Easter ham in tangerine glaze with young carrots

Ingredients:

• 1 piece (3.5-4.5 kg) of smoked ham with bone and skin
• 700 g peeled carrots
• Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 bunch of fresh sage leaves
• 1/4 tsp cloves
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 cups light brown sugar (tamp down firmly)
• 1 cup of water
• 1 cup (225 g) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
• 2 tangerines, thinly sliced ​​(seeds removed)
• 2 cups of tangerine juice

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 150°C.
   
   Place the ham in a large, deep baking dish with the rack facing down, fat side down. Using a sharp knife, make 1-1.5 cm deep, crosswise slashes in the skin, spaced about 5 cm apart.
   
   Make diagonal cuts to create a diamond-shaped pattern. Season the meat generously with salt and pepper. Chop about 8 sage leaves and place them in a bowl. Mix them with olive oil to form a paste.
   
   Rub this mixture into the ham, making sure it gets into every cut. Bake the ham for 2 hours. We have plenty of time to prepare the mandarin glaze.
2. For the glaze: Place the pan over medium heat. Add the butter pieces, tangerines, tangerine juice, brown sugar, water, cloves, and cinnamon. Simmer the glaze over low heat until it reaches a syrupy consistency. This should take 30-40 minutes.
3. A couple of hours after placing the ham in the oven, drizzle it with the mandarin glaze and fruit pieces. Top with the remaining sage leaves, return to the oven, and continue cooking for 1.5 hours, basting with the juices every 30 minutes.
4. Arrange the carrots around the ham and drizzle with the mandarin glaze. Return the ham to the oven for a final 30 minutes, until the carrots are tender and the ham is dark and crispy. The whole thing should be covered with a shiny sugar glaze.
   
   Place the ham on a cutting board and let it rest briefly before slicing. Serve with carrots and mandarin glaze.