Sprig of parsley
12 peppercorns
Blade of mace
2 teaspoons salt
½ lb. lean raw ham
4 tablespoons flour
4 tablespoons butter
2 doz. bearded oysters
Remove meat from bones. Cover bones with cold water, add vegetables and seasonings, and heat slowly to boiling-point. Add meat, boil five minutes, and let simmer until meat is tender; remove meat and reduce stock to two cups. Put ham in frying-pan, cover with lukewarm water, and let stand on back of range one hour. Brown butter, add flour, and when well browned add stock; then add veal and ham each cut into cubes. Let simmer twenty minutes and add oysters. Put in serving dish and cover with top made of puff paste. It is much better to bake the paste separately and cover pie just before sending to table.