There are few things that are boiled as important as the ham. So much depends on the cook's knowledge of the process, that many a ham is spoiled through ignorance. I think it advisable, therefore, to give you the following rules which I hope will be found easy enough :

It is of course a sine qua non that you soak the ham for twenty-four hours, changing the water at least three times (I am speaking of hams in canvas, or skin, not of those in tins); when thus well soaked, scrub the ham well, and trim it, scraping off all discolorations. Now, place it in your ham-kettle, and cover it with cold water (for a festival a bottle of Madeira or Marsala should be poured in with the water) and let it come gently to the boil, removing all scum that may rise. When quite clear, throw in three carrots, a head of celery cut up (leaves and all), three Bombay onions, a bag containing a clove of garlic, a dozen whole peppers, and some pieces of lime peel, with bunches of parsley, thyme, and marjoram : boil on till the vegetables are done, and then let the kettle simmer gently for four or five hours. When done, let it remain till nearly cold, then lift the ham from the water, and detach the outer skin (it will roll off easily) and dredge some fine crust raspings, or some pounded baked crumbs over it.

* The fowl should not be put into the soup-kettle until all skimming has been completed, and the soup brought to the boil. - W.

An ancient Indian custom may still be met with, where civilization has not yet penetrated, of sticking an army of cloves into the skin of a ham. Fine your cook a rupee for this desecration and it will not occur again. The ham should either be dredged over as I have described, or, if wanted for a ball supper, wedding breakfast, luncheon party, or grand picnic, it should be glazed, a recipe for which process will be found elsewhere.

Old cookery books give you the funniest nostrums concerning the cookery of a ham. Wisps of hay, juniper berries, coriander seed, ale, and even leather shavings, are laid down as flavouring adjuncts. Saltpetre is advised to add to the redness, and in England you find local prejudices in favour of the addition of different wines : in one county elder-wine, in another cowslip-wine, and so on. The end of all things, after all, is to get a really well-cured ham, if you secure that, and cook it as I have described, you will not require any leather shavings, but remember that on important occasions a bottle of Madeira or Marsala crowns your best efforts with supreme success.

Some of the best modern writers on cookery urge us to give up the salting of beef for boiling. "Such a practice," says one of them, "cannot be too strongly condemned; for whilst it impairs the wholesomeness of the meat, and makes it less digestible, it considerably diminishes the nutritive properties of it, and, boil it as you will, a piece of salt-beef is never so tender as a piece of fresh beef." We, Anglo-Indians, can scarcely bring ourselves to accept this advice in its entirety; our hump being in itself speciality worthy of admiration in any land. Neither will Englishmen ever be prevailed upon to deny themselves those delicious slices of cold boiled salted silverside, with which they are wont to regale themselves at breakfast, and at luncheon at home. Nevertheless, small pieces of beef, boiled fresh with vegetables are very acceptable. I do not, for instance, think that an ordinary Indian brisket is worth salting; it generally comes to table hard, and dry, not having sufficient depth of flesh. Boiled fresh, with the allowance of vegetables I have mentioned, this joint will be found nice enough, and if laid upon a bed of previously boiled maccaroni, and smothered in bright tomato sauce, you might indeed go further and fare worse.

I fully agree with the old rhyme :-

"a turkey boiled is turkey spoiled," and I cannot understand any one maltreating that noble bird so cruelly. A funny idea exists I know (one handed down from grand-mama) that if you give roast mutton or beef at a dinner party, the fowls or turkey must be boiled ! What absurd nonsense. You offer your guests the choice of white or brown meat, each dressed in its most tempting form, you do not bind yourself to give them roast, or boiled. If the white meat be equally nice boiled, like fowls, a leg of pork, a knuckle of veal, etc., you may, of course, so serve it. but do not run away with the erroneous notion that you must boil (and so spoil) your turkey because your other joint happen to be a saddle, or a sirloin.

The process of steaming has become familiar to many people in India on account of the introduction of Warren's cooking-pot, and vegetable steamer. I have been told that during the recent campaign in Afghanistan, this utensil was found invaluable, and I can well believe it.

The term "steaming" is frequently applied not only to the Warren process, but also to the cooking of meat and vegetables placed in hermetically closing utensils, which, in turn, are plunged into larger vessels filled with boiling water.

Warren's system needs no description for detailed inactions accompany every vessel. Its chief recommendation consists in its simplicity and economy. Meat well braised may be said to be equally nutritious, for it is in Like manner cooked in its own vapour and juices; but in the matter of fuel braising is by far the more expensive method, while the careful regulation of the heat, etc., costs infinitely more trouble than the simple boiling of a Warren's pot. The one process requires the hand of a chef: the other can be managed by any one.

The not uncommon practice of partly roasting a joint after it has been nearly cooked in a Warren's pot is erroneous. The result can at best be that of meat half-boiled, half-roasted, - "neither fish, nor fowl, nor good red herring," so to speak. A good cook ought, by the clever treatment of the gravy made by the meat, to be able to diversify both the appearance and flavour of the joint, adding to its attractiveness by a tasteful garnish of mac-caroni or vegetables.