Home › The Principles of Cookery › Veal and Ham Pie

Veal and Ham Pie

Take from a pound and a half to two pounds of veal cutlets or of nice lean veal from any part. Cut these into neat square pieces about the size of a walnut. Put a layer at the bottom of a pie-dish, and sprinkle upon the meat a little pepper and salt, a pinch of grated lemonrind, another of powdered mace, and another of minced savoury herbs. Lay upon these flavouring ingredients two or three slices of ham or streaky bacon, and repeat the alternate layers until the dish is full. Let ham constitute the uppermost layer. The yolks of three eggs boiled hard and cut into slices may be interspersed with the meat. Pour half a pint of stock upon the meat. Line the edges of the dish with good pastry, cover with the same, ornament the surface, brush it over with yolk of egg, and bake in a well-heated oven. When done enough, pour a little boiling gravy into the pie, and serve. This pie may be enriched by the addition of a little forcemeat, or a few oysters or mushrooms, or a sweetbread, but it will be found excellent without them. If liked, a gravy prepared as follows may be poured upon the meat instead of stock. Take a table-spoonful of chopped mushrooms, a minced shallot, and a tea-spoonful of parsley. Fry these in a little butter over a gentle fire. Add half a pint of stock or water, a small piece of brown thickening, a little pepper and salt, and a spoonful of ketchup. Stir the sauce till it boils, add a few drops of lemon-juice, strain it, and it will be ready for use. Time to bake the pie, an hour and a half or more according to size. Sufficient for five or six persons. Probable cost, 3s. 6d., plainly made.