Baked Easter Ham

Is there anything more traditional in a southern kitchen than a baked ham for Easter?

That question may as well be rhetorical—much like the concept I stumbled across recently while reading a CV that listed “rhetoric” as a field of study. A surprise to me, but if rhetorical questions are what they study, this one surely is a textbook example.

Difficulty Level

Let’s stipulate that making a classic city ham doesn’t require a culinary degree. Start with a fully cooked bone-in ham, whip together a sugared glaze, baste and bake it until you have that gorgeous, glistening and delicious centerpiece for dinner.

Expect compliments, contented sighs, and the occasional burp or belch of approval. Serve with scalloped potatoes au gratin and sunshine salad for a full spring spread.

Wine Pairings

Baked ham’s sweet-salty profile pairs beautifully with wine. A zesty Gewürztraminer cuts through the richness with bright acidity, while a well-balanced Riesling—like Hermann J. Wiemer’s 2016 Magdalena Vineyard from New York’s Finger Lakes—offers a fruity, floral contrast that’s hard to beat.

Prefer red? Go for a Beaujolais, which is light-bodied and fruity enough to complement the ham’s bold flavors. Or try a Zinfandel, whose dark fruit and subtle spice are practically begging to be served with meat.

Baked Easter Ham Step By Step

Select a ham with an ample fat cap and slice it diagonally in a diamond pattern, then insert a whole clove into each diamond. Whisk together the glaze, heat and reduce to a thick sauce and baste your ham.

After the first basting

After the second basting

Finished ham, ready to carve.

Easter dinner with ham, sunshine salad and scalloped potatoes! Print