DRESDEN PATTIES, OR CROUSTADES.
(Very delicate.)
Pare the crust neatly from one or two French rolls, slice off the ends, and divide the remainder into as many patties as the size of the rolls will allow; hollow them in the centre, dip them into milk or thin cream, and lay them on a drainer over a dish; pour a spoonful or two more of milk over them at intervals, but not sufficient to cause them to break; brush them with egg, rasp the crust of the rolls over them, fry and drain them well, fill them with a good mince, or with stewed mushrooms or oysters, and serve them very hot upon a napkin; they may be filled for the second course with warm apricot marmalade, cherry-jam, or other good preserve. This receipt came to us direct from Dresden, and on testing it we found it answer excellently, and inserted it in an earlier edition of the present work. We name this simply because it has been appropriated, with many other of our receipts, by a contemporary writer without a word of acknowledgment.
TO PREPARE BEEF MARROW FOR FRYING CROUSTADES, SAVOURY TOASTS, &C.
At a season when butter of pure flavour is often procured with difficulty, beef-marrow, carefully clarified, is a valuable substitute for it; and, as it is abundantly contained in the joints which are in constant request for soup-making, it is of slight comparative cost in a well managed kitchen. It is often thrown into the stock-pot by careless or indolent cooks, instead of being rendered available for the many purposes to which it is admirably adapted. Take it from the bones as fresh as possible, put it into a white jar, and melt it with a very gentle degree of heat at the mouth of the oven, or by the side of the stove, taking all precaution to prevent its being smoked or discoloured; strain it off, through a very fine sieve or muslin, into a clean pan or pans, and set it aside for use. It will be entirely flavourless if prepared with due care and attention; but, if dissolved with too great a degree of heat, it will acquire the taste almost of dripping. A small quantity of fine salt may be sprinkled into the pan with it when it is used for frying.