Medjool Date Syrup
1. In a medium saucepan, bring Natural Delights Pitted Medjool Dates and water to a boil.
2. Reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring frequently and smashing with a spoon or potato masher to break the dates apart
3. After about 20 minutes, half the liquid should be evaporated, and the remaining liquid should be quite thick/syrupy.
4. Remove from the heat and cool. Then squeeze through a nut milk bag or push through a fine sieve to extract just the syrup (you should get about 1 cup).
5. Transfer to a glass jar and keep it in the fridge.
Spiced Date, Orange and Whiskey Glaze
1. Combine ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a simmer for about 10 minutes until the glaze reduces by one third and becomes syrupy.
For the Ham
1. Bring the ham to room temperature for 1 hour.
2. Pre-heat oven to 180°C.
3. To remove the skin from the ham, use a small sharp knife to cut an incision around the base of the hock. Carefully run the knife just under the skin and around the edge where the skin meets the ham.
4. Using the incision at the hock, further loosen the skin by gently running your fingers between the skin and fat to remove the skin without taking the fat along with it.
5. Once removed, discard the skin.
6. Score the fat into diamond shapes by running a small knife across the ham fat one way creating parallel lines 3 cm apart, then repeating in the opposite direction.
7. Line a large roasting tray with baking paper. Cover the ham hock with baking paper and foil to prevent burning.
8. Brush the scored fat generously with the glaze, then cook for approximately 1 hour 15 minutes, basting with glaze every 15 - 20 minutes, until the fat is golden and caramelised.
9. Once the ham is cooked, set aside for 15 minutes to rest.
10. Cover the hock in baking paper then white linen and decorate with string and fresh rosemary (or whatever herbs you have to hand).
11. Serve to rapturous applause!
Cooks Notes
1. Use damp toothpicks to hold down any sections of scored fat that start to pull away from the ham whilst cooking.
2. You could add whole dates to warm glaze and finish the ham with them at the table.
*While Medjool dates are high in natural sugars, they are low on the glycemic index thanks to a balanced amount of soluble fiber. The complex carbohydrates found in Medjool dates are digested at a slower rate, making them a source of dietary fiber and releasing energy to the body over a longer period of time.
