glaze, and continue roasting ‘uncovered’ 20 minutes longer.

Remove from oven, re-cover, and let stand about 10 minutes for juices to redistribute.

--Smashed Potatoes N Carrots:
[Begin making 40 minutes before Ham is scheduled to be served.]

Meanwhile, in a large pot, add potatoes and carrots with ½ teaspoon salt.  Cover vegetables about an inch over the top with water. Place a lid on pot and heat just to boiling, and then reduce to gently boil. Continue cooking 20 to 25 minutes until tender; drain thoroughly. Return drained potatoes and carrots to pot. Mash potatoes together with carrots until no lumps remain (or do so in separate bowls to fashion swirls, see above photo, splitting milk,butter, and salt and freshly ground pepper in each respective bowl). Blend in milk in small amounts to desired consistency. Add 3 tablespoons butter, and salt and ground pepper to taste. Mash a bit more until potatoes and carrots are light and fluffy (please don’t over do it or they will have a slimy in texture). - Serve with sliced ham and your other chosen side dishes. ~ Enjoy!

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While I was in Shipshewana over the weekend, in addition to the delicious cheeses, I also purchased a fantastic Raspberry Jalapeno jelly.  In case you have never tried it, raspberry jalapeno jelly, or any hot jelly or jam, is a tasty paring with cheddar cheese and crackers or spooned over cream cheese.  I had another idea, however, for utilizing this jelly.  The thought of a sticky sweet and slightly spicy glaze for a tender, succulent pork roast.  I think the experiment was a huge success.

I combined 2 tablespoons of the raspberry jalapeno jelly, 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar, 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard, dash of Worcestershire sauce, 1 tablespoon of ketchup and 1 tablespoon of brown sugar in a small saucepan.  I heated the mixture over relatively low heat until the jelly melted and a smooth glossy glaze was formed.  After simmering the glaze for about 15 minutes, it had cooked down just enough and thickened to the perfect consistency. 

I seasoned a 2 pound ribeye pork roast with chipotle chili powder, garlic powder, salt, pepper and oregano and placed in on a rack inside a shallow back pan.  The pork roasted in a 375 degree oven for about 45 minutes, when I removed it from the oven and glazed it with the first layer of raspberry jalapeno sauce.  Back into the oven for 10 more minutes, then another coating of glaze.  Repeat 2 or 3 more times until the pork has reached the desired temperature and a beautiful mahogany glaze has formed on the roast.  Let rest 20 minutes before carving. 

For the twice baked potatoes I baked a russet potato in a 350 degree oven for 1 hour.  Cut it in half lengthwise and remove the pulp to a large mixing bowl.  Then, add a couple tablespoons of butter and a splash or two of milk and stir  vigorously until beautiful smooth and fluffy mashed potatoes have been created.  Refill the empty baked potato shells with the mashed potatoes and place in baking dish.  Cover with grated cheddar cheese and garnish with paprika.  Bake in a 350-375 degree oven for about 10-15 minutes, or until the cheese has melted and the potatoes are heated through. 

Serve the sliced pork roast and twice baked potatoes with a fresh and lightly dressed slaw which includes only shredded Napa cabbage and a vinaigrette of 2 tablespoons cider vinegar, 1tablespoon canola oil, 1 tablespoon of sugar and a generous season of salt and pepper.  Gently dress the shredded cabbage with the vinaigrette and toss thoroughly to combine.