Name: Mustard Sauce with Vermouth and Thyme
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 1 1/2 cups chicken stock or canned low-sodium chicken broth; 2 tablespoons cornstarch; 2 tablespoons unsalted butter; 3 medium shallots , chopped fine; 2 cups dry vermouth; 1 tablespoon brown sugar; 1/2 cup Dijon mustard; 1/4 cup whole grain mustard; 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves

Why This Recipe Works

For our simple spiral-sliced ham recipe, we let the ham come up to room temperature before putting it in the oven to keep oven time to a minimum and used an oven bag to seal in the heat. We then developed two sauces—one made with stout and dried cherries, the other with mustard, vermouth, and thyme—that do elegant justice to our perfectly cooked spiral ham recipe.

Before You Begin

The Dijon mustard lends a creaminess to this sauce, while the whole-grain mustard adds texture and visual appeal.

Instructions

Whisk together chicken stock and cornstarch; set aside. Heat butter in 12-inch skillet over medium heat until foaming; add shallots and sauté until softened, about 3 minutes. Stir in vermouth and sugar; increase heat to medium-high and simmer until alcohol vapors have cooked off, about 4 minutes. Whisk chicken stock and cornstarch mixture to recombine, then gradually whisk into simmering liquid; return sauce to simmer until thickened, stirring occasionally. Off heat, whisk in Dijon and whole-grain mustards and thyme; season to taste with salt and pepper. (Can be cooled to room temperature and refrigerated up to 2 days. Reheat in medium saucepan over medium-low heat.) Serve with ham.