When guests arrive, the scent of dinner cooking inevitably beckons them to the kitchen. It’s also where all the action is. I think that’s why cooking shows are so popular—people love to watch what’s going on in the kitchen! And I love to give guests some theatre while they’re waiting for dinner. So for this year’s Easter table, I got out my creme brulee torch to create a Fire Glazed Easter Ham.
Now I know that not everyone has a creme brulee torch. But they are relatively inexpensive. The Culinary Butane Torch
that I used is hovering around $16 on Amazon! I bought some butane
to fuel the torch, and it came out to just under $25 for both, including tax. And the torch is small enough to stow in a drawer until your next fire-fueled project. 🙂
I chose a spiral sliced ham, which I opted to serve at room temperature. I brushed honey on it, then sprinkled it with a mixture of brown sugar, cinnamon, and cloves. Then out came the creme brulee torch!
The fire glazing is simple. Start in a well-ventilated area away from anything flammable. A kitchen counter is perfect. Then, light the torch and move it slowly over the brown sugar mixture until it caramelizes. Don’t hang out too long in any one place or the sugar will burn and turn black instead of deep brown.
The end result is a sweet, crisp, caramelized shell of brown sugar and spices covering the ham. It’s irresistible and was a hit with my guests. I garnished the ham with rainbow radishes that I tossed with melted butter and roasted for 15 minutes in a 400°F oven. To see the whole process, check out the video on Instagram or Facebook!
The Fire Glazed Ham was the centerpiece for a classic Easter brunch. My friend Kelley of Haviland Events did the table setting—isn’t it spectacular? She has an eye for creating beautiful tablescapes that welcome guests warmly with their charm and whimsy. The bunny plates and table runner are from Williams Sonoma and the china is from Kelley’s collection.
In addition to the Fire Glazed Ham, I served the following:
Gruyere and Thyme Scalloped PotatoesRoasted Asparagus with Hazelnut Gremolata
Southern Biscuits with Citrus Compound Butter
Mango Coconut Cream Pie
Check out the Fire Glazed Ham video on Instagram or Facebook for a better look at the process!
Fire Glazed Easter Ham
Equipment
- Special tools needed: creme brulee torch
Ingredients
- 1 5–6 lb spiral-sliced ham
- ⅓ cup honey
- 2 cups light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon cloves
- For garnish: roasted rainbow radishes
Instructions
- Heat the ham according to package instructions. Let cool for 30 minutes. If you prefer to serve the ham at room temperature, let it rest outside of the refrigerator for 2 hours before beginning. A ham straight out of the refrigerator is fine, too! The caramelization process does not heat the inside of the ham at all.
- Place ham on a flat work surface.
- In a medium bowl, combine the brown sugar, cinnamon, and cloves. Mix to combine.
- Drizzle the honey over the ham. Use a pastry brush to coat the entire outside of the ham with the honey.
- Use your hands to apply the brown sugar mixture in a thin, even layer to the ham (the honey will help it stick). You may not use all of the brown sugar mixture.
- Carefully use a creme brulee torch to caramelize the sugar on top of the ham, moving the torch constantly as you go.
- Work your way around the entire ham until all of the sugar is caramelized. Serve immediately.
Notes
and Butane. You can get both for under $25. Nutrition
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It would take forever to use the creme brulee torch to do the ham. Instead, get the over has hot as you can and slide the ham in there with the first coating of sugar mixture. After 10 mins, hit it with another layer of honey and mixture, 10 mins do the same. At the end of the 30 mins, you can use the torch to finish off any areas where you’re not seeing much melt. You’ll get a better glaze
Hi Dennis, thanks for the idea—I’ll have to try it. The torch took maybe 5–10 minutes total!