Baked Ham Glazed with Champagne

Yet another winning recipe from Jubilee.  Be prepared, when you add champagne there is a lot of fizzing.  The recipe calls for two bottles but you could probably get away with one, using half in the glaze and half to start with.  So delicious!!

• 1 (9- to 10-pound) bone-in smoked ham
• 2 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
• 2 (750 ml) bottles extra-dry Champagne or other sparkling wine
• 3 tablespoons honey or maple syrup
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
• Pineapple slices, for serving (optional)

Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line a roasting pan with foil and place a rack on top of the foil.
2. Place the ham on the rack, fat side up. Using a sharp knife, score the fat across the top in a crisscross pattern, cutting just through the fat to the meat. Spoon 1 cup of the brown sugar over the top of the ham, pressing with your fingers or the back of a spoon. Carefully pour 1 bottle of Champagne over the ham and the brown sugar. Cover the ham with foil and bake for 2 hours.
3. Meanwhile, in a saucepan, combine the remaining bottle of Champagne, 1 1/2 cups brown sugar, the honey, mustard, and ginger. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, until the glaze thickens, about 15 minutes.
4. Remove the ham from the oven and spoon half of the glaze on top. Keep the remaining glaze warm over low heat. Return the ham to the oven and bake, basting with the remaining glaze every 15 minutes, until a meat thermometer inserted in the ham registers 145°F, 1 hour longer or more. Tent with foil and let stand for 15 minutes before serving. Garnish with pineapple slices, if you’d like.