FoodNet

The home science cook book

1902

Page 42

Presented as published in 1902. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
After meat, sauce, and seasoning are thoroughly mixed, the whole is to be spread in shallow pans to cool. These pans or plates should be greased or lightly sprinkled with fine crumbs. A piece of paraf- fin paper placed on top the mixture while it is cool- ing prevents the formation of a skin-like crust. This mixture should be thoroughly chilled ; it may be made one day and fried the next. For the second class of croquettes, including all such as potato, parsnips, beans, chestnuts, etc., the cooked vegetable is mashed, seasoned, and with it is mixed beaten egg, or the yolk only. These croquettes are usually shaped while warm, since they hold to- gether better, and are less liable to crack while frying. 96 Home Science Cook Book. Shaping. The standard shapes for croquettes are the cylinder, the cone, and the cutlet, though as many other forms may be made as the ingenuity of the cook can devise. It is a question whether apples, chickens, etc., are de- sirable forms in which to serve such compounds. The first step is to divide the mixture into the de- sired number of portions, making them uniform in size, a rounded tablespoonful is about the right quantity for each one. The hands may be dampened with water or milk to prevent the mixture sticking, or fine crumbs may be dusted over board and hands as flour is used with dough. If for any reason the mix- ture is too soft to handle, a very little cracker dust may be stirred into it. First roll the spoonful into a round ball, then put on the board with a few crumbs, and gently roll till a cylinder shape is secured, or tip the hand so that one end receives more pressure to get the cone shape. Then lightly lift in the hand and flatten first one end and then the other on the board. For the cutlets or chop shape, flatten the ball and curve and point one end. When all are ready put more crumbs on the board, dip each croquette in beaten egg, drain and roll over in the crumbs. The whole egg or the whites only are used for crumbing. When beaten too little the egg slips off the croquette, leaving part of the surface bare ; if beaten too much, air bubbles break with like effect. With each egg one or two tablespoons of milk or water should be mixed. A palate knife may be used to roll the croquette over in the egg till all parts are coated. The crumbs may be either bread or cracker, but the Croquettes. 97 former are to be preferred as they brown better in the frying and do not have the greasy look common when cracker crumbs are used. If not convenient to fry, after egging and crumbing, roll over in melted butter and bake in the oven under a gas flame. The egg in the mixture is desirable when the croquettes are to be cooked in this way as it helps keep them in shape, for the crust is not quite so firm as when they are fried. A white, brown, or tomato sauce may be made thick and used for croquettes. Gravy left over with meat can be utilized by adding more flour and cooking thor- oughly, or by the use of some cracker dust in mixing the croquettes. Frying.