The dishes in this chapter are largely made up of salpicon mixtures of cooked ingredients, enclosed when cold in egg and crumbs, batter or paste, and fried, sauted, baked or cooked au gratin. That is, they are largely mixtures cooked a third time, regarding the reheating in the sauce as a cooking process. In all cases where the ingredients have been previously cooked, the last cooking is simply to reheat while "setting" a crust upon the exterior of the article. The foundation of many of the dishes in this chapter is simply a salpicon mixture like the ones given in the previous chapter, except that the sauce which holds the bits of meat, fish, etc., together is much thicker. This point is essential for the reason that these articles are to be shaped by hand, and will have but a superficial coating to hold them in shape. The meat, fish, etc., to be used in croquettes and cutlets may be chopped, but the choicest products are those in which the articles are cut in tangible pieces of some size, each of which, in the finished product, is surrounded by a creamy sauce. Such croquettes are entirely different from those made of fine-chopped meat, stirred through a little sauce. The latter, however, are easier, perhaps, to handle. For a high flavored croquette, cook a slice of onion, two slices of carrot, two fresh mushrooms shredded, and a sprig of parsley in the butter to be used in making the foundation sauce; add the liquid, - well flavored stock, after the flour has been cooked in the butter, and stir until boiling; then strain over the beaten egg. Do not allow the sauce to boil after the addition of the egg, but in every case stir and cook until the egg is "set," or the mixture will stick to the fingers while shaping it. Veal or chicken broth, which jellies upon cooling, may be used, in whole or part, as the liquid in any croquette mixture. By this means, the mixture when chilled is firm, and the croquettes when fried are particularly moist and creamy. It should be needless to add that all bone, gristle or unedible portions should be removed from articles to be mixed with a sauce.

Shaping Croquettes

When salpicon mixtures are thoroughly chilled, they may be shaped in any desired form with ease. A slightly rounding tablespoonful of the mixture is usually taken for each separate shape. First of all, roll the mixture in the hands into balls, and shape each ball as rolled, on a bed of sifted bread crumbs, into the form desired. When a cork shape is the choice, roll the ball under the hand to lengthen it, at the same time using more pressure at one end; take up carefully in the hand and pat, first one end and then the other, in the crumbs, and the croquette is shaped.

Observations By An Experienced Croquette Maker

Long practice in croquette making for a large family who are fond of croquettes, has led me to economize the time spent in their manufacture in every possible way. There are many rules for them in the cook books but one does not always have enough time at one's disposal to follow the conventional directions. I have learned, by long practice, one or two points in which time is gained. Carry on the whole manufacture in fours, and many-motions of your hands are saved. Put the crumbs in a small, deep pie plate, the beaten egg in another; with a fork toss four shapes of croquette mixture in the crumbs; roll them about, with almost one motion of the hand; remove to the egg, which can be thrown over them all almost at once, and then the four are back in the crumbs again, the final rolling and shaping being with the fingers.

I would also suggest, that when eggs are dear, the "one tablespoonful of water to each egg," allowed in the cook books, can be almost indefinitely extended, with no difference in the process of frying, or the appearance of the croquette except the delicacy of the crust. Nearly as much water as egg can be used. Practice will enable one to add the amount of water to the egg, to correspond with the amount of croquette mixture, so that none of the egg and water is wasted. No matter how thin the crust is, the thinner the better, if it will hold its contents.

Dry the croquettes on several folds of soft paper laid on a tin at the mouth of the oven. Serve on a hot napkin or a dish paper, or on individual plates. A spoonful of green peas is often served at the side of a croquette on an individual plate. But, as the crust should remain crisp and the peas in contact will soften it, it were better to serve the accompaniment in a dish apart. Asparagus tips, string beans, vegetable purees, tomato and Perigueux sauce are all appropriate with croquettes.