Ham is always the main entrée during holidays, feasts, and other special occasions. In different regions and places, there are several and distinct ways to cook ham. One of these variations is the Baked Holiday Ham with Cranberry – Wine Compote. To prepare this special Baked Holiday Ham, you need to prepare the needed amount of ingredients, which include: peanut oil (two teaspoons), chopped onion (two-thirds cup), chopped celery (one-half cup), red wine (one cup), honey (one cup), sugar (one-half cup), fresh cranberries (12 ounces), fully-cooked smoked ham (one pack or 10 pounds), and cloves (whole). This amount of ingredients is for 16 to 20 servings.

To cook: First, heat oil in a huge pan over medium flame. When the oil is hot, add celery and onion and cook until tender. Add the wine, honey, and sugar; wait until it boils, and then put in the cranberries. When it boils again, set flame low and simmer for 10 minutes, and then completely cool. Second, separate 1 cup of clear syrup from the cranberry mixture and refrigerate the remaining mixture in a covered serving bowl. Third, slice away skin of the ham. Fourth, preheat oven to 325°F. Mark a diamond shape on the fat and stud with the whole cloves. Put ham with fat side up on rack in roasting pan. Fifth, bake without cover for 1.5 hours. Baste with the reserved syrup. Bake again, and baste with syrup twice until the thermometer inserted into ham’s thickest part reads 140°F. Baste again with cranberry-wine syrup two times. Sixth, stand ham for 10 minutes and transfer and slice. Serve with cooled cranberry-wine compote.