In Joy of Cooking, Ida Rombauer famously defined eternity as two people and a ham. If somehow you had found a ham, chances are you would have leftovers. Because of its strong, salty flavor, a little bit goes a long way as a flavoring ingredient but a great big slab on a plate can be somewhat unappetizing, at least to some of us.
Gourmet’s had a monthly section, “Gastronomie Sans Argent,” devoted to recipes for more everyday fare, although not necessarily as economical as the title suggested. In April the section featured recipes using ham as an ingredient. It was bylined “The Gourmet Chef”, who would be Louis De Gouy again. Better Homes & Gardens also addressed the issue of leftover ham. The two lists present an interesting contrast.
Gourmet
Ham Timbale Bourgeoise: Grated onion, chopped parsley, and bread crumbs, chopped lean ham, eggs and sherry baked in molds or custard cups and topped with mushroom sauce. Timbales were a staple of upscale cooking.
Missouri Ham Dinner: Buttermilk soda biscuits filled with ham that has been fried in bacon drippings until crisp and brown, then covered in gravy made with milk or thinned cream. Additional biscuits are served on a separate platter accompanied by strawberry jam
Ham and Cider Buffet Mold: A gelatin concoction garnished with red cabbage slaw, gherkins in fans, asparagus tips, black olives, radish roses and watercress and decorated with mayonnaise that has been tinted with beet juice and forced through a pastry bag. It is served with horseradish mayo sauce.
Ham and Egg Pie with Cheese Biscuit Crust Poulette: A baked casserole with a rich sauce, chopped parsley, quartered hardboiled egg and cubed ham seasoned with salt, pepper and nutmeg, and topped with a cheese biscuit crust made with grated American cheese
Ham and Raisin Croquettes Creole: A mix of ground raisins, cooked or canned hominy and lean ham to which prepared mustard and whole eggs are added. The croquettes are dipped into egg and bread crumbs and, after chilling, deep fried. Serve on a bed of spinach, accompanied by noodles, mashed potatoes or curried rice
Southern Ham Fritters: Flour, eggs, curry powder and ground ham, deep fried until golden brown and served with tartare sauce
Ham in a rice ring: De Gouy cooks the rice for 1 ¼ hours in milk before baking in a moderate oven for about 20 minutes. Diced ham in a butter-enriched cream sauce seasoned with nutmeg and parsley or chervil, goes into the middle of the baked ring. A garnish of watercress and mushroom caps goes all around
Ham Hash Au Gratin Parmentier: Mashed potatoes and ham topped with bread crumbs and grated cheese. It is decorated with slices of hard cooked eggs and sprinkled with paprika.
Better Homes & Garden
Ham browned and covered in a casserole of lima beans and cheese
Cubed ham covered with cranberry sauce glaze
Ham ground with pork, shaped into balls with crumbs and then baked
Ham la king with white sauce, mushrooms, green pepper and diced cooked ham
Bits of ham in waffle batter
A ham and cheese soufflé made with ground ham blended with a spreading cheese, beaten egg yolks and stiff egg whites
Slivers of ham added to packaged or canned pea soup
A ham spread of chopped ham, diced celery, mayo and chopped pickle, served on rolls
A ham gelatin mold made with condensed tomato soup and cream cheese.After the mold is chilled and thickened, add mayo, prepared mustard, vinegar and the ground cooked then chill until firm.