A Saucy Situation

Every now and then it all about that sauce – you know: when the main dish is merely a vehicle for the perfect dollop of the tasty side. This delicious Ham Sauce is one of my favorite examples. The recipe was passed down from my maternal grandmother: Mary Freeman Hartigan to my mother: Mary Hartigan Kilpatrick, both of whom were amazing women, fabulous cooks and, clearly, at the heart of my Irish roots.

Truth be told, I’ve never been crazy about ham but I happily make a big ham every Easter to continue a lovely, long-standing family tradition. I am, however, over the moon for this salty, sweet, mustardy, creamy Ham Sauce. I’m thrilled to share the recipe with you. Both my mother and grandmother would be pleased to know other people were enjoying their fabulous creation.

The Ham Sauce is truly a one of a kind recipe and, as you’ll see below, it sort of magically develops from an unlikely combination of ingredients. I know I’m biased, but I believe it takes ham to a whole new level.

Give the Ham Sauce a try this year and let me know what you think. I hope you’ll want to adopt it as your old family recipe too.

Ham Sauce

This old family recipe is fantastic. The mixture of what seems like odd ingredients result in a delicious, unique sauce that is perfect with an Easter ham and, of course, on those leftover ham sandwiches. From my family to yours, I hope you enjoy it.

Servings people

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 20

Total Time 30

Ingredients

1 tbsp flour gluten free if appropriate
4 large egg yolks
1 tbsp dry mustard
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar Bragg & Heinz are gluten free
1 cup milk

Instructions

Measure out the ingredients -for a gluten free sauce, use a gluten free flour mix. I like the Bob's Red Mill All Purpose Baking Flour. It's a versatile flour blend that works well in many recipes. If you can't find it, use another gluten free flour blend
Mix the flour, sugar, eggs and dry mustard together in a heavy bottom sauce pan
Add in the vinegar and milk and stir to combine. I know it sounds odd to mix vinegar and milk, but trust me it works beautifully
Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat - whisking often to remove any lumps
Boil the mixture, stirring often to ensure it doesn't burn, until the custard becomes thick (like hot pudding) - about 5 to 10 minutes
Let the sauce cool to room temperature and refrigerate if not using immediately
Serve the sauce with ham at room temperature or cold. Refrigerate the leftover sauce. It's fabulous on sandwiches