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1
Put the ham in a large stockpot, and fill the pot with enough cold water to cover the ham.
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2
Bring the water to 170 to 180 degrees F (below the boil; if boiled, the ham will crack open at the joint).
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3
Cook at that temperature for 3 hours, then let cool in the cooking water.
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4
When ready to proceed with the recipe, remove the ham from the water.
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5
With a knife, remove the skin from the ham, and trim the surface of the meat where it is brown and skin-like around the shank bone.
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6
To make carving easier later, remove the pelvis or hipbone by running a knife around it.
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7
When the skin has been removed, trim off all but a thin layer of white fat from the surface of the ham.
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8
Run the point of your knife in a crisscross pattern through the remaining fat on the top of the ham, cutting slightly into the surface of the meat.
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9
This scoring will help the glaze adhere to the meat while it cooks.
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10
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
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11
In a small bowl, mix the preserves, pepper, mustard, balsamic vinegar, and allspice together.
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12
Spread the glaze coating on the top surface of the ham, place it in a roasting pan, and bake in the 350 degree F oven for 30 minutes.
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13
Reduce the heat to 325 degrees F, and continue cooking the ham for 1 hour.
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14
Sprinkle the powdered sugar on top, and cook for another 30 minutes, until nicely glazed.
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15
Transfer the ham to a platter, and set it aside in a warm place while you make the peach sauce.
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16
Discard the accumulated fat in the roasting pan, and add the 1 cup of water to the drippings in the pan, stirring to loosen and mix in the solidified juices.
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17
Add the demi-glace, and bring to a boil.
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18
Reserve for use in peach sauce.
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19
For the peach sauce: Heat the butter in two large skillets, 2 tablespoons of butter per skillet.
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20
When it is hot, add half of the peach wedges to each skillet, and saute for 2 to 3 minutes.
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21
Sprinkle with the sugar, dividing it between the skillets, and continue cooking for 3 to 4 minutes longer.
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22
Add the dried peach julienne and the vinegar, half to each skillet, and stir to mix.
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23
Combine the contents of both skillets in one saucepan.
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24
Strain the reserved demi-glace mixture over the peaches, and stir in the salt.
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25
If the sauce is thinner than you would like, add the dissolved potato starch, and bring to a boil.
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26
Boil 1 or 2 minutes.
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27
At serving time, stir in the basil.
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28
To make carving easier, make a vertical cut down into the ham approximately 1-inch above the shank bone.
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29
The object is to make a guard that your knife will not go beyond when you slice the ham; this will give a clean bottom edge to the slices and also protect your hand from the knife in case it happens to slide while you are slicing the meat.
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30
Slice the ham on the bias, stopping at the cut edge, and arrange the meat on a warm platter.
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31
Serve 3 or 4 slices of ham per person with few slices of the peaches and the sauce spooned around and over the meat.
