Paté of Sweetbreads.
Make a good puff paste, basting two or three times with butter, and set in a cold place for at least half an hour. The best paté covers I have ever made were from paste kept over night in a cool dry safe, before it was rolled into a sheet for cutting. When the paste is crisp and firm, roll quickly, and cut into rounds about a quarter of an inch thick. Reserving one of these whole for the bottom crust of each paté, lay it in a floured baking-pan, cut the centre from two or three others, as you desire your paté to be shallow or deep, and lay these carefully, one after another, upon the whole one, leaving a neat round well, a little over an inch in diameter, in the middle. Bake in a quick oven, and when lightly browned, glaze by brushing each over with white of egg and returning to the oven for a minute. Make ready as many sweetbreads as you need (two of fair size will make a good dish), previously prepared by boiling fifteen minutes in hot water, then made firm by plunging into very cold. Cut them into slices, season with pepper and salt, put into a covered saucepan with a great spoonful of butter and a very little water, and simmer gently until tender all through. Cut these in turn into very small squares, and mix with less than a cupful of white sauce. Return to the saucepan and heat almost to boiling, stirring carefully all the time. Fill the patés, arrange upon a hot dish, and send up at once.
White Sauce for the above.
1 small cupful of milk, heated to boiling in a custard-kettle, or tin pail set in hot water.
1 heaping teaspoonful corn-starch, wet with cold milk.
Salt and pepper to taste.
1 table-spoonful butter.
A little chopped parsley.
Stir the corn-starch into the boiling milk until it thickens well, then the butter and seasoning.
This mixture is useful in all similar preparations, but should be a little thicker for oysters than for meats.