Macadamia Christmas Ham

Macadamia Christmas Ham

Serves 12

Ingredients
7-8kg leg of ham on the bone
1/2 cup ginger marmalade
100g brown sugar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/4 cup macadamia butter*
1/4 cup Davidson Plum chili sauce (or sweet chilli sauce)
150g macadamias, finely chopped

Method
Preheat oven to 180°C, fan-forced. Position an oven shelf in the lowest position and remove all the other shelves.
Use a small sharp knife to cut around the ham shank (end of the leg) in a zigzag pattern 10cm from the end. Carefully remove the skin from the ham in 1 piece by running the knife and score the fat in a diamond pattern. Place the ham in a baking dish lined with several layers of non-stick baking paper.
Combine the marmalade, sugar, mustard, macadamia butter and chilli sauce in a small saucepan and stir over a low heat until the marmalade melts. Brush the ham with half the marmalade glaze to evenly coat. Bake in the oven for 50-60 minutes or until golden brown.
Press the macadamias firmly onto the ham and brush with remaining glaze. Bake for a further 15 minutes or until nuts are lightly toasted. Remove from the oven and set aside for 15 minutes to rest before carving.

*Macadamia butter is available at some farmers markets, specialty stores or it is easy to make your own, see the recipe at australian-macadamias.org

Celebrate The Festive Season With Magical Homegrown Macadamias

Home cooks, food lovers and party-goers across the nation are being encouraged to fly the flag and embrace local produce like delectable macadamias to create festive menus with a unique Australian flare this summer.

CEO of Australian Macadamias, Jolyon Burnett, said that while everyone has their own Christmas and holiday traditions, use of Aussie flavours and ingredients when entertaining is the perfect way to inject new life into seasonal celebrations while supporting vital local industries.

'The festive season is a time when friends, families and communities all come together to celebrate not just Christmas and the end of the year, but the beauty of the Australian summer – the weather, our stunning beaches and the amazing array of local produce.

'Macadamias were born in Australia and we believe they should be part of the family at Christmas. Not only are they a delicious bite-sized snack direct from their natural home, they also add a wonderful creamy taste and textural crunch to our favourite sweet and savoury festive season foods," Mr Burnett said.

A handful of homegrown macadamias a day is an essential part of a healthy diet, offering the highest amount of good fats of any nut.

'An entire menu can be built around seasonal local produce including our Aussie nut, which teams beautifully with seafood, lamb and ham along with a variety of dessert. For example, snacks can include Christmas-spiced macadamias or cookies and a macadamia-encrusted ham glaze can be complemented by a green paw paw and macadamia salad for the main course. For something sweet, try a mango and macadamia dessert to round out the feast.

'There are obviously any number of variations to that theme which can use the world's finest nut to give a festive menu some real local flavour."

Predominantly grown in the Northern Rivers region of New South Wales and up the Queensland coast, with smaller plantings in Western Australia, macadamias are the only native plant to be developed and traded as a commercial food product. Around 40,000 tonnes are produced annually by 750 growers.

Australia is the world leader in research, marketing and development, and is also the largest producer and exporter, delivering macadamias to more than 40 countries worldwide, generating between $120 and $130 million worth of export revenue annually.

Macadamias are best stored in an airtight container in the fridge to preserve their freshness.