Preparation

1. Start by giving the ham its first broth to desalinate it. Place the ham in a large saucepan and cover with water. Bring to the boil and simmer for 20 minutes. Remove the ham from the pan and discard the cooking water.
2. Return the ham to the pan. Add the beer, celery, carrots, onions, garlic, pepper, cloves, parsley, thyme and sage. Add water to cover the ham. Bring to the boil, skim if necessary and simmer over a low heat, covered, for 4 hours.
3. Remove the ham from its stock, remove the rind and as much fat as possible. Place the ham in a roasting pan. Strain the ham stock through a sieve and leave to cool, then refrigerate or freeze to make a soup. Set aside 2 to 3 tablespoons to make the glaze.
4. Preheat the oven to 180 C (350 F). To make the glaze, in a small bowl, combine the maple sugar, mustard and stock to make a thick sauce. Brush the ham with the glaze. Bake in the oven for 1 hour, basting 4 or 5 times with the juices from the roasting pan, or until the ham is nicely glazed and caramelised.

Getting organised: You'll find half hams on the bone or hams on the bone from the shoulder weighing half as much in butchers' shops. Calculate around 300 g (10 oz) per person before cooking, taking into account the loss of bone, rind and fat. The important thing is to calculate about 45 minutes of cooking time per kilogram.

To glaze half a ham, halve the glaze ingredients and bake for 30 to 40 minutes, or until the ham is nicely caramelised. Tip: you can pre-cook the ham the day before, remove the rind and fat. The next day, take it out of the fridge 45 minutes before lacquering. All you have to do is put it in the oven to finish cooking and brown it to your liking.