SC - Answer-Ham recipe-Stefan's critique

[Stefan li Rous]

Ras replies to my questions about the ham cooked in cider recipe:

<< Is there a particular reason you clove the onion rather than just dropping
 the cloves in the cider? >>

Yes. Since the broth is used as a sauce base it is much easier finding the
whole cloves among the other bits quickly when it is time for their removal.
It also yields a wonderful subtlety of flavor that is not present when they
are just added as is.

<<Why not cut the onion up into chunks? Or are you wanting to serve the onion
whole? I would think cutting up the onion would yield up more onion flavor.>>

The long slow cooking time allows the onion to release it's essence gradually.
When the cooking process is over the onion is removed and discarded. It is not
meant to be a vegetable side to the ham but rather acts as a seasoning only.
- --------

Thanks for your clarification, and Mordonna's too. It does have a very, long
slow cooking time.

And then, I think, Ras replied to my comment about not using this on
my smithfield ham:

>>What a shame since the recipe is precisely designed for that type of ham. Each
>>to their own.

The reason I didn't plan to was that I only have one smithfield ham and it
wasn't cheap. Don't know when I'll get another. I might not even like it
this way. Perhaps I can cut off a big chunk of it and use that instead of
the whole thing. If I do this, would you boil or soak it first? Or just
put in in the cider and cook it from the bag?

Thanks.
  Stefan li Rous
  Ansteorra
  stefan at texas.net
============================================================================

To be removed from the SCA-Cooks mailing list, please send a message to
Majordomo at Ansteorra.ORG with the message body of "unsubscribe SCA-Cooks".

============================================================================