By Week 464. Year 9. Tommy is 42. January grey. The crawfish sleeping. The hunting winding down. The business in its slow season. The pause before the spring. The inhale before the exhale. white bean soup to fill the quiet.
Made white bean soup this week — the kind of food that fills the house with the smell of Louisiana and the knowledge that whoever walks through the door is walking into a home where the stove is on and the food is ready and the welcome is unconditional. The meal was the day. The day was the meal. Both were good. Encore là — still here.
When the crawfish are sleeping and the hunting is winding down, you need something that earns its place at the center of the table — something that smells like a home worth coming back to. Baked ham with Cumberland sauce is that dish for me: it’s unhurried, it’s generous, and it fills the whole house the way January quiet never quite can. You put it in the oven, you let it do its work, and by the time someone walks through the door, the welcome is already in the air.
Baked Ham With Cumberland Sauce
Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 2 hrs 30 min | Total Time: 2 hrs 45 min | Servings: 10
Ingredients
- 1 bone-in smoked ham (6–8 lbs), fully cooked
- 1/4 cup Dijon mustard
- 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- Cumberland Sauce:
- 1/2 cup red currant jelly
- 1/4 cup orange juice (freshly squeezed)
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon orange zest
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1/4 cup port wine
- 1 teaspoon dry mustard
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- Pinch of cayenne pepper
Instructions
- Preheat & prepare. Preheat oven to 325°F. Place ham cut-side down in a large roasting pan. Score the surface in a diamond pattern, cutting about 1/4 inch deep.
- Make the glaze. Stir together the Dijon mustard, brown sugar, ground cloves, and black pepper in a small bowl until a thick paste forms.
- Glaze the ham. Spread the mustard-sugar paste evenly over the entire surface of the ham, pressing it into the scored cuts.
- Bake. Cover loosely with foil and roast for 2 hours. Remove foil and continue roasting for 20–30 minutes, until the glaze is caramelized and the internal temperature reaches 140°F.
- Make the Cumberland sauce. While the ham rests, combine red currant jelly, orange juice, lemon juice, orange zest, lemon zest, port wine, dry mustard, ginger, and cayenne in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir frequently until the jelly melts and the sauce just comes to a simmer, about 5–7 minutes. Reduce heat to low and cook 3 more minutes until slightly thickened.
- Rest & serve. Let the ham rest 15 minutes before slicing. Arrange slices on a platter and spoon warm Cumberland sauce over the top. Pass extra sauce at the table.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 420 | Protein: 38g | Fat: 16g | Carbs: 22g | Fiber: 0g | Sodium: 1480mg