Are you searching for the ultimate holiday showstopper? A magnificent, jaw-dropping centerpiece for your Christmas dinner table that looks like it came from a fine French pâtisserie but is secretly simple to make? This incredible, from-scratch-tasting Ham in Puff Pastry, or Jambon en Croûte, is that perfect recipe. We’re talking an impossibly juicy and tender ham, all wrapped up in a golden, buttery, and shatteringly crisp puff pastry crust, and served with a luscious, sweet-tart pineapple sauce.
This isn’t just another holiday ham recipe; it’s your definitive guide to creating a truly unforgettable holiday feast. While a ham en croûte may seem intimidating, we’ll show you how to use a few brilliant shortcuts to master this iconic dish. This is a satisfying, soulful, and deeply impressive meal that is destined to become your new family tradition.
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Recipe Overview: The Ultimate Holiday Showstopper
What makes this Ham in Puff Pastry so spectacularly delicious is its incredible presentation and its wonderful combination of flavors and textures. This recipe is a masterpiece of classic, festive cooking. The star of the show is a magnificent, boneless, fully-cooked smoked ham. The real magic, however, is the crust. The ham is wrapped in several layers of all-butter puff pastry, which is scored in a beautiful diamond pattern and baked to a deep golden-brown, creating an unbelievable, flaky shell. The dish is finished with a fun, decorative puff pastry “pineapple crown” and served with a bright, tangy, from-scratch pineapple-clove sauce.
| Metric | Time / Level |
| Total Time | 3 hours 30 minutes |
| Active Prep Time | 30 minutes |
| Difficulty Level | Easy |
| Servings | 12-16 |
The Baker’s & The Butcher’s Best: The Essential Ingredients
This iconic dish uses a handful of smart shortcuts and classic ingredients to create its signature rich and savory-sweet flavor.
- The Ham:
- Boneless, Fully-Cooked Ham: For the easiest preparation and carving, it is essential to use a boneless, fully-cooked ham. This allows you to simply wrap and bake, and then slice the finished roast like a loaf of bread, with no bone to work around.
- The Puff Pastry Crust (The Ultimate Shortcut!):
- All-Butter Puff Pastry: This is the key to an incredibly easy and impressive result! Using two packages of a high-quality, store-bought, all-butter puff pastry is a fantastic shortcut that will save you hours of work and will deliver a wonderfully flaky, buttery, and golden crust. Be sure to thaw it in the refrigerator overnight.
- The Pineapple-Clove Sauce: A simple but perfect combination of sweet crushed pineapple, rich light brown sugar, a splash of tangy apple cider vinegar, and the warm, aromatic spice of whole cloves.
The ‘En Croûte’ Masterclass: The Secret to a Perfect, Crispy Crust
The number one, non-negotiable secret to any successful savory pie is avoiding a soggy bottom. This recipe has several brilliant, built-in tricks to ensure a perfectly crisp crust.
- Use a Dry Ham: It is absolutely crucial that your ham is patted completely dry with paper towels before you wrap it. Any excess moisture on the surface of the ham will turn to steam in the oven and make your pastry soggy.
- Layer the Pastry: By layering the four sheets of puff pastry, you are creating an extra-thick and sturdy crust that can stand up to the long bake time and hold its shape beautifully around the large ham.
- The Egg Wash “Glue”: Brushing a simple egg wash between the layers of the pastry helps them to adhere together. A final brush of the egg wash over the entire outside of the ham is the professional secret to a beautiful, deep golden-brown color and a lovely, shiny finish.
Step-by-Step to the Perfect Ham in Puff Pastry
This elegant, festive meal is a joy to prepare.
Part 1: Prepare the Ham and the Pastry Wrap
Step 1: First, let your ham sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
Step 2: Place your ham, cut-side down, in the middle of your prepared baking sheet.
Step 3: Lay one sheet of your puff pastry on a clean work surface and brush it lightly with your beaten egg. Layer a second sheet on top and brush that with the egg wash. Repeat with the remaining two sheets, but do not brush the top sheet with the egg wash.
Step 4: Roll this layered pastry with a rolling pin so that it is about 3 inches longer than your ham and wide enough to drape over it completely. Cut off the extra 3 inches of pastry and set this and any other scraps aside.
Step 5: Use a long, sharp knife to gently score the pastry in a diagonal, crosshatch pattern to form diamonds. Be careful to only cut about halfway through the top layer of the pastry.
Step 6: Carefully drape your scored pastry over the ham, pulling it gently to cover it completely. Trim any excess pastry from the corners and set it aside with your other scraps.
Step 7: Brush the entire wrapped ham with your egg wash.
Part 2: Bake the Ham, Crown, and Sauce
Step 1: Bake the ham on the middle rack until the pastry is a deep golden brown and the ham is hot all the way through, which will take about 2 hours. The ham is perfectly heated when an instant-read thermometer registers 140°F. Step 2: While the ham is baking, you can make your pineapple crown. Cut your reserved pastry scraps into long, thin triangles of various sizes. Transfer these to a second parchment-lined baking sheet, brush them with the egg wash, and bake on the bottom rack for about 30 minutes, until they are golden. Step 3: To make the pineapple sauce, combine your 2 cans of crushed pineapple, the 3/4 cup of brown sugar, the 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar, and the 5 cloves in a medium saucepan. Bring this to a boil and then let it simmer for about 20 minutes. Step 4: In a small bowl, combine the 2 tablespoons of cornstarch with 1/4 cup of water and mix until smooth. Stir this cornstarch slurry into your pineapple sauce, bring it back to a boil, and cook for about 2 more minutes, until it has thickened. Remove the cloves before serving.
Part 3: Assemble, Rest, and Carve
Step 1: When the ham is finished, place it on a large serving platter. Arrange your baked pastry triangles at the top of the ham to create the shape of a pineapple crown. Step 2 (The Most Important Step!): Let the finished Ham in Puff Pastry rest for at least 15 minutes before you slice and serve it with your warm pineapple sauce on the side.
Christmas Ham in Puff Pastry (A Showstopper Recipe!)
An impressive and festive recipe for a ‘Christmas Ham Wrapped in Puff Pastry,’ designed to look like a pineapple. This showstopper dish features a 6-pound boneless, fully-cooked ham that is wrapped in multiple layers of puff pastry. The pastry is scored in a diamond pattern, brushed with an egg wash, and then baked until the ham is heated through and the pastry is golden and flaky. The dish is served with a sweet and tangy homemade pineapple sauce and decorated with extra baked pastry pieces to resemble a pineapple crown.
Ingredients
- One 6-pound boneless ham
- Two 17.3-ounce packages puff pastry (4 sheets total)
- 2 large eggs, lightly beaten for egg wash
- Two 8-ounce cans crushed pineapple
- 3/4 cup light brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 5 whole cloves
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 3 maraschino cherries
Instructions
- Prepare the Ham and Pastry: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment. Place the ham cut-side down in the middle.
- Lay one sheet of puff pastry on a work surface, brush it with egg wash, and layer a second sheet on top. Repeat with all four sheets, but do not brush the top sheet.
- Roll the layered pastry so it’s large enough to drape over the ham completely. Score the top of the pastry in a diagonal diamond pattern, cutting only halfway through.
- Drape the scored pastry over the ham, trimming the excess. Brush the entire pastry-wrapped ham with egg wash.
- Bake the Ham: Bake on the middle oven rack for about 2 hours, until the pastry is golden and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the ham reads 140°F.
- Make the Decorations and Sauce: While the ham bakes, cut the pastry scraps into long, thin triangles. Arrange them on a separate baking sheet, brush with egg wash, and bake on a lower oven rack for about 30 minutes, until golden.
- In a medium saucepan, combine the crushed pineapple, brown sugar, cloves, and vinegar. Bring to a boil, then simmer for about 20 minutes until slightly thickened.
- In a small bowl, make a slurry by mixing the cornstarch with 1/4 cup of water. Stir the slurry into the pineapple sauce, bring it back to a boil, and cook for 2 minutes until thickened. Remove the cloves.
- Assemble and Serve: Place the baked ham on a serving platter. Arrange the baked pastry triangles at the top of the ham to look like a pineapple crown.
- Transfer the pineapple sauce to a serving bowl, top with the maraschino cherries, and serve alongside the ham.
Notes
- This is an impressive showstopper main course, perfect for a Christmas dinner or other holiday celebration.
- Layering the puff pastry sheets creates a thick, sturdy, and flaky crust for the ham.
- Scoring the pastry in a diamond pattern before baking is the key to creating the pineapple-like appearance.
- The recipe requires a significant amount of baking time, so plan accordingly.
Storage and Leftover Ideas
- Storage: Store any leftover ham, well-wrapped, in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- The Best Leftovers: Thinly sliced, leftover ham in puff pastry makes the absolute best sandwiches! It’s also fantastic cubed and tossed into a creamy pasta or used to make an incredible split pea soup.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q1: What is the absolute, number one secret to a crispy, not soggy, puff pastry crust?
The two most important secrets are to make sure your ham is patted completely dry before you wrap it, and to use a hot oven. A dry surface and a hot oven are the keys that will allow the puff pastry to rise quickly and to become beautifully golden, flaky, and crisp.
Q2: Can I make this ham ahead of time?
Yes, this is a perfect make-ahead holiday meal! You can fully assemble the entire, unbaked ham in puff pastry a day in advance. Simply keep it, well-covered, in the refrigerator. When you are ready to bake, you may need to add about 15-20 minutes to the total baking time. You can also make the pineapple sauce up to 3 days in advance.
Q3: How do I know when my ham is perfectly cooked?
Since you are starting with a fully-cooked ham, you are essentially just reheating it. The only 100% foolproof way to guarantee a perfect result is to use an instant-read thermometer. The ham is perfectly heated through when the internal temperature in the thickest part registers 140°F (60°C).
Q4: Can I use a different kind of sauce or glaze?
Yes, absolutely! This beautiful puff pastry crust would also be fantastic with a thin layer of a savory Dijon mustard or a sweet apricot jam brushed directly onto the ham before you wrap it in the pastry.
Q5: What does en croûte mean?
En croûte is a classic French culinary term that simply means “in a crust.” It refers to any food that has been wrapped in a pastry crust and then baked.