Civil War Recipe Tutorial:

Ham Toast

Original Recipe:

Ham Toast: Grate some lean ham; mix it with the yolk of an egg; pepper it, and fry it in butter. Put it on square bits of toast, and brown it with a salamander.

Source:

The Carolina Housewife by "A Lady of Charleston" [Sarah Rutledge], 1847

Modern Day Adaptation:

The ham used was left over from "To Cook a Ham", which was a smoked picnic ham and (despite the long boiling of its previous incarnation) still a little on the salty side. As no quantities are given we used about two cups of ham, which required the addition of four egg yolks to hold (sort of) together, which was divided into four portions. Plain white bread, toasted and with crusts removed, was used as the base.

Results:

The ham, having been sealed up promptly in an airtight bag after its service in the previous meal, was still quite moist and tender and easily minced into very small bits. We used what seemed like a considerable amount of black pepper but all diners reached to add still more after taking the first bite. A very tasty meal, simple and quickly prepared. One toast-worth was a very light supper, although it would be perfectly adequate for a breakfast dish.