City Ham

Adapted from John Martin Taylor’s “City Ham,” published on Hoppin’ John’s®, John Martin Taylor’s Personal Blog, December 2007; the recipe was originally published in Fine Cooking 38, May 2000 (The Taunton Press).

John Martin Taylor says this ham is so good that “during parties I have to make sure no one’s around when I carve it because folks will flat-out pull the thing to death.”

He’s right.

It’s nice to have a baked ham on hand when you have company coming and going, especially around holidays. It’s perfect sliced thin and tucked into Tiny Corn Muffins, or served with scrambled, poached, or fried eggs. With leftovers, in addition to the obvious sandwiches, you can serve thick slices alongside macaroni and cheese and buttered peas, or sizzle them in a skillet with a little butter for breakfast.

John Martin Taylor, originally from Charleston, calls this a “city ham” — wet-cured — to distinguish it from a “country ham” — dry-cured. Both are delicious, but country ham is best eaten like prosciutto: sliced paper thin and savored sparingly.

The caveat here is that you need the right kind of ham: fully cooked, smoked, preferably not spiral-sliced or glazed, and definitely not canned.

1 whole bone-in fully cooked smoked ham, or
½ bone-in fully cooked smoked ham, shank end preferred but butt end is fine

Preheat the oven to 275°F.

Remove the ham from its packaging. Place it on a flat rack in a roasting pan, and loosely crumple a piece of aluminum foil over the top. You want a soft tent, not a tight seal.

Bake at 275°F for 7 to 8 hours for a whole ham, or 3 to 4 hours for a half ham.

Let the ham rest before carving. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Tartar Sauce

Adapted from Lobster Rolls and Blueberry Pie by Rebecca Charles (Artisan, 2003)
Serves about 2 to 4 (easily scaled)

These amounts are loose and depend on how much you want to make. Increase or decrease as needed.

1/3 cup mayonnaise—your favorite (Mine is Ojai.)
1/2 large shallot, minced, or 2 tablespoons minced sweet onion, or some chopped scallions
1 to 2 tablespoons chopped cornichons (I use Maille cornichons)
1 teaspoon cornichon juice
2 teaspoons tiny capers in vinegar, drained
Salt (if necessary) and pepper to taste
A small squeeze of fresh lemon juice

Mix all ingredients together and chill until ready to use.

Rebecca Charles’s Lobster Rolls and Blueberry Pie is more of an interesting memoir than a recipe collection, but there are some good ones included here and there.

Her restaurant, Pearl Oyster Bar, was a favorite when I lived in New York City. If I’d been in the middle of cooking dinner and someone called to say, “Let’s go to Pearl,” I would have turned off the stove and headed for the subway.

She was justifiably famous for her lobster rolls, but I always ordered the Salt-Crusted Shrimp. Every time. Dessert was a different story. I had to choose between the Butterscotch Parfait and the Chocolate Mousse—and it was a difficult decision. I always hoped my dining companion would order one so I could order the other and have a taste of both.

Unfortunately, the recipe for that mousse is not in the book.

But when I found Aileen’s Chocolate Mousse, I was rewarded with a dessert so similar that my craving can be satisfied any time I like.

I am sorry to say that Pearl is permanently closed.