Mold of Parslied Ham in Aspic

By corlear

Jambon Persillé

Jambon persillé is a Burgundian creation. Inevitably when dealing with well-known regional specialties, there are dozens of variations and minor versions, and always hundreds of very definite opinions on how to conduct each step. Among the considerable number of serious and trustworthy formulas we have studied, this is the one we prefer.

A NOTE ON STORE-BOUGHT HAM
If you are not using home-cured ham, buy 6 1/2 to 8 pounds of bone-in, ready-to-bake, mild-cured smoked ham or picnic shoulder. Omit Step 1, proceeding directly to the simmering in Step 2; skin and bone the ham after cooking.

STORAGE NOTE: Jambon persillé will keep nicely for a week under refrigeration. It may be frozen, but will lose character after 2 to 3 weeks.

Ingredients

• For step 1 - Soaking the ham:
• 4 to 6 pounds of boned, home-salted fresh ham or shoulder-arm, and the salted ham rind
• For step 2 - Simmering the ham:
• A kettle just large enough to hold ham comfortably
• Either 1 bottle best quality, young, strong, dry white wine (Côtes du Rhône or Pinot Blanc); or 3 cups dry white French vennouth
• 3 cups bouillon (made from fresh ham hones, or a mixture of beef and chicken bouillon)
• Necessary water
• 1 tsp thyme
• 2 Tb tarragon
• 4 allspice berries
• 2 imported bay leaves
• 2 large cloves of garlic tied in washed cheesecloth
• 1 large onion, roughly chopped
• 1 medium carrot, roughly chopped
• 1 celery stalk
• For step 3 - The aspic:
• 5 cups thoroughly degreased ham-cooking stock in a saucepan
• 2 to 3 egg whites (1/2 cup)
• Optional for added flavor:
• 1/2 to 1 cup minced green tops from leeks or scallions
• 2 packages (2 Tb) powdered unflavored gelatin
• For Step 4 - The parsley and aspic flavoring:
• The bowl of puréed rind
• 1 cup (lightly pressed) chopped fresh parsley
• 1 clove of garlic, mashed
• 1 Tb dried tarragon or 3 Tb fresh minced tarragon leaves
• 1 Tb wine vinegar
• salt
• pepper
• 1 cup of the aspic, cool but not set
• For Step 5 - Assembling and serving:
• A 2 1/2 to 3-quart serving bowl, casserole, or crock (this can be of clear glass through which you can see the design of the ham and parsley)
• The parsley and aspic mixture
• The cooked and cut ham
• A rack and/or plate that will fit into the bowl
• A weight of some sort
• The remaining aspic, cool but not set

Details

Servings 12

Preparation

Step 1

Step 1 - Soaking the ham (12 to 24 hours):
Soak the ham and the rind in a large basin of cold water, changing water 2 to 3 times. Overnight is enough for ham cured about 15 days; soak for 18 to 24 hours if ham has cured longer. (Soaking removes the preserving salt, not the flavor.)

Step 2 - Simmering the ham:
Place soaked ham (and rind) in kettle, add wine, bouillon, and enough water to cover by an inch. Add rest of ingredients listed, bring to the simmer, and skim for several minutes until scum ceases to rise. Cover partially and maintain at the simmer until ham is tender when pierced with a sharp knife (about 2 hours for boned, home-cured ham). Let ham cool in liquid an hour or two.

While still warm, remove rind from kettle (or from bone-in ham), scrape off and discard as much fat as possible, and purée rind through coarse disk of food mill or fine blade of meat grinder; reserve in a i-quart bowl. Tear ham apart with your fingers, discarding fat and gristle. Cut ham into pieces about 1/2 inch thick and 1 1/2 to 2 inches square, and place in a 2-quart bowl along with any meat scraps. Moisten with a tablespoon or so of cooking stock, and set aside. Thoroughly degrease cooking stock, boil down rapidly to concentrate flavor if necessary, and correct seasoning.

Step 3 - The aspic (for about 4 cups):
Clarify the cooking stock with the egg whites, add optional greenery, strain, and then dissolve the gelatin in it.

Step 4 - The parsley and aspic flavoring:
Mix all ingredients except the aspic in the bowl, and just before assembling the ham in Step 5, stir in the cup of aspic. (You will have 2 to 2 1/2 cups when all is blended.)

Step 5 - Assembling and serving:
The following assembly method is informal: the meat is packed into a bowl, and slices are cut and served directly from it. If you want a dressier presentation, line the bowl with aspic before filling it, and unmold onto a platter for serving.

Chill the bowl and spread a layer of parsley-aspic in the bottom. Then pack with layers of ham and of parsley-aspic. When filled, cover with rack and/or plate and weight, and chill for an hour or so, until set. (If you do not weight down the ham, it will be difficult to cut into slices later.) Remove the rack and so forth, scumble the top a bit with a fork (to disguise plate or rack marks), and pour on the cool aspic. Cover and chill until serving time.

To serve, cut into slices, like a large pie.