(2521). Ham Decorated A La Gatti (Jambon Decore A La Gatti)

Have a ham prepared and cooked the same as for jelly (No. 2524 ); leave a part of the rind on the handle end, and cut it into sharp points by raising up the edge of each point on one side; glaze the ham with white chaudfroid (No. 596), all except the rind, which must be glazed with meat glaze (No. 402).

Fig. 498.

Decorate around the ham with a design of branches made of fillets of truffles and very green pistachios; decorate the top with a rosette of truffles. Place the ham on a silver dish, having two tiers covered with ravigote butter (No. 583); decorate around the dish bottom with halved eggs filled with chopped jelly, as shown in Fig. 498; surround the ham with chopped jelly, and the base with square jelly croutons (No. 2442). Insert a piece of wood to take the place of the handle, and trim it with a fancy frill (No. 10), and a hatelet on one side.

(2522). Ham Glazed With Sugar (Jambon Glace Au Sucre)

Hams are usually purchased already salted and smoked, for the pickling only succeeds when a large quantity are dune at one time. The must essential point to observe is to have them recently smoked, of a young pig of a good breed. The easiest way to cook a ham is as follows: Cut off the end handle of a ten-pound ham, shorten the loin bone, suppress a thin layer of the outside of the ham that is oversmoked, and then soak it for three hours in water; afterward place it in a large soup-pot or sauce-pan, covering with cold water; stand the vessel on the fire and bring it gradually to a boil, then drain off this water, and replace it by tepid water; add some whole spices and aromatics. It must cook about fifteen minutes for each pound, or two and a half hours in all. Take the vessel from off the fire, and leave the ham to cool in its liquid. Remove, drain thoroughly, lift off the rind, and pare nicely, keeping it a pretty shape; bestrew with fine sugar, and stand it on a baking tin; glaze to a fine color in a hot oven, remove, and when cold dress it on a bread foundation covered with ravigote butter (No. 583) and chopped parsley; surround the bottom of the dish with chopped jelly and cut-out croutons (for these see No. 2442).

(2523). Ham Truffled A La Florian (Jambon Truffe A La Florian)

In order to succeed with this dish it will be found necessary to have an oval bomb-shaped copper-tinned mold, nine and a half inches long, six and three-quarters inches wide and four inches deep. This mold must be oiled on the outside and laid on an oiled marble slab, having the opening downward; around it place an iron ring twelve inches in length, ten inches wide and five and a half inches deep; place this ring in such a way that the mold will fit exactly in its center, fill the space between the mold and the ring with plaster of Paris wetted with a little water; smooth the top nicely and leave it to harden; turn this ring over and take out the mold. Pare a twelve-pound freshly salted smoked ham neatly, unsalt it for ten hours, and boil it in water for an hour and a half, then braise in a white wine mirepoix stock (No. 419) for three hours or more until the bones are easily detached from the meat; remove them, and pare the ham shapely, suppressing the skin and all the smoked parts, then lard it in every direction with quartered truffles and pistachios. Place this ham in the mold, the mold in the ring filled with plaster, and on the ham lay a board one inch less in diameter than the mold, and half an inch thick. Put under the press (No. 71), and when cold unmold and trim.

Glaze over with pink chaudfroid, decorate with truffles and pistachios dipped in half-set jelly, cover over with jelly and lay it on a carved rice socle, having this ranged on an oval dish. Decorate the top with three hatelets, and around with chopped jelly and a border of jelly croutons (see Fig. 461).

Fig. 499.