Roasted Fresh Ham

This is a huge piece of meat that is simple to prepare and inevitably leads to applause and awe. A fresh ham weighing in at north of 15 pound yields the variety of doneness needed for a big party of eaters: well-done white meat, pink slices for the medium-rare crowd, and crispy fat and dark-meat bits from the shank for those who like to snack. If there are leftovers the next day, carve the rest of the meat from the bone and make yourself a phenomenal ham sandwich. Then use the bones for stock and soup!

Ingredients

• 1 16-to-18-pound fresh ham
• 1 ½ tablespoons kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons fresh thyme (from 14 to 16 stems)
• 2 cups plus 2 tablespoons dry white wine
• ¼ cup half-and-half

• Nutritional Information

  • Nutritional analysis per serving (12 servings)

    30 calories; 0 grams fat; 0 grams saturated fat; 0 grams monounsaturated fat; 0 grams polyunsaturated fat; 1 gram carbohydrates; 0 grams dietary fiber; 0 grams sugars; 0 grams protein; 1 milligram cholesterol; 875 milligrams sodium

  Note: Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available data.
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12 to 14 servings

Preparation

1. Place a rack in lower third of oven and preheat to 425 degrees. Trim skin and excess fat from ham, leaving a layer of fat. Score ham all over in a diamond pattern of 1/2-inch-deep cuts about 1 1/2 inches apart.
2. In a small bowl, combine salt, pepper and thyme, pinching and sifting mixture until thyme becomes fragrant. Pat mixture all over ham and into crevices.
3. Place ham fat-side up on a rack in a large roasting pan and roast uncovered for 1/2 an hour. Turn heat down to 350 degrees, pour 2 cups wine and 1/2 cup water into pan and loosely tent with aluminum foil. Continue to roast, basting every hour. Add water to pan, if necessary, to keep pan juices from scorching; bake until a meat thermometer pressed into thickest part of ham reads 155 degrees, about 3 1/2 hours.
4. Let ham stand 15 to 20 minutes before carving. Pour pan juices and remaining 2 tablespoons wine into a small saucepan and simmer about 2 minutes. Turn off flame, add half-and-half, and serve with ham.

4 hours 30 minutes