Chapter XVIII., but it must be boiled very dry, and left to become quite

cold before it is used. A few spoonsful of rich white sauce stirred into it when it is nearly tender, will improve it much. Form and hollow the croquettes as directed in the last receipt; fill them with a small portion of minced fowl, partridge, or pheasant in a thick sauce, or with a stewed oyster or two cut in quarters; close the rice perfectly over them; egg, and crumb the croquettes, fry and serve them garnished with crisped parsley. French cooks mix sometimes a little grated Parmesan cheese with the rice at the moment it is taken from the fire, and roll the croquettes in more after they are egged; they press this on and dip them again in egg, and then into the crumbs. Raise the pan high above the fire when the croquettes are lightly browned, that they may heat through; then heighten the colour, and lift them out immediately. RISSOLES. (ENTRÉE.) This is the French name for small fried pastry of various forms, filled with meat or fish previously cooked; they may be made with _brioche_, or with light puff-paste, either of which must be rolled extremely thin. Cut it with a small round cutter fluted or plain; put a little rich mince, or good pounded meat, in the centre, and moisten the edges, and press them securely together that they may not burst open in the frying. The rissoles may be formed like small patties, by laying a second round of paste over the meat, or like _cannelons_; they may, likewise, be brushed with egg, and sprinkled with vermicelli, broken small, or with fine crumbs. They are sometimes made in the form of _croquettes_, the paste being gathered round the meat, which must form a ball.[137] Footnote 137: If our space will permit, more minute directions for these, and other small dishes of the kind, shall be given in the chapter of Foreign Cookery. In frying them, adopt the same plan as for the _croquettes_, raising the pan as soon as the paste is lightly coloured. Serve all these fried dishes well drained, and on a napkin. From 5 to 7 minutes, or less. VERY SAVOURY ENGLISH RISSOLES. (ENTRÉE.) Make the forcemeat No. 1, Chapter VIII., sufficiently firm with unbeaten yolk of egg, to roll rather thin on a well-floured board; cut it into very small rounds, put a little pounded chicken in the centre of one half, moistening the edges with water, or white of egg, lay the remaining rounds over these, close them securely, and fry them in butter a fine light brown; drain and dry them well, and heap them in the middle of a hot dish, upon a napkin folded flat: these _rissoles_ may be egged and crumbed before they are fried. SMALL FRIED BREAD PATTIES, OR CROUSTADES OF VARIOUS KINDS. These may be either sweet or savoury, and many of them may be so promptly prepared, that they offer a ready resource when an extra dish is unexpectedly required. They should be carefully fried very crisp, and of a fine equal gold colour, either in clarified marrow, for which we give our own receipt, or in really good butter. DRESDEN PATTIES, OR CROUSTADES. (_Very delicate._) Pare the crust neatly from one or two French rolls, slice off the ends, and divide the remainder into as many patties as the size of the rolls will allow; hollow them in the centre, dip them into milk or thin cream, and lay them on a drainer over a dish; pour a spoonful or two more of milk over them at intervals, but not sufficient to cause them to break; brush them with egg, rasp the crust of the rolls over them, fry and drain them well, fill them with a good mince, or with stewed mushrooms or oysters, and serve them very hot upon a napkin; they may be filled for the second course with warm apricot marmalade, cherry-jam, or other good preserve. This receipt came to us _direct from Dresden_, and on testing it we found it answer excellently, and inserted it in an earlier edition of the present work. We name this simply because it has been appropriated, with many other of our receipts, by a contemporary writer without a word of acknowledgment. TO PREPARE BEEF MARROW FOR FRYING CROUSTADES, SAVOURY TOASTS, &C. At a season when butter of pure flavour is often procured with difficulty, beef-marrow, carefully clarified, is a valuable substitute for it; and, as it is abundantly contained in the joints which are in constant request for soup-making, it is of slight comparative cost in a well managed kitchen. It is often thrown into the stock-pot by careless or indolent cooks, instead of being rendered available for the many purposes to which it is admirably adapted. Take it from the bones as fresh as possible, put it into a white jar, and melt it with a _very gentle_ degree of heat at the mouth of the oven, or by the side of the stove, taking all precaution to prevent its being smoked or discoloured; strain it off, through a very fine sieve or muslin, into a clean pan or pans, and set it aside for use. It will be entirely flavourless if prepared with due care and attention; but, if dissolved with too great a degree of heat, it will acquire the taste almost of dripping. A small quantity of fine salt may be sprinkled into the pan with it when it is used for frying. SMALL CROUSTADES, OR BREAD PATTIES, DRESSED IN MARROW. (_Author’s Receipt._) Cut very evenly, from a firm stale loaf, slices nearly an inch and a half thick, and with a plain or fluted paste-cutter of between two and three inches wide press out the number of patties required, loosening them gently from the tin, to prevent their breaking; then, with a plain cutter, scarcely more than half the size, mark out the space which is afterwards to be hollowed from it. Melt some clarified beef-marrow in a small saucepan or frying-pan, and, when it begins to boil, put in the patties, and fry them gently until they are equally coloured of a pale golden brown. In lifting them from the pan, let the marrow (or butter) drain well from them; take out the rounds which have been marked on the tops, and scoop out part of the inside crumb, but leave them thick enough to contain securely the gravy of the preparation put into them. Fill them with any good patty-meat, and serve them very hot on a napkin. _Obs._—These _croustades_ are equally good if dipped into clarified butter or marrow, and baked in a tolerably quick oven. It is well, in either case, to place them on a warm sheet of double white blotting-paper while they are being filled, as it will absorb the superfluous fat. A rich mince, with a thick, well-adhering sauce, either of mutton and mushrooms, or oysters, or with fine herbs and an eschalot or two; or of venison, or hare, or partridges, may be appropriately used for them. SMALL CROUSTADES À LA BONNE MAMAN. (_The Grandmama’s Patties._) Prepare the _croustades_ as above, or use for them French rolls of very even shape, cut in thick equal slices. If quite round, the crust may be left on; mark each slice with a small cutter in the centre, dip the _croustades_ into butter or marrow, fry them lightly, or bake them without permitting them to become very hard; empty, and then fill them; dish them without a napkin, and pour some good brown gravy round, but not _over_ them. _Obs._—From being cooked without butter, these and the preceding patties are adapted to a Jewish table. CURRIED TOASTS WITH ANCHOVIES. Fry lightly, in good butter, clarified marrow, or very pure olive oil, some slices of bread, free from crust, of about half an inch thick, and two inches and a half square; lift them on to a dish, and spread a not very thick layer of Captain White’s currie-paste on the top; place them in a gentle oven for three or four minutes, then lay two or three fillets of anchovies on each, replace them in the oven for a couple of minutes, and send them immediately to table. Their pungency may be heightened by the addition of cayenne pepper, when a very hot preparation is liked. _Obs._—We have spoken but slightly in our chapter of curries of Captain White’s currie-paste, though for many years we have had it used in preference to any other, and always found it excellent. Latterly, however, it has been obtained with rather less facility than when attention was first attracted to it. The last which we procured directed, on the label of the jar, that orders for it should be sent per post to 83, Copenhagen Street, Islington. It may, however, be procured without doubt from any good purveyor of sauces and other condiments. It is sold in jars of all sizes, the price of the smallest being one-and-sixpence. We certainly think it much superior to any of the others which we have tested, its flavour being peculiarly agreeable. TO FILLET ANCHOVIES. Drain them well from the pickle, take off the heads and fins, lay them separately on a plate, and scrape off the skin entirely; then place them on a clean dish and with a sharp-edged knife raise the flesh on either side of the back-bone, passing it from the tail to the shoulders, and keeping it nearly flat as it is worked along. Divide each side (or _fillet_) in two, and use them as _directed_ for the preceding toasts or other purposes. They make excellent simple sandwiches with slices of bread and butter only; but _very_ superior ones when they are potted or made into anchovy butter. SAVOURY TOASTS. Cut some slices of bread free from crust, about half an inch thick and two inches and a half square; butter the tops thickly, spread a little mustard on them, and then cover them with a deep layer of grated cheese and of ham seasoned rather highly with cayenne; fry them in good butter, but do not turn them in the pan; lift them out, and place them in a Dutch oven for three or [TN: missing word.] minutes to dissolve the cheese: serve them very hot. To 4 tablespoonsful of grated English cheese, an equal portion of very finely minced, or grated ham; but of Parmesan, or Gruyère, 6 tablespoonsful. Seasoning of mustard and cayenne. _Obs._—These toasts, for which we give the original receipt unaltered, may be served in the cheese-course of a dinner. Such mere “_relishes_” as they are called, do not seem to us to demand much of our space, or many of them which are very easy of preparation might be inserted here: a good cook, however, will easily supply them at slight expense. Truffles minced, seasoned, and stewed tender in butter with an eschalot or two, may be served on fried toasts or _croûtons_ and will generally be liked. TO CHOOSE MACCARONI AND OTHER ITALIAN PASTES. The Naples maccaroni, of which the pipes are large, and somewhat thin, should be selected for the table in preference to the Genoa, which is less in size, but more substantial, and better suited to the formation of the various fanciful _timbales_[138] for which it is usually chosen. We have inserted here no receipts for these, because unless very skilfully prepared they are sure to fail, and they are not in much request in this country, unless it be at the tables of the aristocracy, for which they are prepared by efficient cooks. Of the ribbon maccaroni (or _lazanges_) we have given particulars in the pages which follow. The _macaroncini_, though not much larger than a straw, requires much boiling for its size, to render it soft. The celery-maccaroni is made very large and of an ornamental form, but in short lengths. It is used by “professed” cooks as a sort of crust or case for _quenelle_-forcemeat, or other expensive preparations of the same nature. The ring or _cut_ maccaroni is another form given to the Italian paste: it may be had at almost any good foreign warehouse. Footnote 138: For an explanation of the term _timbale_, the reader is referred to the glossary at the commencement of this volume. All these pastes should be of a yellowish tint (by no means _white_ as one sees them when they are of inferior quality); they should also be quite fresh, as they contract a most unpleasant flavour from being too long stored. The Naples vermicelli, which is much larger than any other, may be dressed like maccaroni: by many persons it is also preferred to the smaller varieties for serving in soup. TO BOIL MACCARONI. We have always found the continental mode of dressing maccaroni the best. English cooks sometimes soak it in milk and water for an hour or more, before it is boiled, that the pipes may be swollen to the utmost, but this is apt to render it pulpy, though its appearance may be improved by it. Drop it lightly, and by degrees, into a large pan of fast-boiling water, into which a little salt, and a bit of butter the size of a walnut, have previously been thrown, and of which the boiling should not be stopped by the addition of the maccaroni. In about three-quarters of an hour the Naples maccaroni will be sufficiently tender: every kind should always be perfectly cooked, for otherwise it will prove very indigestible, but the pipes of that commonly served should remain entire. Pour it into a large cullender, and drain the water well from it. It should be very softly boiled after the first minute or two. _Time of boiling_:—Naples maccaroni, about 3/4 hour; Genoa, nearly or quite 1 hour; _macaroncini_, 20 to 25 minutes; cut maccaroni, 10 minutes; Naples vermicelli (in water), about 20 minutes; longer in soup, or milk. RIBBON MACCARONI.[139] Footnote 139: The best ribbon-maccaroni which we have ever had, was from Mr. Cobbett’s, 18, Pall Mall. It is rather higher in price than the pipe maccaroni, but swells so much in the boiling that a large quantity of it is not required for a dish. We ought to add that Mr. Cobbett’s is not a professedly cheap house, but that all he supplies is of excellent quality. This kind of maccaroni, though more delicate in flavour and much more quickly boiled than the pipe maccaroni, is far less frequently seen at English tables; yet it is extremely good in many simple forms and very wholesome, therefore well suited to invalids and children as well as to persons in health. Drop it gradually into plenty of boiling water, and turn it over occasionally that it may be equally done. Drain it thoroughly when it is perfectly tender, and serve it quickly either quite plain, to be eaten instead of vegetables or rice; or with a _compote_ of fruit; or with sugar and cinnamon, or lemon juice; or prepared in any of the modes indicated for the Naples maccaroni. To be boiled 15 to 18 minutes. DRESSED MACCARONI. After careful and repeated trial of different modes of dressing various kinds of maccaroni, we find that in preparing them with Parmesan cheese, unmixed with any of a more mellow nature, there is always a chance of failure, from its tendency to gather into lumps; we would therefore recommend the inexperienced reader to substitute for it in part, at least, any finely flavoured English cheese; and the better to ensure its blending smoothly with the other ingredients (when neither white, nor any other thickened sauce is used with it), to dissolve the butter, and to stir to it a small teaspoonful of flour, before any liquid is added, then carefully to mix with it the cream or gravy, as directed for _Sauce Tournée_, Chapter V., and to give this a boil before the maccaroni and cheese are added: if gently tossed as these become hot, the whole will be smooth, and the cheese will adhere properly to the paste. Four ounces of pipe maccaroni is sufficient for a small dish, but from six to eight should be prepared for a family party where it is liked. The common English mode of dressing it is with grated cheese, butter, and cream, or milk. French cooks substitute generally a spoonful or two of very strong rich jellied gravy for the cream; and the Italians, amongst their many other modes of serving it, toss it in rich brown gravy, with sufficient grated cheese to flavour the whole strongly; they send it to table also simply laid into a good _Espagnole_ or brown gravy (that drawn from the _stufato_,[140] for example), accompanied by a plate of grated cheese. Another, and an easy mode of dressing it is to boil and drain it well, and to put it into a deep dish, strewing grated cheese on every layer, and adding bits of fresh butter to it. The top, in this case, should be covered with a layer of fine bread-crumbs, mixed with grated cheese; these should be moistened plentifully with clarified butter, and colour given to them in the oven, or before the fire; the crumbs may be omitted, and a layer of cheese substituted for them. An excellent preparation of maccaroni may be made with any well-flavoured, dry white cheese, which can be grated easily, at much less cost than with the Parmesan, which is expensive, and in the country not always procurable: and we think that the brown gravy and a seasoning of cayenne are great improvements to it. Footnote 140: See Chapter of Foreign Cookery. Maccaroni, 6 oz.; butter, 3 oz.; Parmesan (or other) cheese, 6 oz.; cream, 4 tablespoonsful. _Obs._—Less of butter and cheese can be used by the strict economist. MACCARONI À LA REINE. This is a very excellent and delicate mode of dressing maccaroni. Boil eight ounces in the usual way, and by the time it is sufficiently tender, dissolve gently ten ounces of any rich, well flavoured white cheese in full three-quarters of a pint of good cream; add a little salt, a rather full seasoning of cayenne, from half to a whole saltspoonful of pounded mace, and a couple of ounces of sweet fresh butter. The cheese should, in the first instance, be sliced very thin, and taken quite free of the hard part adjoining the rind; it should be stirred in the cream without intermission until it is entirely dissolved, and the whole is perfectly smooth: the maccaroni, previously well drained, may then be tossed gently in it, or after it is dished, the cheese may be poured equally over the maccaroni. The whole, in either case, may be thickly covered before it is sent to table, with fine crumbs of bread fried of a pale gold colour, and dried perfectly, either before the fire or in an oven, when such an addition is considered an improvement. As a matter of precaution, it is better to boil the cream before the cheese is melted in it; rich white sauce, or _béchamel_, made not very thick, with an additional ounce or two of butter, may be used to vary and enrich this preparation. If Parmesan cheese be used for it, it must of course be grated; but, as we have said before, it will not easily blend with the other ingredients so as to be smooth. A portion of Stilton, free from the blue mould, would have a good effect in the present receipt. Half the quantity may be served. Maccaroni, 1/2 lb.; cheese, 10 oz.; good cream, 3/4 pint (or rich white sauce); butter, 2 oz. (or more); little salt, _fine_ cayenne, and mace. SEMOULINA AND POLENTA À L’ITALIENNE. (GOOD.) (_To serve instead of Maccaroni._) [Illustration: Maize. ] Throw into a quart of milk, when it is fast boiling, half a teaspoonful of salt, and then shake lightly into it five ounces of the _best_ semoulina; stir the milk as this is added, and continue to do so from eight to ten minutes, letting the mixture boil gently during the time. It should be very thick, and great care must be taken to prevent its sticking to the saucepan, which should be placed over a clear fire on a bar or trivet, but not _upon_ the coals. Pour the semoulina, when it is done, into a basin, or a plain mould which it will not fill by an inch or two, and let it remain some hours in a cool place, that it may become perfectly cold; it will then turn out quite solid, and like a pudding in appearance. Cut it with a large, sharp carving-knife, or a bit of thin wire, into half-inch slices; wash the basin into which it was poured at first, and butter it well; grate from six to eight ounces of good cheese (Parmesan, or any other), and mix with it a half-teaspoonful of cayenne, and twice as much pounded mace; clarify from two to three ounces of fresh butter, and put a small quantity into the basin, strew in a little of the cheese, and then lay in the first slice of the semoulina, on this put a thick layer of the cheese, moisten it with some drops of butter, and place the second slice upon it; then more cheese and butter, and continue thus until all the semoulina is replaced in the basin; put plenty of cheese upon the top, add the remainder of the clarified butter, and bake the mixture for about half an hour in a gentle oven. It should be of a fine golden colour when served. Turn it carefully into a dish, and send it instantly to table. A little rich brown gravy poured round might, to some tastes, improve it, but it is excellent without, and may be substituted for maccaroni, which it much resembles in flavour. It may be enriched by adding butter to the milk, or by mixing with it a portion of cream; and it may be browned in a Dutch oven, when no other is in use. In Italy the flour of Indian corn, which is much grown there, and eaten by all ranks of people, is used for this dish; but the semoulina is perhaps rather better suited to English taste and habits of diet, from being somewhat lighter and more delicate. The maize-flour imported from Italy is sold at the foreign warehouses here under the name of _polenta_,[141] though that properly speaking is, we believe, a boiled or stewed preparation of it, which forms the most common food of the poorer classes of the inhabitants of many of the Italian states. It seems to us superior in quality to the Indian corn flour grown in America. Footnote 141: This was vended at a sufficiently high price in this country before the maize meal was so largely imported here from America. New milk (or milk mixed with cream), 1 quart; salt, large 1/2 teaspoonful; semoulina, 5 oz.: 10 minutes. Grated cheese, 6 to 8 oz.; cayenne, 1/2 teaspoonful; mace, 1 small teaspoonful; butter, 2 to 3 oz.: baked 1/2 hour, gentle oven. _Obs._—A plain mould can be used instead of the basin. FOR VARIOUS MODES OF DRESSING EGGS, SEE CHAPTER XXII. ------------------------------------------------------------------------