Oyster Croquettes

Put fifty large oysters in their juice over the fire, simmer them about five minutes, or until they are firm and show their leaves, drain them from their juice, and set them aside until cold; then chop them quite fine (after having dried them on a clean towel), season them with pepper and salt, a little grated nutmeg (about half a small saltspoonful), add a piece of onion half the size of a nutmeg, chopped very fine, a tablespoonful of chopped parsley, and four hard-boiled eggs chopped very fine; mix all well together; melt in a sauce-pan five ounces of butter, stir in it flour until it is a thick paste, add to it half a teacup of the oyster-juice after it has been strained, and half the quantity of rich cream; stir over the fire until as thick as mush, then add the oysters, stir a minute over the fire, and pour out on a dish to cool. When entirely cold, take a tablespoonful to each croquette, mould them in cracker dust seasoned with pepper and salt, and lay them carefully from the spoon into boiling lard to float and cover them; be sure the lard is boiling when you put them in. When the under side is brown, roll them over carefully.

When done, take them out with a perforated skimmer, and drain them on a sieve or napkin for a moment; put but a few at a time in the pan, and keep them hot in the oven until all are done; then serve quickly. To fifty oysters you may add two sweetbreads parboiled and chopped fine.

Croquettes Of Cold Veal

To two cups of cold veal minced very fine, add a cup of hot boiled rice, mix together with a fork; beat the yolks only of two eggs, stir in two tablespoqns of soft (not melted) butter to a smooth paste; then add a teaspoonful of salt, a tablespoonful of Worcestershire sauce, and the whites of the eggs beaten to a stiff froth. When all are well incorporated, stir in the meat and rice, work all well together and mould into croquettes; beat two eggs and pour them over the croquettes; let them lie in it a few minutes, turning them over several times; then roll them in cracker dust seasoned with pepper and salt, and boil them in sweet lard until a nice brown. These croquettes are improved by adding a teaspoonful of chopped parsley, a piece of onion the size of a pea chopped fine, and half a small saltspoon of grated nutmeg.

Potato Croquettes

Roast eight fine large potatoes, scrape out the inside, press them closely in a pan or large bowl, cover them, and let them stand an hour or two; when perfectly cold, add to them six ounces of butter, mash them together with a potato-masher until thoroughly incorporated; then add salt and pepper to your taste, a small onion (or a piece the size of a nutmeg) chopped very fine, a tablespoonful of chopped parsley, and half a saltspoon of nutmeg; stir all well together; beat the yolks of six eggs, leaving in the white of two, and stir them in the potato; shape them in a wine-glass or croquette mould, roll them twice in cracker dust, and brown them in boiling lard; put sufficient lard to float, and cover them in a pan over the fire, and have it boiling hot when you put the croquettes in.

Veal Croquettes

Boil a calf's head until you can remove the bones, which will be in a little over two hours; tie up the brains in a clean cloth, and boil them with the head for half an hour; when the head is done, remove all the meat from the bones, and chop it as fine as possible; grate a pint of bread crumbs, stir them through the meat; season with salt, black and cayenne pepper, a tablespoon heaping full of chopped parsley, a piece of onion the size of a nutmeg chopped very fine, and a saltspoonful of grated nutmeg; stir all well together; mash the brains and add to the meat; then add three beaten eggs, and moisten with some of the broth the head was boiled in, until of a consistence to mould into croquettes; form them in a wine-glass, roll in cracker dust, and boil in lard until a nice brown.