• 8 slices of cold home-cooked ham or gammon (each slice should be about 3 in. (10 cm.) square and ⅛ in. (½ cm.) thick, and should be free of all fat)
• 6 oz. (180 g.) mushrooms, sliced and lightly sauté
• ¾ pint (4½ dl.) essence of ham
• 2 teaspoons of cornflour
• 1 glass medium sweet sherry
• 1 tablespoon very finely chopped parsley

Butter a flat casserole and arrange the slices of ham just overlapping in it; or butter a cocotte dish for each person and lay 2 slices of ham in each. Sprinkle the mushrooms on top. Closely cover with foil. Stand the dish or cocottes in a baking tray with ¾ in (2 cm.) of warm water and bake in the oven at 350° F., gas mark 4, for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile bring the ham essence to the boil, and, unless it is as thick as heavy cream, thicken it by stirring the cornflour into a little cold water, pouring it in and stirring rapidly until the essence is smooth and semitransparent.

Check the seasoning, add the sherry. Pour this over the ham and mushrooms so that the slices are well covered. Sprinkle thickly with parsley and serve with creamed potatoes. Broad beans are particularly good with this.