Recipes with Julie Van Rosendaal: Easter ham and cheesy potato rosti

Ham is a common celebratory meal on Easter weekend, and is as well suited for brunch as for the main event at dinner. Hams are easy to prepare; most of the hams sold in grocery stores are fully cooked and cured, so you really only have to reheat them. If you're confused about the difference between grocery store hams, here's a primer.

Most grocery store hams come pre-cooked and cured, but a fresh ham is raw, uncured and has not been cooked or smoked, so it requires full cooking. (Cuts from the leg, butt and shoulder benefit from a long, slow cooking time to break down tough connective tissues there are plenty of resources online.)

• Bookmarkcbc.ca/juliesrecipesto keep up with all of Julie Van Rosendaal's dishes

When it comes to cured hams, your options are generally bone-in or out, shank or butt, whole or half; a ham is the hip and upper portion the hindquarter of the back leg of a pig, and you can generally buy the whole piece or half, which is either the shank or butt.

Some hams come spiral-cut, meaning they've been pre-sliced in a spiral pattern for easier serving. (If you buy one of these, be careful to not dry it out maybe keep it covered with foil for most of the reheating time, then uncover to create a caramelized exterior.) Dinner hams are made with chopped pressed meat and additives think of the football-shaped black forest hams you get sliced at the deli.

Fortunately for those of us who won't have the same numbers around the dinner table this year, a ham is great for leftovers because the meat is cured, it lasts longer in your fridge than most leftover roasted meats, and freezes well.

Leftover ham makes great sandwiches, or chop and add it to frittatas, pastas, soup, or reheat slices in a skillet beside your eggs. And if you buy a ham with the bone, you'll have a flavourful starting point for a pot of soup, or real baked beans watch that you don't over-season, as ham is salty to begin with.

Balsamic Mustard Glazed Ham

You can use just about any sweetener in your kitchen to make a tasty glaze try honey, maple syrup, Roger's Golden syrup or even marmalade. If you're trying to use up the end of the jar, pop it in the microwave to liquefy, and stir in a big spoonful of grainy mustard and splash of balsamic vinegar to make your glaze. (No need to be precise with your measurements here.)

Ingredients:

• 1 6-9 lb. ham, shank or butt
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 3 Tbsp. grainy mustard
• 3 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 325F and put the ham in a roasting pan, large cast iron skillet or other baking dish. If it has skin, score it with a sharp knife in a criss-cross pattern, without cutting through to the meat. Cover with foil and bake for about an hour.

Meanwhile, stir together the brown sugar, mustard and vinegar. Uncover the ham and brush all over with the glaze; return to the oven for about half an hour, until heated through and the glaze has caramelized. Let rest in the pan for about 20 minutes before slicing. Serves lots.

Cheesy Potato Rsti

A gooey Swiss rsti makes a delicious alternative to scalloped potatoes to pair with your ham but is also a fantastic way to use chopped leftover ham. The measurements here are flexible you can make rsti in a skillet of any size, and fill it with any quantity of cheese or bits of leftovers.

Ingredients:

• 3-4 medium skinned potatoes, such as Yukon Gold
• vegetable oil, for cooking
• butter, for cooking
• salt and pepper, to taste
• chopped ham, or crumbled bacon or sausage (optional)
• chopped green onions or a few chives, chopped
• grated Swiss, Jarlsberg, mozzarella, fontina or other melty cheese

Instructions:

Boil potatoes in water for about 15 minutes, or until just tender. Cool completely, and if you have time, refrigerate.

When you're ready to make your rsti, coarsely grate your potatoes on the large-holed side of a box grater. (The end of the skin will come off in your handjust pitch it.)

Set a 9-inch skillet over medium-high heat, add a generous pour of oil and/or a chunk of butter, and when the foaming subsides, spread half the grated potatoes evenly into the bottom of the pan. Season with salt and pepper and sprinkle with ham, green onion and a generous layer of cheese. Continue to cook for a few minutes, until the rsti starts to turn golden on the bottom.

Top with the remaining grated potatoes, spreading them evenly. By now the potatoes should be deeply golden on the bottom. Carefully invert the rsti onto a large plate or cutting board, add more butter or oil to the pan and slide the rsti back in, crispy side up. Cook for another 5-7 minutes, until well crisped on the bottom and heated through so that the cheese has melted.

Slide the rsti out onto a cutting board and if you like, top with more green onions or chives. Serve warm, in wedges. Serves 4-6.

• Listen to the full conversation on the Calgary Eyeopener here: