Capon Cooked in a Bladder

Ingredients

• capon (or fattened pullet)
• ox or pig bladder
• g ham, more lean than fat
• salt

Instructions

1. Soak a large sound bladder (pig preferred) a day or two in warm water.
2. Draw the capon, salt it inside, tuck legs and wings, and sew the openings.
3. Wrap the bird in 150 g thin ham slices tied close.
4. Put it in the bladder, sew shut, and fit a vent tube into the neck.
5. Boil very gently three hours with the tube outside, so only sparse bubbles rise.
6. Cool in its water, serve next day (discard the ham), garnish with aspic.