Make this intimate, citrus inspired Easter Dinner for Two with a menu of Kicked Up Tequila Orange Ham, Smoked Citrus Salad & Fennel Gratin, all in small portioned sizes.
When it’s just the two of you, create this easy-to-follow Easter Dinner for Two in just over an hour. Transform a small smoked, pre-cooked ham with a sweet, citrusy glaze with a little kick from smoked paprika and chipotle. The benefit of cooking small is that it takes only 30 minutes to glaze and re-heat the smoked ham. Look for a two pound ham like the one pictured from Safeway.
What pairs perfect with our Kicked-Up Tequila Orange Ham? Smoked Citrus Salad featuring Castillo de Canena Smoked Arbequina Extra Virgin Olive Oil from Spain. Just scroll down to find out where you can find this on Amazon. If you’re local, head on up to Taylor Shellfish in Bow, WA…that’s where I found mine!
Smoked Citrus Salad features a variety of fresh citrus and butter lettuce drizzled ever so lightly with a lime, agave and smoked olive oil dressing. The smoked olive oil really accentuates the bright citrus and pairs well with ham.
Ingredients
- Smoked Ham – Small, pre-cooked two pound smoked ham – You’ll even have leftovers.
- Apricot Preserves – Thicker than jam, this is the base to our glaze.
- Chopped Garlic – I like to keep a jar of chopped garlic on hand, it’s softer and more muted in flavor.
- Orange Juice – Fresh squeezed or Simply Orange, just not from concentrate.
- Tequila – Whatever you may have on hand, simmering will remove most of the alcohol.
- Smoked Paprika – Adds just a hint of smokiness and pairs well with this flavor profile.
- Chipotle Powder – Adds a spicy kick, can substitute with cayenne.
- Citrus – A variety of fresh citrus like oranges, grapefruit and blood orange.
- Butter Lettuce – Tender, silky lettuce pairs well with citrus.
- Lime Juice – About a half a lime squeezed.
- Agave Nectar – A sweetener similar to honey, that is easily blended into liquids.
- Smoked Olive Oil – This is a specialty item, if you can’t find it, just add the smallest drop of liquid smoke to your olive oil. A little liquid smoke goes a long way.
- Potatoes – Yukon gold or similar potatoes work the best for this gratin.
- Cheese – Sharp white cheddar cheese, such as Tillamook.
- Heavy Cream – Similar to whipping cream or heavy whipping cream.
- Fennel Bulb – Like a cross between onion and celery with dark green fronds at ends of stalks.
- Onion – Yellow onion sliced thin.
Kicked Up Tequila Orange Ham with Smoked Citrus Salad
Ingredients
Kicked Up Tequila Orange Ham
- 1 2 lb. smoked ham pre-cooked
- 1 cup apricot preserves
- 1 tsp chopped garlic jarred
- 1/2 cup orange juice
- 1/4 cup tequila
- 1/4 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/4 tsp chipotle powder
Smoked Citrus Salad
- 1 grapefruit peeled and sectioned
- 1 orange peeled and sectioned
- 1 blood orange peeled and sectioned
- 1/2 head butter lettuce gently torn into large pieces
- 1/4 cup lime juice fresh squeezed – about 1/2 a lime
- 1 tbsp. agave nectar
- 1 tbsp. smoked olive oil or olive oil with a drop of liquid smoke
- salt and pepper
Instructions
Kicked Up Tequila Orange Ham
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Combine apricot preserves, chopped garlic, orange juice, tequila, smoked paprika, and chipotle powder in a sauce pan over medium high heat. Simmer for 3- 5 minutes until starting to thicken. Remove from heat and let cool. Sauce will thicken even more when cooled.
- Brush ham with about 1/4 cup of the sauce. Place in an oven safe pan, with a little water in bottom of pan, and cover. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes per pound, brushing on more sauce intermittently while baking. Serve remaining sauce with sliced ham.
Smoked Citrus Salad
- Stir together lime juice, agave, smoked olive oil, salt and pepper.
- Combine butter lettuce and citrus segments. Drizzle with lime dressing. (Blood orange will stain the other fruit. Make sure to add this at the very end)
Fennel Gratin for Two
Ingredients
- 2 cups yellow potatoes such as Yukon
- 1 1/2 cup sharp white cheddar cheese grated
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 pinch pepper
- 1 tbsp. butter
- 1 cup fennel bulb thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup yellow onion thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup fennel fronds dark green leafy ends to the bulb
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
- Combine potatoes, 1 cup cheese, cream, salt and pepper in a large mixing bowl.
- Sauté fennel bulb and onion in butter in a medium pan over medium high heat until just softened, about 3-5 minutes. Fold into potato mixture.
- Place mixture into a small oven safe dish, top with remaining 1/4 cup cheese and fennel fronds. Bake at 325 degrees for about 90 minutes or until browned and crispy on top. NOTE: Baking at a higher temperature with make the cheese lump and curdle. This is a low heat dish.
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