Recipe history & notes
Ham with Fried Bread is a historical Romanian recipe from 1842, presented with ingredients, preparation, and historical context. This page brings together the available transcription, editorial notes, and the original manuscript image.
Ingredients – Ham with Fried Bread
- ham
- water
- 1 litre broth
- 1 glass white wine
- parsley
- chives
- ground pepper
- white bread
- potatoes or mushrooms
Original manuscript
Digitised facsimile from the 1842 archive.
Historical narrative
# Ham with Fried Bread (1842)
## Faithful Translation into Modern English
Take a piece of ham and soak it overnight in water; then cut it into thin slices and place it in a pan, add a litre of broth and a glass of white wine, a little green parsley, a little chives and ground pepper; this is boiled until the ham and the broth reduce, and if the broth is too salty it is boiled further until it reduces well; then slices of white bread are fried and the sauce is poured over them; garnish either with fried potatoes or with mushrooms.
Cook’s advice
# Modern Tips (not part of the original text)
- Use good quality smoked ham and adjust soaking time depending on saltiness.
- Reduce the sauce until glossy and lightly thickened.
- Brown the ham lightly before adding wine for deeper flavour.
Additional notes
# Historical and Language Notes
- Ham was heavily salted, hence soaking overnight.
- “Salce” is an old spelling for sauce.
- Optional garnish reflects seasonal flexibility.