Ham Truffled a la Florian

In order to succeed with this dish it will be found necessary to have an oval bomb-shaped copper-tinned mold, nine and a half inches long, six and three-quarters inches wide and four inches deep. This mold must be oiled on the outside and laid on an oiled marble slab, having the opening downward; around it place an iron ring twelve inches in length, ten inches wide and five and a half inches deep; place this ring in such a way that the mold will fit exactly in its center, fill the space between the mold and the ring with plaster of Paris wetted with a little water; smooth the top nicely and leave it to harden; turn this ring over and take out the mold. Pare a twelve-pound freshly salted smoked ham neatly, unsalt it for ten hours, and boil it in water for an hour and a half, then braise in a white wine mirepoix stock (No. 419) for three hours or more until the bones are easily detached from the meat; remove them, and pare the ham shapely, suppressing the skin and all the smoked parts, then lard it in every direction with quartered truffles and pistachios. Place this ham in the mold, the mold in the ring filled with plaster, and on the ham lay a board one inch less in diameter than the mold, and half an inch thick. Put under the press (No. 71), and when cold unmold and trim. Glaze over with pink chaudfroid, decorate with truffles and pistachios dipped in half-set jelly, cover over with jelly and lay it on a carved rice socle, having this ranged on an oval dish. Decorate the top with three hatelets, and around with chopped jelly and a border of jelly croutons (see Fig. 461).