Fresh ham with Tuscan bread stuffing, pine nuts, and raisins.
This was a Tyler Florence recipe that I had been wanting to try and it was the perfect centerpiece for a Sunday afternoon dinner party for 6 of us. The hard part was finding a fresh ham. I ended up at our local Asian market where they boned out a pork leg for me, and it worked perfectly. I'm a big proponent of making components ahead of time as I did here. I had the butcher save me the bone and I made the ham broth 2 days before. The night before, I made the stuffing (ciabatta,, pine nuts, raisins, olives, garlic, and Parmesan). The morning of, I allowed myself plenty of time to stuff and roll, brown, and roast for about 4 hours. I served with my favorite rosemary-cheddar potato gratin and grilled asparagus with lemon, garlic, and shaved Parmesan. The Welcome Cocktail was La Caravelle's Kir Royal 38. Friends' contributions included deviled eggs as an appetizer, carrot cake for dessert and a bottle of Arizona grenache. A pretty perfect afternoon with wonderful company!
