Christmas Ham: How to Score, Glaze & Serve a Whole Leg
Choosing the ham, removing the skin without wrecking the fat, three glazes, and the timing so it's warm for lunch.
A whole leg ham is already fully cooked — your job is just to skin it, score it, glaze it and warm it through. It's the least stressful part of Christmas lunch if you plan the timing.
Choosing the ham
- Bone-in leg — the classic. Best flavour, best value per kg, the showpiece. 7–10kg feeds a big crowd with leftovers for a week.
- Half leg — same thing, for a smaller table (4–6kg).
- Boneless leg — easiest to carve, slightly less flavour, good if carving space is tight.
Order early — Christmas hams sell out, and you want it delivered a few days ahead, not on the 24th.
Skin and score
- Run a knife around the shank end, then slide your fingers under the skin and peel it back in one piece, leaving the fat layer intact. Keep the skin — lay it back over the leftover ham to stop it drying.
- Score the fat in a diamond pattern, ~2cm apart, about 5mm deep — into the fat, not the meat.
- Stud each diamond with a clove if you like (optional).
Three glazes (for a whole leg)
- Classic brown sugar: 1.5 cups brown sugar, ½ cup honey, ⅓ cup Dijon, 2 tbsp orange juice. Whisk to a paste.
- Maple-mustard: 1 cup maple syrup, ⅓ cup wholegrain mustard, 2 tbsp cider vinegar, pinch of clove.
- Marmalade-whisky: 1 cup orange marmalade, ¼ cup whisky, 2 tbsp brown sugar, warmed to loosen.
Cook
- Ham on a rack in a deep tray, 1 cup water in the base. 160°C.
- Brush a first coat of glaze. Bake 20 minutes.
- Re-glaze every 15–20 minutes, 3–4 coats total, until deep amber and lacquered — about 1.5–2 hours for a 7–9kg leg (you're heating it through to ~55°C in the centre, and building the crust).
- If the top isn't dark enough, 5 minutes under the grill — watch it.
- Rest 20 minutes before carving.
Serve & store
Serve warm or at room temperature. Store the leftover ham wrapped in a damp tea towel or a ham bag (not plastic) in the fridge, re-dampening the cloth every couple of days — it keeps 2 weeks. The bone makes the best pea and ham soup or a stock.
Order your Christmas ham now for December delivery.
Frequently asked questions
How do you glaze a Christmas ham?
Skin the ham, score the fat in a 2cm diamond pattern, then bake at 160°C brushing on glaze every 15–20 minutes for 3–4 coats until deep amber — about 1.5–2 hours for a 7–9kg leg. Finish under the grill for 5 minutes if needed, then rest 20 minutes.
Do you need to cook a Christmas ham?
A whole leg ham is already fully cooked and cured. You're only skinning, scoring, glazing and warming it through to about 55°C in the centre while building the lacquered crust. It can also be served cold.
How do you store leftover ham?
Wrap it in a damp tea towel or a cotton ham bag — not plastic — and keep it in the fridge, re-dampening the cloth every couple of days. It keeps about two weeks. Lay the reserved skin back over the cut face to stop it drying.
What size Christmas ham do I need?
A 7–10kg bone-in leg feeds a large crowd with a week of leftovers. A half leg (4–6kg) suits a table of 4–6. Order early — hams sell out and you want it delivered a few days before, not on Christmas Eve.