The profession of cookery, from a French point of view

It is important to strive as far as possible to 1G7 make entrees tlie means of utilising any remains whicli may be left. A nice variety can be made in tliis way only. Another important point to observe is the appearance of the entree. This class of dishes may be regarded as one of the higher branches of the profession^ and had better not be attempted by the apprentice. One very common mistake made by inexperienced cooks in serving entrees is putting too much on one dish. '^Little and good'* is an excellent maxim to follow. It is very desirable to have certain things at hand in readiness when making entrees^ or indeed any other class of savoury dishes ; viz., aromatic spices^ dried herbs, and a little stock of sauces and seasonings. Once these are set up in the kitchen it is easy to keep them renewed, and they prove invaluable on many occasions, well repaying what little trouble their preparation entails. An excellent aromatic ]3reparation is made as follows: — take equal quantities, say half an ounce, of mace, nutmeg, cloves, marjoram, thyme, basil, and bay leaves, a whole ounce of peppercorns. Have all these thoroughly dried, and pounded, and sifted, and put in a glass- stoppered bottle for use. This will keep good for years. The preparation of herbs has been described in a previous chapter. It is not so much a question of expense in the preparation of entrees as of management. A good cook will never be embarrassed by having too much cold meat on hand while she has entrees to provide for. By a little skill she will be able to turn out the most charming dishes ; even a small piece of the loin of mutton may be served half a dozen different ways. One of the most commonly known of entree dishes is perhaps ^^ croquettes ^^ or '' kromeskies/' and yet how rarely are they nicely made and served. The secret^ or rather the principle, to be observed in making these is the same as in boiling or roasting meat ; viz., to form a crust on the outside to retain the moisture and juices within. It is generally admitted that these are far nicer when the inside is moist and juicy, instead of hard. A good way to ensure their being so is to moisten the mince with gravy made from bones, whicb will jelly when it is cold. The mince may then be made quite thin, and allowed to get quite cold before being shaped into little balls or cutlets, and then twice coated with egg and bread-crumbs^and dropped into boiling fat. The croquettes are thns surrounded with a crust, and it' carefully lifted out the moment they are sufficiently cooked, the inside gravy will be preserved. It may almost bo taken as a criterion of the skill of the cook when as soon as the fork of the eater is inserted into the ball the inside gushes out, as it certainly requires some practice to attain to tin's. Almost any kind of cold meat may be made into entrees, but cold remains of poultry, or calf's head, or game may be made to look very appetising if cut small, nicely shaped, and then each piece slightly floured and dipped into good batter, when they should be fried a beautiful golden colour. They will look like fritters, and should be lightly piled on a silver dish if possible, and garnished with parsley.