Fresh, Uncured, Ham (Porchetta) for Easter

This year, instead of making a traditional cured or smoked ham for Easter, I opted to make a fresh or uncured (also called green) ham which I ordered from the butcher.  I found the recipe in a folder of our past Gourmet Group menus from 1999.  I'm so happy I found it once again!

The ham is rubbed with olive oil, garlic, rosemary and fennel and allowed to marinate overnight.  Then, it is roasted for 6 hours in a low-temperature oven.  It was delicious and you will find the recipe below.

I also wanted to share the bunny napkin fold that I used for our Easter table.  Isn't it cute?  You can find the directions here.  I added the raffia tie and whiskers to make it easy to unfold and use at dinner.

Tender Roasted Fresh Ham

Recipe adapted from Food and Wine (Unfortunately, since I first published this article, the original link is no longer available.  I am including links to several other recipes for fresh, roasted ham that are similar in preparation.)

Fine Cooking, Food 52, Saveur, New York Times 

Printable Recipe 

Serves 12

One 12-pound fresh ham roast from the leg, bone in
10 garlic cloves, halved
1 tablespoon chopped rosemary
Kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
2 teaspoons olive oil
Freshly ground pepper

Fresh arugula for garnish

Using a sharp knife, make incisions about 1 inch apart at least 1/2 inch deep all over the ham.

Using a spice grinder, chop and rosemary and fennel until finely ground. Pound the garlic to a paste and add the ground rosemary and fennel seeds, 2 teaspoons of kosher salt and combine. Stir in the olive oil and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper.

Push about 1/2 teaspoon of the garlic paste deep into each incision using a wooden skewer to push it deep into the incisions. Rub the remaining paste all over the ham. With the ham fat side up use a knife to score the fat 1/2 inch deep in a crosshatch pattern. Wrap the ham in plastic and refrigerate overnight.

Preheat the oven to 300°. Place the ham in a roasting pan into which it fits snugly and bring to room temperature. Rub the ham with generous amounts of kosher salt and pepper and roast in the oven for 3 hours. Remove the pan from the oven and siphon the pan juices using a bulb baster if you have one and place in a small saucepan. Return the ham to the oven and roast for 3 hours longer, or until it is deeply browned and the meat is very tender.

Siphon or spoon any remaining pan juices and fat into the small saucepan. Skim off the fat and strain. Let the roast stand for 15 minutes. Heat the juices and reduce while the ham is resting. Carve the ham, serve on a bed of fresh arugula and serve with pan juices.