According to the National Turkey Federation, 22 million turkeys will be eaten at Christmas. That's only half of what we eat at Thanksgiving, but, still, that's a lot of turkey.
So I say toss the turkey this Christmas. If you're like most, you've had enough of the bird in the last month, especially with post-Thanksgiving soups, casseroles and sandwiches out the yin-yang.
Anne BralyInstead of turkey, go for ham. It's nothing new on the table come Christmas Day, but I'd never even considered serving it since I always opt for lamb or beef. That's until I finally tried a recipe given to me years ago by a farmer in Alabama.
I told her honestly of my feeling about baked ham - it's really nothing special. I remember her saying something to the effect of "It's all in the way you prepare it."
She sent me home with her recipe for baked ham basted with a glaze made of brown sugar, Dijon mustard and orange marmalade. Break the recipe down and think about it. Mustard is a given when it comes to ham. And since so many hams are garnished with fruit, it makes sense that orange marmalade would be a delicious addition. And brown sugar? Of course. Add some melted butter and there it is - a very uncomplicated glaze that is lovely with a baked ham.
The recipe calls for a boneless ham, but bone-in is fine and will save you money, something many of us are trying to do this time of year. Plus, once all the meat (or most of it) has been sliced off, the bone can be simmered for delicious soups later on.
And you don't need to use an expensive, name-brand mustard or marmalade for the sauce; store brands will be just as good. If you do have any sauce left, save it to use as a glaze for grilled chicken or pork loin.
Christmas Ham with Mustard-Marmalade Glaze
1 (10- to 14-pound) boneless or bone-in ham
Whole cloves
2 cups orange marmalade
2 cups Dijon mustard
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) melted butter
Trim ham's outer rind away, if necessary. Score ham in diamond shapes. Place ham in roasting pan, then bake in 300-degree oven for 2 hours; remove from oven. Raise oven temperature to 350 degrees. Place one whole clove in each diamond shape.
In separate bowl, combine marmalade, mustard, brown sugar and melted butter, stirring until smooth. Pour sauce over ham and return ham to 350-degree oven. Bake for 1 1/2 hours, basting with sauce every 30 minutes or so.
Remove ham from oven, let cool slightly and slice thinly. Serve ham on platter drizzled with sauce remaining in pan. There will be a lot of sauce, so put whatever is left over in a pitcher or bowl and serve it alongside the meat.
Note: If the sauce is too thick and lumpy, add a little water and mix it with a stick blender, in a food processor or traditional blender until smooth and thin enough that it can easily be poured.
CALLING ALL CORNBREAD COOKS
It's that time of year again. Time to dust off your cast-iron skillets and get the cornmeal out of your pantry. The National Cornbread Cook-Off is still a few months away, but entries are currently being accepted through Jan. 31. All you have to do for now is send in an original main-dish recipe using at least one package of Martha White Cornbread Mix and prepared in a piece of Lodge's cast-iron, seasoned cookware. Ten finalists will be selected to compete in the cook-off on April 29 in South Pittsburg, Tenn.
For complete details, including rules, prizes and recipes from past winners that will give you an idea of what judges are looking for, go to www.nationalcornbread.com.
Contact Anne Braly at abraly@timesfreepress.com.