The Special Ingredient Aretha Franklin Urged Martha Stewart To Use On Ham

Aretha Franklin was the first woman to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the winner of 18 Grammys. But, offstage, The Queen of Soul dabbled in the epicurean scene. The singer was an outspoken fan of classic soul food (especially chitterlings and peach cobbler). In "The Blues Brothers" (1980), she plays the R&B-belting owner of a Chicago diner. It's in an early 1990s episode of Martha Stewart's cooking show, however, that Franklin lets viewers in on the action, so home cooks can get a taste for themselves. In her guest-appearance, Franklin teaches Stewart her personal ham recipe — and advises Stewart to add a splash of ginger ale into the mix.

To prepare her simple-yet-transformative ham glaze, Franklin combines a whole box of brown sugar, French's mustard, and a splash of ginger ale, all folded together with a wooden spoon. Specifically, Franklin uses Detroit-based ginger ale brand Vernor's ("It makes it very Michigan, and very Detroit," says Franklin, a nod to the city where she grew up). Ginger ale may seem like an unexpected ingredient — and indeed, Stewart remarks that she's never used it alongside ham before — but a splash of ginger ale can help balance the ham's saltiness. The soda's sugars help counterbalance the salt, and (if used as a marinade) also help the ham caramelize as it cooks. On the palate, that sharp ginger and citric acid cut the rich saltiness of the meat for a more neutral (aka balanced) profile.

There's a scientific reason why soda works so well as a meat marinade. It's all about the phosphoric acid, a fundamental element of fizzy pops that makes quick work of tenderizing meat by breaking down tough connective tissue. To avoid over-tenderizing, don't leave your ham in a pre-cook ginger ale marinade for any longer than eight hours. Foodies could also use a can of ginger ale as a moisture-packed braising liquid. But, to make her go-to ham, Franklin puts the soda to work as a glaze.

To apply it, Franklin brushes the glaze over the surface of the ham, adding another layer roughly every 20 minutes for maximum flavor. Then, that bad boy bakes and gets coated with the remaining glaze while it's still hot out of the oven. Distributing this finishing layer with a basting brush, the singer remarks, "This is our traditional Franklin family ham. We have it annually," where her home is the typical gathering place for potluck parties.

To serve, Franklin's ham is garnished with traditional pineapple rings and maraschino cherries, skewered over the surface of the uncarved meat, then warmed in the oven for about seven minutes to come together. Stewart and Franklin pair the ham with a side dish of scalloped potatoes – and the Queen Herself delights the audience with an arresting, all-time performance of "Silent Night." Got leftovers? We've rounded up 17 more creative ways to upgrade ham, to put that ginger-ale-glazed meat to good use.