[464]Ham.However deservedly pork may be praised, it could never have been included among the preparations of first-class cookery (except subsidiarily) had it not been for the culinary value of hams.With the latter it triumphs, and, be they of Bayonne or York, of Prague or Westphalia, no other joints enjoy more favour than these as Relevés.Though it is somewhat difficult to decide which one of the various kinds of ham should be adopted, in my opinion that of Bohemia, known as Prague ham, is best for a warm dish, and that of York for a cold dish.The latter is also excellent when served hot, but, even so, for this purpose it is inferior to the Prague kind, the delicacy of which is incomparable.Still, York ham ranks first in the opinion of many, for it should be remembered that England has no rival in the preparation of seasoned pork, and her famous bacon, the renown of which is enormous, constitutes one of the greatest discoveries in the science of gastronomy.1415—HOT HAM—Its PreparationYork ham is the kind chiefly used.After having soaked it in cold water for six hours, brush it and remove the pelvic bone; put it into a stewpan of cold water, and set to boil. This done, keep the water just simmering, that the ham may cook after the poaching method.There is no need of any seasoning or aromatic garnish. As often as possible, leave the ham to cool in its cooking-liquor. If the ham is to be braised, take it out of the water thirty minutes before it is cooked. Skin it; clear it of any superfluous fat, and put it in a braising-pan, just large enough to hold it, with two-thirds pint of some such wine as Madeira, Port, Xeres, Chypre, &c. Select the wine in accordance with the title of the dish on the menu.Having thoroughly sealed down the lid of the pan, put it in the oven, and continue the cooking of the ham gently for one hour, turning it over from time to time during the operation. If it have to reach the table whole, glaze it at the last moment.Its usual adjunct is a light and highly seasoned half-glaze sauce, combined with some of the braising-liquor, cleared of all grease.[465]1416—JAMBONA LA CHANOINESSEHaving poached the ham as explained above, braise it in white wine, adding thereto three oz. of mushroom parings.Dish and send separately a garnish of large, fresh noodles, cohered with butter and a Soubise purée, and completed with ajulienneof truffles.Serve separately a half-glaze sauce, combined with the braising-liquor, cleared of all grease and reduced.1417—JAMBONA LA CHOUCROÛTECompletely cook the ham by poaching; skin and trim it.If served whole, send, separately, some braised sauerkraut and potatoes, freshly cookedà l’anglaise. Serve a half-glaze sauce with Rhine wine at the same time.If served already carved, arrange the slices in a circle on a round dish; put the sauerkraut in their midst, and border with the potatoes.Serve, separately, the same sauce as before.1418—JAMBONA LA MAILLOTPoach the ham; braise it, and glaze it at the last moment. Set it on a long dish, and surround it with the following garnish, arranged in alternateheaps:—Carrots and turnips, cut to the shape of large, elongated olives, cooked separately in consommé, and glazed; small onions cooked in butter; braised and trimmed half-lettuces; peas and French beans cohered with butter separately.Serve apart a thickened gravy combined with some of the braising-liquor, cleared of all grease.1419—JAMBONA LA PRAGUESOUSLA CENDREPoach the ham and drain it on a dish. Remove the skin and all the black, outside parts. Prepare a piece of patty paste large enough to enclose the ham. Besprinkle the surface of the ham with powdered sugar; glaze quickly at the salamander, and place the ham (glazed side undermost) on the layer of paste.Draw the ends of the paste towards each other; seal them together, with the help of a little moisture, in such wise as to enclose the ham completely; turn the latter over, and put it on a tray with the sealed side of the paste lying underneath.Gildand streak, make a slit in the middle of the paste for the escape of steam, and put the joint in the oven.Leave it there until the paste is dry and well coloured. After taking the ham out of the oven, inject into it, through a[466]prepared hole, a large wineglassful of Port wine or Sherry. Stop up the hole with a little pellet of paste; dish, and serve immediately.Serve at the same time a garnish of Gnochi, spinach, or Soufflé au Parmesan (No.2295a).The best adjunct to Prague ham is a very light glaze prepared with Port wine, and buttered at the last minute.1419a—JAMBON DE PRAGUEA LA METTERNICHPrepare a ham “sous la cendre†as described above.Send to the table with it as many fine collops of foie-gras, tossed in butter and each covered with a nice slice of truffle, as there are diners. Send also a timbale of asparagus-heads.The waiter in charge then puts a slice of ham, a collop of foie-gras, and a tablespoonful of asparagus-heads on each plate and serves.The sauce should be a Madeira flavoured with truffle essence.1419b—JAMBON DE PRAGUEA LA NORFOLKPrepare a ham as in No.1419. Serve each slice of it with one collop of braised veal sweetbread and one tablespoonful of fresh peasà la paysanne.Send as an adjunct the braising-liquor of the veal sweetbread.1420—VARIOUS GARNISHES FOR BRAISED HAMThe garnishes best suited to ham relevésare:—Spinach; new broad beans; braised lettuce; endives; fresh peas à la paysanne.Noodles; Spaghetti; various Macaronis; Gnochi; Purées of fresh beans, broad beans.The most usual accompanying sauce is half-glaze with Madeira.1421—JAMBON SOUFFLÉThis is a variety of the hamsoufflésgiven hereafter. The preparation used is the same, and it may be made either from raw or from cooked ham.After having completely boned it, but for the end bone, which must be kept, cook the ham, and cool it.Now cut it horizontally, one-half inch above its bone, from the extremity of the end bone to the head of the latter. At the last-mentioned point, make a vertical incision meeting and ending at the first; remove the cushion of ham, which should by now be quite separated from the rest of the joint, and put aside for some future purpose.[467]All that remains of the ham, therefore, is a thick piece adhering to the end-bone. Carefully trim this piece, and surround it with a strong band of buttered paper, tied on by means of string, the purpose of which is to hold in thesoufflé.This done, put a sufficient quantity of soufflé de Jambon (described hereafter) on the remaining meat of the ham to reconstruct it entirely. Smooth the surface of the preparation with the flat of a knife (dipped in cold water), and so finish off the contour of the ham. Decorate according to fancy; place the dish containing the ham on a saucepanful of boiling water, and put the two in the oven with the view of obtaining the maximum amount of steam, which latter helps to poach thesoufflé. Thissoufflédham may be poached just as well in a steamer.When the preparation is properly poached, remove the band of paper; dish the ham, and send one of the garnishes or sauces given for braised ham separately.1422—SOUFFLÉS AU JAMBONHamsoufflésare prepared after two recipes; in the first, cooked ham is used, and in the second the ham is raw. This last procedure is derived frommousselineforcemeat, and, inasmuch as the preparation resulting from it is less flimsy than that of the first, it is preferred when a large number of people have to be served.1423—THE PREPARATION OF THE SOUFFLÉ WITH COOKED HAMFinely pound one lb. of lean, cooked ham, and add thereto, one after the other, three tablespoonfuls of very cold Béchamel sauce. Rub through a fine sieve; put the resulting purée into a sautépan, and finish with one-quarter pint of very creamy and boiling Béchamel sauce, flavoured with ham essence; four egg-yolks, and the whites of six eggs, beaten to a stiff froth.This preparation may be combined with three oz. of grated Parmesan, and the two flavours will be found to blend very agreeably.Prepared in this way, it is particularly well suited to the “Jambon Soufflé,†the recipe whereof is given above (No.1421).1424—THE PREPARATION OF THE SOUFFLÉ WITHRAW HAMFollowing the quantities given under “Farce mousseline†(No.195), make thesoufflépreparation, and add thereto four[468]tablespoonfuls of reduced and very cold Béchamel sauce per lb. of raw ham.Keep the forcemeat somewhat stiff, and finish it with the whites of four eggs, beaten to a stiff froth, per lb. of ham.1425—SOUFFLÉ DE JAMBON ALEXANDRAMake thesoufflépreparation after one of the methods given above. Spread it in layers in a buttered timbale, alternating the layers ofsouffléwith others of asparagus-heads cohered with butter. Smooth the surface to the shape of a dome; decorate with a fine slice of truffle, and cook in a moderate oven, of a temperature suited to this kind of preparation. Serve thesouffléas soon as it is ready. If it be small, spread only one layer of asparagus-heads in the middle of it.If it be large, spread two or three layers of asparagus-heads.1426—SOUFFLÉ DE JAMBON CARMENAdd to the selected one of the twosoufflépreparations—either will do—for one lb. of ham, the purée of one-half lb. of pressed tomatoes, cooked in butter with one half-capsicum, rubbed through a sieve and very much reduced.Dish thesouffléin a buttered timbale; sprinkle the surface with a pinch of red capsicum, cut in finejuliennefashion, and cook as described above.1427—SOUFFLÉ DE JAMBON GASTRONOMEDish the selected hamsoufflépreparation in layers in a buttered timbale, and between each layer of it spread a litter of noodles, tossed in butter.Sprinkle the surface with chopped truffles; set a ball of truffle well in the centre of thesoufflé, and cook in the usual way.1428—SOUFFLÉ DE JAMBON MILANAISEDish the hamsoufflépreparation in a buttered timbale, and spread it in alternate layers with a fine garnish à la Milanaise (No.1258).Deck the surface with small pieces of poached macaroni, fried in butter; sprinkle with grated cheese, and cook thesouffléin a moderate oven.1429—SOUFFLÉ DE JAMBON PERIGOURDINEDish thesoufflépreparation in layers in a buttered timbale, and between each layer spread a litter of truffle slices. Besprinkle the surface with chopped truffles, and cook thesouffléin the usual way.[469]1430—MOUSSES ET MOUSSELINES CHAUDESDE JAMBONMoussesandMousselinesare made from the same preparation as “Farce mousseline de jambon,†in pursuance of the general principles given under No.195.The need of differentiating the terms arises from the fact thatmoussesare poached in a mould the contents of which are sufficient for a number of people, whereasmousselinesare spoon-moulded quenelles, shaped like eggs.In the preparation of “Farce mousseline de jambon†it is necessary to allow, in the salt seasoning, for the amount of salting the ham has already received.If the meat of the ham is not very red, the colour of the forcemeat may be intensified by means of a little vegetable red, in order that it may be of a distinct pink shade.1431—TREATMENT AND ACCOMPANIMENT OF HAM MOUSSEPut the forcemeat in a deep border-mould, somewhat like a Charlotte, and poach it under cover in abain-marie.That the poaching may be regular, keep in water at a constant temperature of 205° or 208° Fahrenheit, and allow forty-five minutes for the operation in the case of amoussemade in a quart mould.The preparation is seen to be cooked when it swells and rises in the mould.As soon as this occurs, withdraw the latter from thebain-marie; let it stand for five minutes, that its contents may settle; turn it upside-down on a dish, and wait two minutes before removing the mould. In any case, do not take off the mould until the liquid which has drained from it, all round the dish, has been soaked up. Hammoussesare chiefly accompanied by Suprême sauce, or Veloutés with curry or paprika; sometimes, too, a highly-seasoned and buttered half-glaze sauce, with Madeira, Port, or Marsala may be used. The most suitable garnishes for hammoussesare those I have already given for Ham.1432—TREATMENT AND POACHING OF HAM MOUSSELINESAs I have already stated,mousselines, like quenelles, are moulded with a spoon.They may also be laid, by means of a piping-bag, on the bottom of the well-buttered sautépan in which they are to be poached; they are shaped likemeringues, even or grooved,[470]and, in either case, they are decorated with lozenges, crescents, or discs, &c., of ham or truffle.Having carried out the selected method of preparation, cover them with boiling water, salted to the extent of one-third oz. per quart, and poach them for from eighteen to twenty minutes, taking care to keep the water at a constant temperature of 208° F. Thesemousselinesmay also be poached dry in a steamer or in a drying stove.1433—MOUSSELINES DE JAMBON ALEXANDRADecorate themousselines, prepared according to one of the two methods above described, with one lozenge of ham and another of truffle. Poach them; drain them well, and dish them in the form of a crown. Cover them with an Allemande sauce, flavoured with ham essence, and combined with two oz. of grated Parmesan per pint of the sauce, and glaze quickly.After taking themousselinesout of the oven, set in their midst a heap of asparagus-heads, cohered with butter.1434—MOUSSELINES DE JAMBONA LA FLORENTINESpread a layer of shredded spinach, fried in butter, on a dish.Upon it set the poached and well-drainedmousselines; cover them with the same sauce as that prescribed for the “Mousselines Alexandra,†and glaze them quickly.1435—MOUSSELINES DE JAMBONA LA HONGROISEPoach themousselines, the forcemeat of which must be flavoured with paprika. Drain them; dish them in a circle; cover them with Hongroise sauce, and glaze them quickly.On withdrawing the dish from the oven, set a fine heap of baked cauliflowers with cheese in the middle of it.1436—MOUSSELINES DE JAMBON AUX PETITS POISProceed exactly as described under No.1433, but substitute for the asparagus-heads a garnish of very small peas cohered with butter.Cold Ham.1437—JAMBON FROIDA LA GELÉEWhen ham is to be dished cold, it should, if possible, be allowed to cool in its cooking-liquor, except when it has to be boned. In the latter case, take it out as soon as it is cooked; incise it underneath, following the edge of the cushion; detach and remove the bones.[471]Now roll up the ham; bind it tightly in a piece of linen, and cool it under pressure.Whether boned or unboned, skin it when it is cold; remove some of its fat, and sprinkle it with cold, melted aspic until the latter covers it evenly.Dish it up; fix a frill to it, and surround it with fine aspic dice.1438—JAMBON SOUFFLÉ FROIDProceed exactly as in No.1421, but substitute for thesoufflépreparation therein described the cold hammoussebelow.1439—MOUSSE FROIDE DE JAMBONThe Preparation of theMousse.—Finely pound one lb. of very lean, cooked ham; add to it one-third pint of cold Velouté, and rub through a fine sieve.Put the resulting purée into a basin; season it; work it on ice for a few minutes, and mix therewith, little by little, one-quarter pint of melted aspic. Finally combine two-thirds pint of half-beaten cream with it.Themoussemay be moulded, either in an aspic-clothedmould, decorated with truffles, as explained under No.956, or in smallcassolettes, lined with a thin strip of paper inside their brims, after the manner of small, coldsoufflés.As the dishing and serving ofmoussesare always the same, the reader is begged to refer to those recipes dealing with the question.1440—MOUSSE FROIDE DE JAMBONA L’ALSACIENNETake a deep, square dish and garnish it, half-full, with fine, hammousse. Even the surface of this layer ofmousse, and, when it has set, arrange upon it some shells, raised by means of a spoon dipped in hot water, from a foie-gras Parfait. As soon as this is done, pour over the foie-gras shells, a sufficient quantity to cover them of half-melted succulent chicken aspic with Madeira, and let this jelly set.When about to serve, incrust the dish in a block of ice.1441—MOUSSE DE JAMBON AU BLANC DE POULETGarnish a deep, square dish with some hammousse. When the latter has set, arrange thereon thesuprêmesof a very white, poached fowl. Thesesuprêmes, cut into regular collops, should be coated with a white chaud-froid sauce.Cover with aspic, as directed under “Mousse à l’Alsacienne,†and serve.N.B.—If desired, the collops need not be coated with chaud-froid sauce, but, in this case, they should be covered with aspic.[472]1442—MOUSSELINES FROIDES DE JAMBONThesemousselinesare made from the same preparation as that used for themousse, and, but for the basic ingredient, which is not the same, they are treated after the manner described under “Petites Mousses de Homard†(No.958). To avoid needless repetition, therefore, the reader will kindly substitute the word ham for lobster in the recipe just referred to.
[464]Ham.However deservedly pork may be praised, it could never have been included among the preparations of first-class cookery (except subsidiarily) had it not been for the culinary value of hams.With the latter it triumphs, and, be they of Bayonne or York, of Prague or Westphalia, no other joints enjoy more favour than these as Relevés.Though it is somewhat difficult to decide which one of the various kinds of ham should be adopted, in my opinion that of Bohemia, known as Prague ham, is best for a warm dish, and that of York for a cold dish.The latter is also excellent when served hot, but, even so, for this purpose it is inferior to the Prague kind, the delicacy of which is incomparable.Still, York ham ranks first in the opinion of many, for it should be remembered that England has no rival in the preparation of seasoned pork, and her famous bacon, the renown of which is enormous, constitutes one of the greatest discoveries in the science of gastronomy.
However deservedly pork may be praised, it could never have been included among the preparations of first-class cookery (except subsidiarily) had it not been for the culinary value of hams.
With the latter it triumphs, and, be they of Bayonne or York, of Prague or Westphalia, no other joints enjoy more favour than these as Relevés.
Though it is somewhat difficult to decide which one of the various kinds of ham should be adopted, in my opinion that of Bohemia, known as Prague ham, is best for a warm dish, and that of York for a cold dish.
The latter is also excellent when served hot, but, even so, for this purpose it is inferior to the Prague kind, the delicacy of which is incomparable.
Still, York ham ranks first in the opinion of many, for it should be remembered that England has no rival in the preparation of seasoned pork, and her famous bacon, the renown of which is enormous, constitutes one of the greatest discoveries in the science of gastronomy.
York ham is the kind chiefly used.
After having soaked it in cold water for six hours, brush it and remove the pelvic bone; put it into a stewpan of cold water, and set to boil. This done, keep the water just simmering, that the ham may cook after the poaching method.
There is no need of any seasoning or aromatic garnish. As often as possible, leave the ham to cool in its cooking-liquor. If the ham is to be braised, take it out of the water thirty minutes before it is cooked. Skin it; clear it of any superfluous fat, and put it in a braising-pan, just large enough to hold it, with two-thirds pint of some such wine as Madeira, Port, Xeres, Chypre, &c. Select the wine in accordance with the title of the dish on the menu.
Having thoroughly sealed down the lid of the pan, put it in the oven, and continue the cooking of the ham gently for one hour, turning it over from time to time during the operation. If it have to reach the table whole, glaze it at the last moment.
Its usual adjunct is a light and highly seasoned half-glaze sauce, combined with some of the braising-liquor, cleared of all grease.
Having poached the ham as explained above, braise it in white wine, adding thereto three oz. of mushroom parings.
Dish and send separately a garnish of large, fresh noodles, cohered with butter and a Soubise purée, and completed with ajulienneof truffles.
Serve separately a half-glaze sauce, combined with the braising-liquor, cleared of all grease and reduced.
Completely cook the ham by poaching; skin and trim it.
If served whole, send, separately, some braised sauerkraut and potatoes, freshly cookedà l’anglaise. Serve a half-glaze sauce with Rhine wine at the same time.
If served already carved, arrange the slices in a circle on a round dish; put the sauerkraut in their midst, and border with the potatoes.
Serve, separately, the same sauce as before.
Poach the ham; braise it, and glaze it at the last moment. Set it on a long dish, and surround it with the following garnish, arranged in alternateheaps:—Carrots and turnips, cut to the shape of large, elongated olives, cooked separately in consommé, and glazed; small onions cooked in butter; braised and trimmed half-lettuces; peas and French beans cohered with butter separately.
Serve apart a thickened gravy combined with some of the braising-liquor, cleared of all grease.
Poach the ham and drain it on a dish. Remove the skin and all the black, outside parts. Prepare a piece of patty paste large enough to enclose the ham. Besprinkle the surface of the ham with powdered sugar; glaze quickly at the salamander, and place the ham (glazed side undermost) on the layer of paste.
Draw the ends of the paste towards each other; seal them together, with the help of a little moisture, in such wise as to enclose the ham completely; turn the latter over, and put it on a tray with the sealed side of the paste lying underneath.Gildand streak, make a slit in the middle of the paste for the escape of steam, and put the joint in the oven.
Leave it there until the paste is dry and well coloured. After taking the ham out of the oven, inject into it, through a[466]prepared hole, a large wineglassful of Port wine or Sherry. Stop up the hole with a little pellet of paste; dish, and serve immediately.
Serve at the same time a garnish of Gnochi, spinach, or Soufflé au Parmesan (No.2295a).
The best adjunct to Prague ham is a very light glaze prepared with Port wine, and buttered at the last minute.
Prepare a ham “sous la cendre†as described above.
Send to the table with it as many fine collops of foie-gras, tossed in butter and each covered with a nice slice of truffle, as there are diners. Send also a timbale of asparagus-heads.
The waiter in charge then puts a slice of ham, a collop of foie-gras, and a tablespoonful of asparagus-heads on each plate and serves.
The sauce should be a Madeira flavoured with truffle essence.
Prepare a ham as in No.1419. Serve each slice of it with one collop of braised veal sweetbread and one tablespoonful of fresh peasà la paysanne.
Send as an adjunct the braising-liquor of the veal sweetbread.
The garnishes best suited to ham relevésare:—
Spinach; new broad beans; braised lettuce; endives; fresh peas à la paysanne.
Noodles; Spaghetti; various Macaronis; Gnochi; Purées of fresh beans, broad beans.
The most usual accompanying sauce is half-glaze with Madeira.
This is a variety of the hamsoufflésgiven hereafter. The preparation used is the same, and it may be made either from raw or from cooked ham.
After having completely boned it, but for the end bone, which must be kept, cook the ham, and cool it.
Now cut it horizontally, one-half inch above its bone, from the extremity of the end bone to the head of the latter. At the last-mentioned point, make a vertical incision meeting and ending at the first; remove the cushion of ham, which should by now be quite separated from the rest of the joint, and put aside for some future purpose.
[467]All that remains of the ham, therefore, is a thick piece adhering to the end-bone. Carefully trim this piece, and surround it with a strong band of buttered paper, tied on by means of string, the purpose of which is to hold in thesoufflé.
This done, put a sufficient quantity of soufflé de Jambon (described hereafter) on the remaining meat of the ham to reconstruct it entirely. Smooth the surface of the preparation with the flat of a knife (dipped in cold water), and so finish off the contour of the ham. Decorate according to fancy; place the dish containing the ham on a saucepanful of boiling water, and put the two in the oven with the view of obtaining the maximum amount of steam, which latter helps to poach thesoufflé. Thissoufflédham may be poached just as well in a steamer.
When the preparation is properly poached, remove the band of paper; dish the ham, and send one of the garnishes or sauces given for braised ham separately.
Hamsoufflésare prepared after two recipes; in the first, cooked ham is used, and in the second the ham is raw. This last procedure is derived frommousselineforcemeat, and, inasmuch as the preparation resulting from it is less flimsy than that of the first, it is preferred when a large number of people have to be served.
Finely pound one lb. of lean, cooked ham, and add thereto, one after the other, three tablespoonfuls of very cold Béchamel sauce. Rub through a fine sieve; put the resulting purée into a sautépan, and finish with one-quarter pint of very creamy and boiling Béchamel sauce, flavoured with ham essence; four egg-yolks, and the whites of six eggs, beaten to a stiff froth.
This preparation may be combined with three oz. of grated Parmesan, and the two flavours will be found to blend very agreeably.
Prepared in this way, it is particularly well suited to the “Jambon Soufflé,†the recipe whereof is given above (No.1421).
Following the quantities given under “Farce mousseline†(No.195), make thesoufflépreparation, and add thereto four[468]tablespoonfuls of reduced and very cold Béchamel sauce per lb. of raw ham.
Keep the forcemeat somewhat stiff, and finish it with the whites of four eggs, beaten to a stiff froth, per lb. of ham.
Make thesoufflépreparation after one of the methods given above. Spread it in layers in a buttered timbale, alternating the layers ofsouffléwith others of asparagus-heads cohered with butter. Smooth the surface to the shape of a dome; decorate with a fine slice of truffle, and cook in a moderate oven, of a temperature suited to this kind of preparation. Serve thesouffléas soon as it is ready. If it be small, spread only one layer of asparagus-heads in the middle of it.
If it be large, spread two or three layers of asparagus-heads.
Add to the selected one of the twosoufflépreparations—either will do—for one lb. of ham, the purée of one-half lb. of pressed tomatoes, cooked in butter with one half-capsicum, rubbed through a sieve and very much reduced.
Dish thesouffléin a buttered timbale; sprinkle the surface with a pinch of red capsicum, cut in finejuliennefashion, and cook as described above.
Dish the selected hamsoufflépreparation in layers in a buttered timbale, and between each layer of it spread a litter of noodles, tossed in butter.
Sprinkle the surface with chopped truffles; set a ball of truffle well in the centre of thesoufflé, and cook in the usual way.
Dish the hamsoufflépreparation in a buttered timbale, and spread it in alternate layers with a fine garnish à la Milanaise (No.1258).
Deck the surface with small pieces of poached macaroni, fried in butter; sprinkle with grated cheese, and cook thesouffléin a moderate oven.
Dish thesoufflépreparation in layers in a buttered timbale, and between each layer spread a litter of truffle slices. Besprinkle the surface with chopped truffles, and cook thesouffléin the usual way.
MoussesandMousselinesare made from the same preparation as “Farce mousseline de jambon,†in pursuance of the general principles given under No.195.
The need of differentiating the terms arises from the fact thatmoussesare poached in a mould the contents of which are sufficient for a number of people, whereasmousselinesare spoon-moulded quenelles, shaped like eggs.
In the preparation of “Farce mousseline de jambon†it is necessary to allow, in the salt seasoning, for the amount of salting the ham has already received.
If the meat of the ham is not very red, the colour of the forcemeat may be intensified by means of a little vegetable red, in order that it may be of a distinct pink shade.
Put the forcemeat in a deep border-mould, somewhat like a Charlotte, and poach it under cover in abain-marie.
That the poaching may be regular, keep in water at a constant temperature of 205° or 208° Fahrenheit, and allow forty-five minutes for the operation in the case of amoussemade in a quart mould.
The preparation is seen to be cooked when it swells and rises in the mould.
As soon as this occurs, withdraw the latter from thebain-marie; let it stand for five minutes, that its contents may settle; turn it upside-down on a dish, and wait two minutes before removing the mould. In any case, do not take off the mould until the liquid which has drained from it, all round the dish, has been soaked up. Hammoussesare chiefly accompanied by Suprême sauce, or Veloutés with curry or paprika; sometimes, too, a highly-seasoned and buttered half-glaze sauce, with Madeira, Port, or Marsala may be used. The most suitable garnishes for hammoussesare those I have already given for Ham.
As I have already stated,mousselines, like quenelles, are moulded with a spoon.
They may also be laid, by means of a piping-bag, on the bottom of the well-buttered sautépan in which they are to be poached; they are shaped likemeringues, even or grooved,[470]and, in either case, they are decorated with lozenges, crescents, or discs, &c., of ham or truffle.
Having carried out the selected method of preparation, cover them with boiling water, salted to the extent of one-third oz. per quart, and poach them for from eighteen to twenty minutes, taking care to keep the water at a constant temperature of 208° F. Thesemousselinesmay also be poached dry in a steamer or in a drying stove.
Decorate themousselines, prepared according to one of the two methods above described, with one lozenge of ham and another of truffle. Poach them; drain them well, and dish them in the form of a crown. Cover them with an Allemande sauce, flavoured with ham essence, and combined with two oz. of grated Parmesan per pint of the sauce, and glaze quickly.
After taking themousselinesout of the oven, set in their midst a heap of asparagus-heads, cohered with butter.
Spread a layer of shredded spinach, fried in butter, on a dish.
Upon it set the poached and well-drainedmousselines; cover them with the same sauce as that prescribed for the “Mousselines Alexandra,†and glaze them quickly.
Poach themousselines, the forcemeat of which must be flavoured with paprika. Drain them; dish them in a circle; cover them with Hongroise sauce, and glaze them quickly.
On withdrawing the dish from the oven, set a fine heap of baked cauliflowers with cheese in the middle of it.
Proceed exactly as described under No.1433, but substitute for the asparagus-heads a garnish of very small peas cohered with butter.
When ham is to be dished cold, it should, if possible, be allowed to cool in its cooking-liquor, except when it has to be boned. In the latter case, take it out as soon as it is cooked; incise it underneath, following the edge of the cushion; detach and remove the bones.
[471]Now roll up the ham; bind it tightly in a piece of linen, and cool it under pressure.
Whether boned or unboned, skin it when it is cold; remove some of its fat, and sprinkle it with cold, melted aspic until the latter covers it evenly.
Dish it up; fix a frill to it, and surround it with fine aspic dice.
Proceed exactly as in No.1421, but substitute for thesoufflépreparation therein described the cold hammoussebelow.
The Preparation of theMousse.—Finely pound one lb. of very lean, cooked ham; add to it one-third pint of cold Velouté, and rub through a fine sieve.
Put the resulting purée into a basin; season it; work it on ice for a few minutes, and mix therewith, little by little, one-quarter pint of melted aspic. Finally combine two-thirds pint of half-beaten cream with it.
Themoussemay be moulded, either in an aspic-clothedmould, decorated with truffles, as explained under No.956, or in smallcassolettes, lined with a thin strip of paper inside their brims, after the manner of small, coldsoufflés.
As the dishing and serving ofmoussesare always the same, the reader is begged to refer to those recipes dealing with the question.
Take a deep, square dish and garnish it, half-full, with fine, hammousse. Even the surface of this layer ofmousse, and, when it has set, arrange upon it some shells, raised by means of a spoon dipped in hot water, from a foie-gras Parfait. As soon as this is done, pour over the foie-gras shells, a sufficient quantity to cover them of half-melted succulent chicken aspic with Madeira, and let this jelly set.
When about to serve, incrust the dish in a block of ice.
Garnish a deep, square dish with some hammousse. When the latter has set, arrange thereon thesuprêmesof a very white, poached fowl. Thesesuprêmes, cut into regular collops, should be coated with a white chaud-froid sauce.
Cover with aspic, as directed under “Mousse à l’Alsacienne,†and serve.
N.B.—If desired, the collops need not be coated with chaud-froid sauce, but, in this case, they should be covered with aspic.
Thesemousselinesare made from the same preparation as that used for themousse, and, but for the basic ingredient, which is not the same, they are treated after the manner described under “Petites Mousses de Homard†(No.958). To avoid needless repetition, therefore, the reader will kindly substitute the word ham for lobster in the recipe just referred to.