Boiled Ham
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare
Wash the ham thoroughly and soak it in plenty of water mixed with 1 pint of yeast overnight.
Boil fresh water and add 1 pint of yeast.
Cook
Place the ham in the boiling water and cook it slowly.
Add a wisp of new hay to the bottom of the kettle to mellow the taste and prevent burning.
Transcribed from a scanned cookbook and modernised for today's kitchens. Where the book gave no heat or time, or said "a moderate oven", the temperatures and times here may be modern equivalents rather than the book's own figures.
Explore the science
What each ingredient does
- Ham
- The main cut, which is soaked and then simmered until cooked through.
- New hay
- Adds a subtle aroma to the cooking water and, per the record, mellows the taste.
The step that matters
Cook the ham slowly. A hard, rolling boil makes the outer meat fibres tighten and toughen while the centre is still cooking. A gentle simmer cooks the ham more evenly and keeps it tender and juicy.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
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