Practical household cookery

Make a polenta (No. loo) with three-quarters of a pound of polenta flour and a quart of water. When nearly cooked add four ounces of picked sultana raisins, the same quantity each of grated parmesan cheese and butter, and a good pinch of grated nutmeg. When this has been well stirred and mixed together, fill with it the paunch of a nice sucking pig prepared as in No. 567 ; fasten it with twine in the usual way ; roast the pig in the same manner ; cut it in the same style, and serve with Italian sauce (No. 205) in a sauce-boat apart. 670. BOILED HAH WITH SPINACH. Care must be taken when about to cook a ham, after having previously sawn off the shank-bone and removed the thigh-bone, that it should have soaked in plenty of cold water, the length of ' time depending entirely upon the age of the curing of the ham. Properly seasoned homecured hams should be soaked for at least twenty-four hours ; foreign hams require to be soaked even longer, varying from twenty-four hours to four days and nights. Care, however, should be taken that the water is changed every morning and night. English hams easily yielding to the pressure of the hands are new, and in such cases a soaking of six hours will be quite sufficient. It is also advisable, when a ham is being soaked for several days, that its shiny surface should be scraped off every time the water is changed. When the ham has had its proper soaking, fold around it about two pounds of good hay; then put it in a large oval pot or stewpan, with plenty of cold water; cover the pan and boil and simmer very gently on a slow fire for about four hours, or till it is done, according to the size of the ham. When the ham is done take the pan to a cool place, leaving it to soak in the hay liquor for about three-quarters of an hour, by which means it will retain the whole of its moisture ; if taken out of the pan to get cold, all its richness exudes from it. The ham, having thus partially cooled, must be taken out, put on a dish, and trimmed. Divest it of the rind to within four inches from the knuckle-bone, then with a sharp knife trim the part of rind left, in the shape of either leaves, palms, squares, or ovals, arranged in a fan-like form. Trim the fat of the ham smooth, without however removing more of it than is actually necessary to give a neat appearance ; after which, put it on a baking-sheet in the hot oven, for ten or twelve minutes, then wipe the surface with a clean cloth, glaze with a brush, and return it to the hot oven for about five minutes. Meanwhile have some spinach ready on the fire ; dish up the ham and garnish with well-dressed spinach, placed round it in tablespoonfuls, and serve with Madeira sauce made as follows : — Put half a pint of Madeira or sherry in a stewpan, with a little meat-glaze and a small pinch of mignonette pepper. Boil on a brisk fire for ^ve minutes; add a pint of Espagnole sauce, and continue reducing it till the sauce has reached a proper consistency or coats the spoon ; then strain through a pointed strainer into the sauce-boat. Note. — I strongly advocate the use of hay when boiling hams, as the flavour thereby imparted is superior to all other ingredients or more expensive vegetables. 571. BRAIZED HAH WITH STEWED PEAS.