Chipotle Maple Glazed Ham

I hope everyone's hangover is doing well!  

Welcome to 2012

Last January I featured healthy recipes that wouldn't bust your resolution or your wallet.  I thought about doing that again, but something has been sneaking up on me for a while.  Since I started working, I've been using fewer and fewer ingredients.  I love a lot of ingredients as long as they all harmonize.  But sometimes you don't need a lot, carefully choosing items and letting them sing can be really wonderful.  Claire Robinson has been doing the 5 ingredient thing for a while.  I don't want to box myself in that much, but this January I will be featuring Few Ingredient Recipes (So, less than 10, because sometimes that 6th or 7th ingredient would help so much!)  And I am giving myself a 4th freebie.  Claire gives herself salt, pepper, and water.  I am adding vegetable oil to that mix of free items.  So, easy, delicious recipes that leave you plenty of time to keep that resolution in check.

Yesterday's recipe kicked off the few ingredient month (even though I didn't mention it in the post.)  This ham is what I made for Christmas dinner, but would make a wonderful first dinner of the year.  And the leftovers make great sandwiches.  This was my first ham, because I generally don't like ham.  But I gotta say, this one changed my mind.

Chiptole Maple Glazed Ham
1 7-8.5lb smoked, spiral sliced ham*
1/4 C real maple syrup
1/4 C extra virgin olive oil
4 small-med chipotles + 1 tsp of the adobo sauce they are packaged in
4 lrg cloves roasted garlic
1/8 C water

   If you don't want the glaze to be too spicy, remove the seeds from some or all of the chipotles.  Roughly chop the chilies.
   Combine chipotles, syrup, oil, and garlic.  Use a food processor, blender, or immersion blender to puree the mixture.  Add water to glaze and mix.
   With a pastry brush (I use a silicon one), brush half of the glaze over the ham.  Work the glaze into the cuts of the ham.  Wrap in foil, place on a baking sheet or a roasting pan.
   Bake at 350 deg F for 1 hour- 1.25 hours.  (Time may vary slightly depending on actual size of ham.)
   Remove foil.  Spread the rest of the glaze over ham.
   Return to 350 deg F oven for another ~20 minutes.
   Serves 12-14 (or a few more)

*Make sure that the ham your use is a no water added, regular smoked, bone in ham.  If it says "water added" do NOT buy it for this recipe!  The size varies so much; the ham I used was about 7.5 lbs.  A 9lb would be pushing the ham to glaze ratio but should still work.