Entrees are served between courses, and for regular course.

Croquettes

Croquettes are made of nearly all kinds of meat, fish, vegetables, cheese, eggs and nuts. When shaped flat like a chop they are called cutlets. To prepare them the materials should be cooked tender, well seasoned and finely chopped (a meat chopper is best to use for meat croquettes), mixed together with a creamy sauce, moulded, rolled in bread or cracker crumbs, dipped in slightly beaten egg, rolled in crumbs again (this prevents the fat from getting inside), and fried a rich brown in clear smoking hot fat. They are usually surrounded with a sauce or peas. If not, should be garnished with celery tips, parsley, watercress or small leaves of lettuce.

Chicken Croquettes

An old chicken can be used. They are cheaper than young ones, and the flavor is better. Clean the chicken well, and plunge in a kettle of boiling salted water. Place the kettle on the stove where it will have a slow cooking. Add to it one good-sized onion cut in slices, eight peppercorns, two or three roots of celery, or a few of the outside stalks (celery seed may be used in place of celery). A small amount of thyme and bay leaf can be used if desired. Let cook until tender. Remove from the liquid and when old chop fine and mix with a cream sauce. The liquid should be strained and when cold remove the fat and use for the sauces. Veal or lamb can be cooked in this way for croquettes.

Sauce For Croquette Mixture. All Croquettes Are Mixed With A Sauce

1 cup milk, cream or stock.

2 tablespoonfuls butter.

3 tablespoonfuls flour.

1/2 teaspoonful salt. 1/8 teaspoonful pepper.

A dash of nutmeg can be used. When stock is used, take one-half cup of milk or cream. Scald the cream, milk or stock in a double boiler, melt the butter in a sauce pan, stir into it the flour and seasonings. When smooth, add it to the scalded milk. Cook ten minutes, stirring frequently. Add it to the chopped mixture, and when cool mould in shape, and dip first in crumbs, then in egg, then in crumbs again. When meat is used, allow about one-half as much sauce as meat. It is well to add the sauce to the meat gradually, so as not to get the mixture too thin. It should be as thin as possible to mould. The beauty of a croquette is to have it creamy inside.

How To Prepare The Egg And Crumbs For Croquettes

Beat the egg slightly until it is thoroughly mixed. Add to it two tablespoonfuls of cold water or milk. Put the bread or crackers through a meat grinder, or roll them. Always sift them. Bread should be thoroughly dry before rolling.

How To Mould Croquettes

Take a tablespoonful of the mixture, roll lightly between the hands in a ball, roll the ball lightly in bread crumbs and mould with the hands in any shape you like. Dip in the egg, and see that all parts are covered (this prevents the fat from getting inside), lift out on the blade of a knife and again roll in the crumbs. Set aside if possible fuly one hour before frying. Croquettes can be made up the day before frying if kept in a cool place and covered.