Anna Nurse’s Baked Smoked Easter Ham

April 11, 2022

Here is one of the most requested ham recipes on our site from Anna Amandolara Nurse, one of the greatest cooking teachers that I was privileged to know. It is one of my go to recipes for Easter

Anna appeared on several Ciao Italia episodes to demonstrate the reason why this ham recipe has been the centerpiece of the James Beard Foundation fundraiser brunches that Anna ran for years. She preferred purchasing smoked country hams from North Carolina because the consistency-they were never too salty or too fatty.  This recipe has nothing to do with Italian regional cooking but it is a tribute to an Italian cook who could go beyond the bounds of ethnic foods to try something new.

While I watched her prepare the ham, I was really skeptical of all the corn syrup and sugar that was used for the glaze! Trusting what this woman was doing, when the ham emerged all bronzed and smelling divine, she cut the first slice and handed it to me. I should have more faith because it was more than just delicious; it was a revelation of flavors, sweet and savory all in harmony.  

Get the recipe here.

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