How to bake a swedish ham
Instructions
The Swedish Ham is, as far as we are concerned, the tastiest of all cooked/roasted hams (alongside the traditional Yorkshire Ham). To prepare a Swedish ham, you will need some time, but the result is very well worth your efforts.
BAKING INSTRUCTIONS
Place the ham skin side up on a cooking rack on top of a roasting pan or baking tray. If you don’t have a cooking rack, simply lay the ham skin side down on a slightly greased roasting pan or baking tray.
Preheat your oven:
SLOW ROASTING: roast at 140C (275F) 90min/kg (40min/lb)
REGULAR ROASTING: roast at 160C (325F) 65-75 min/kg (30-35min/lb)
Use a meat thermometer or a metal skewer to check for doneness, minimum temperature of 70C (160F) measured in the centre of the ham. If the ham turns too dark during baking, add some water and cover with aluminum foil. Remove from oven and let rest for 5 – 10 minutes. Remove strings before carving and serving.
CRISPING SKIN
To get a crispy, “crackling”-like skin on the ham:
- remove the ham from the oven when the desired internal temperature is achieved
- snip the strings that wrap the ham and remove them
- score the skin and fat with a sharp knife in a crosshatch design (think checkerboard)
- place briefly under the broiler until the skin gets crispy and bubbly (you may hear popping sounds as this happens)
- watch closely as the ham can burn easily
GLAZE OPTIONS
The Swedish ham is fantastic when baked just as it is. However, applying a glaze can add some unique flavour to the meat.
Our favourite glazes include:
- Brown sugar / grainy mustard (equal parts)
- Fruit jams such as Apricot or Marmalade
- Maple syrup
- Candied ginger jam
The glaze is typically applied to the top of the ham for the last few minutes of cooking. Because of the sugar content in many glazes, they can burn easily so keep a watchful eye. Most glazes only need 10 to 15 minutes of cook time (less if broiling).