The century cook book

Ham a la Printaniere. A fine ham, properly cured, boiled with care, prettily ornamented, and trimmed with a nice sauce, is certainly a most excellent remove. If a ham is not sufficiently dissalted, it is placed in a kettle, and covered with cold water: the kettle is set over the fire, where it remains till the water boils. When this takes place, the ham is drained, then placed back into the kettle, moistened with wine and water, set on the fire, and garnished with a few big vegetables. At the first boiling of the liquid the kettle is removed to the side of the fire thus letting the liquid only simmer gently for three hours, and even longer, if the ham is large; the kettle must be taken away from the fire; half an hour afterward the ham is drained, and trimmed. The ham shown in the drawing is placed on a hot-waterdish: it is cut flat underneath, so that it lies well on the dish; it is then surrounded with small timbales of spinach Artistic Cookery 215 and potatoes, poached in a "bainniarie;" the bottom of the dish is masked with a little "Espagnole" sauce, worked with Madeira wine, and kept light. The ham is glazed with a paste-brush; the remainder of the sauce is sent up in a sauce boat, and served at the same time with a dish of green peas. POULTRY See Plate No. 6 Turkey "a 1' Imperiale." A nice, fat white hen turkey is trussed, singed, its breast and legs larded. It is then placed in braisierie pan, cooked with a good stock, and glazed to a pretty color. When about to be served, the turkey is drained, divested of the string, and placed on a long dish, and made to lean against a foundation of force meat. Two small croustades of bread, or rice, carved with a knife, are stuck on each end of the dish, garnished with "montglas" of poultry, encircled with small truffles. The turkey is then surrounded, on both sides, with a garnish composed of cocks' combs and button-mushrooms, piled up in groups. These mushrooms and cocks' combs may be masked with a little "Allemande" sauce, and the truffles glazed with a paste brush. Two boatfuls of "Espagnole" sauce, worked with the gravy of the turkey, are served at the same time. This piece is dressed, to appear on the table, on a hot-water-dish ; if the turkey has been previously carved, the dish may be handed round to the guests. Roasted Capons, with Water Cresses. A nice, fat, tender capon constitutes a roast so highly distinguished, as to be neither common nor easy to be found everywhere. Capons should above all be young: it would be of little use to have them well fattened, if they were tough. Roasted capons are never larded: they are covered with bacon, or wrapped in buttered paper, until three parts 216 Artistic Cookery roasted. The spit is the only method applicable to the cooking of roasted capons: if the flesh be basted with good butter, it becomes unctuous and succulent.