Thick-Sliced Black Forest Ham with Apricot Mustard Chutney

From the book The Basic Gourmet Entertains by Diane Morgan, Dan Taggart, and Kathleen Taggart

Serves

Introduction

Yum, we love this style of ham. Black Forest ham is a firm-textured, heavily smoked, slightly sweet ham with a dark exterior. Supermarkets sometimes stock it, or try a good-quality deli. If you have never tasted it, now is the time, especially with our Apricot Mustard Chutney. We developed the chutney using dried apricots so it can be made at any time of year. Making chutneys, jams, or relishes seems intimidating to beginning cooks, but it’s just a matter of chopping, measuring, and combining ingredients, then cooking them on the stove top.

Ingredients

8 to 10

( ¼-inch thick) slices Black Forest ham (about 2 pounds)

Chutney

	1	lb. dried apricots, cut into quarters
	1	medium yellow onion (about 6 ounces), peeled and cut into ¼-inch dice
	1	large clove garlic, minced
	¼	cup diced crystallized ginger (see Cook’s Notes)
	¼	cup dried currants or raisins
	¾	cup packed light brown sugar
	1	cup cider vinegar
	¼	tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
	½	tsp. salt
	1	cinnamon stick (2 inches long)
	2	tsp. mustard seeds

Steps

To make chutney, place apricots in a medium heatproof bowl. Cover with 2 cups boiling water and let stand 15 minutes. In a 6-quart saucepan, combine all ingredients, including apricots and their soaking liquid. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to maintain a simmer. Cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 30 minutes. Let cool in pan. Discard cinnamon stick, transfer chutney to a glass jar, and refrigerate. As with most chutneys, this one keeps well for up to 6 months in the refrigerator.
To make ham, preheat oven to 250°F. Arrange ham in a 9-by-13-inch baking pan. Cover with aluminum foil and bake until heated through, 15 to 20 minutes.

Notes

Crystallized ginger is typically found in the Asian section of supermarkets. Look for it in a small 3- to 4-ounce box. One box is sufficient for this recipe.

This content is from the book The Basic Gourmet Entertains by Diane Morgan, Dan Taggart, and Kathleen Taggart.