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Ham Braise, Josselyn

Soak a four-pound piece of ham in cold water for six hours. Remove and place it in an earthen pot, adding one sliced carrot, one sliced onion, a bean garlic, one branch parsley, a branch chervil, a small branch tarragon, a sprig thyme, a sprig marjoram, one bay leaf, one clove, half teaspoon salt, half teaspoon pepper, half teaspoon curry powder, a pint cider, a gill claret, quarter gill sherry, two tablespoons vinegar and one calf's foot cut in pieces. Mix well, cover the pot and let marinade in a cool place for six hours. Then place pot in a moderate oven for two and a half hours, basting it once in a while. Take up the ham, neatly trim, dress on a large hot dish and keep hot. Knead in a saucepan a half ounce butter with one ounce flour, then add it little by little to the sauce in the pot, mix well and boil for two minutes, gently mixing once in a while. Pick off the stems from a pound of white California grapes, place them in a frying pan with tablespoon melted butter, and briskly fry until a nice golden colour, tossing them meanwhile. Arrange them around the ham. Strain a third of the sauce through a Chinese strainer over the ham, the rest into a saucebowl, and serve.