Kernel of Ham a la Biarritz

A kernel of ham is sufficient for eight persons. Soak it for eight hours in cold water, pare lightly and wrap up in a small cloth; put it into a saucepan with plenty of cold water and bring the liquid slowly to a boil; remove the saucepan to the corner of the range, so that the liquid simmers on one side only, it taking in all about two to three hours according to the size. Leave it in the water half an hour before serving, then drain, suppress the rind, trim the meat and fat carefully and dress it on a risot prepared as follows: Fry colorless two spoonfuls of onions, add a quarter of a pound of unwashed but clean rice, and warm it with the onions; wet it to three times its heighth with stock (No.194a), boil and let cook in the oven without disturbing whatever until all the liquid is absorbed, then stir in a coffeespoonful of prepared red pepper (No. 168). Have six scalded tomatoes, twenty-four cooked mushroom heads, and sixteen small Chipolata sausages fried in butter (No. 657). When the rice becomes dry, pour over it four ounces of hazelnut butter (No. 567). Drain the ham, pare and glaze it over with a brush; lay the rice on the bottom of a dish, the ham on top and surround with the sausages and mushroom heads stewed in cream, placing santed sweet Spanish peppers, and the scalded tomatoes cut in two, pressed and fried in butter at the ends. A Madeira sauce (No. 492), should be served separately.