Rosemary-Fennel Glazed Ham with Bacon-Wrapped Pearl Onion Bites
Recipe from Santos Loo
Every holiday season, both home and professional cooks take on the challenge of creating a main dish worthy of the center table. What often makes this difficult is pleasing guests with different expectations of what a holiday spread should include. Combining traditional flavors with new twists can be a great way to keep those traditions fresh and relevant.
This glazed ham merges two classics: the iconic American holiday ham and Italy’s porchetta. The glaze is made with rosemary, fennel, garlic, and citrus for aromatic depth, and the ham itself is baked low and slow until tender and glistening. Bacon-wrapped pearl onions roast alongside, basting the ham as they caramelize. Their drippings combine with the ham juices and herbs in the pan to create a rich reduction for serving. The onion bites can be served first as appetizers, followed by the beautifully glazed centerpiece ham.
1 hour
2 hours 30 minutes
8 to 10
What You'll Need
Ingredients
Ham and Glaze
8 pounds uncured applewood-smoked bone-in half ham, fully cooked and thawed
½ cup light brown sugar
¼ cup fresh orange juice
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary
2 teaspoons fennel pollen
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon ground coriander
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 bay leaves
6 juniper berries
1 whole head garlic, halved horizontally
Bacon-Wrapped Pearl Onions
28 white pearl onions (about 6 ounces)
8 slices smoked bacon (about 8 ounces)
28 toothpicks or thin wooden skewers
Directions
Step 1
Preheat the oven. Preheat your oven to 325°F (165°C) with a rack on the middle shelf.
Step 2
Prepare the ham. Remove all packaging and let the ham sit at room temperature for 45 minutes before baking. While it rests, prepare the bacon-onion skewers and the rosemary-fennel glaze.
Step 3
Make the bacon-wrapped onions. Bring 2 quarts of water to a boil in your Ceramic Perfect Pot and fill a medium bowl with ice water. Trim the root ends of the pearl onions, removing only the brown part. Add the onions to the boiling water, turn off the heat, and let them sit for 2 minutes. Stir gently to ensure even blanching. Transfer the onions to the ice water to cool completely, about 5 minutes. Peel away the thin outer skins and pat dry.
Cut each bacon slice into four strips, about 5 inches long and ¾ inch wide. Wrap each onion with a bacon strip and secure with a toothpick through the center. This step can be done up to 2 days in advance; refrigerate until ready to use.
Step 4
Make the glaze. In a bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, orange juice, balsamic vinegar, rosemary, fennel pollen, Dijon mustard, coriander, and black pepper. No salt is needed since the smoked ham is already brined.
Step 5
Prepare the ham for roasting. Place the ham cut side down on a cutting board. Using a sharp knife, score a diamond pattern about ¼ inch deep over the skin. Fill your Large Griddle Pan with water to reach ½ inch up the sides. Add the bay leaves, juniper berries, and halved garlic head. Set an Oven Rack in the pan and place the ham, cut side down, on the rack. Brush with one-third of the glaze and bake, uncovered, for 1 hour.
Step 6
Glaze and roast. After 1 hour, brush the ham with another third of the glaze and bake for 1 more hour. Increase the oven temperature to 425°F (220°C). Lay the ham on its side and evenly insert the bacon-wrapped onion skewers across the surface, spacing them about 1 inch apart. Brush the onions and ham with the remaining glaze and bake until the bacon is golden and caramelized, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove any skewers that cook faster than others.
Step 7
Rest and serve. Remove the ham from the oven and let it rest for 15 minutes. Skim and reduce the liquid in the Mini Always Pan on the stovetop to make a flavorful basting sauce. Moisten the ham slices with this reduction before serving. Remove the toothpicks from the bacon-onion bites and serve them warm as appetizers.
💡Chef's Tip
For reheating: Since the ham is fully cooked, it only needs to be reheated gently to an internal temperature of 115° to 120°F. This keeps it moist and prevents overcooking.
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Santos Loo
Santos Loo is a Peruvian-born chef based in Los Angeles. Starting his culinary journey as senior food stylist for Food Network, he spent a decade providing his culinary expertise to cooking show icons like Emeril Lagasse, Rachel Ray, Bobby Flay, and Guy Fieri. With over 20 years in the food styling and recipe development industry, Santos continues to create food content for top streaming services, print media, and cookware brands.
