Miss Corson's practical American cookery and household management

Either freshen ham by soaking it in ice cold water over night, or by heating it in enough water to cover it. Then wipe the ham dry, put it between the bars of a gridiron, and brown it slightly on both sides ; season it with pepper, and- serve it plain, or with fried eggs. GAME PIE. Bone a partridge and a quail as directed in the recipe for boning, and make the forcemeat described in the recipe for boned turkey. Make a good pastry according to the recipe for pastry for meat and game pies. Use for the pie such a mould as is shown in the first picture given here, spreading it very thickly with cold butter. Roll out a large round of pastry about half an inch thick, set the mould on a buttered SIDE-DISHES (ENTREES). 295 plate, and lay the pastry in it. Use the fingers to press the pastry firmly into every depression of the mould, and then trim it off just above the upper rim, so that the upper crust Mould for Game Pie. may be laid against it. Line the bottom and sides of the mould with forcemeat, fill the quail with forcemeat, and put Game Pie Baited in a Mouid. into the partridge, filling the space between the two birds with fo/cemeat. Then lay the partridge in the mould, and fill in the empty portion with forcemeat. Wet the upper edge of the side crust with cold water, where it lies over the rim of the mould, and put on a thick upper crust. Cut or ornament the upper crust, making apertures for the escape of steam, brush it with beaten egg, and cover it with buttered paper. Bake the pie slowly for three hours; then brown it; use it either hot or cold. There will be no difficulty in taking it from the mould, if it has been well buttered ; for it opens at both ends when the wire fastenings are pulled out. REED-BIRD PIE. Pluck and dress the birds, leaving them whole; either stuff them with veal and ham, bread-crumbs, or oysters. Line an earthen baking-dish with a nice pastry, made as directed elsewhere. Put the birds into the dish, in layers, with flour, butter, wine, or gravy, and seasonings, allowing to each dozen birds a tablespoonful each of butter and flour, a glass of wine, and a cupful of gravy, and a rather high seasoning of salt, pepper, and powdered spice. Cover the birds with pastry, wetting the edges of the crust to make them adhere. Cut some places in the crust to permit the escape of steam while the pie is baking, brush it with beaten egg, and bake it in a moderate oven until it is nicely browned. Reed-birds may be roasted, broiled, or stewed in brown sauce. STEWED SNIPE. Pluck the birds carefully, cut off the heads nnd feet, remove the gizzards only, and wipe- the birds on a. clean towel. For a dozen snipe put two heaping teaspoonfuls of butter in a saucepan, and let it get smoking hot, then put in the snipe, and quickly brown them. When the snipe are brown, dust over them a tablespoonful of dry flour, and stir them about until the flour is brown. When the flour is brown, cover the birds with boiling water, season them palatably with salt and pepper, and let them cook gently for fifteen SIDE-DISHES {entries). 297