EGG AND FORCEMEAT CROUSTADES
Four ounces of breadcrumbs (from a milk loaf), 2¹⁄₂ ozs. butter, 4 raw eggs, 3 tablespoonfuls cream, 1 dessertspoonful chopped parsley, a pinch of mixed herbs, 1 teaspoonful grated onion, seasoning.
Method.—Put the breadcrumbs into a basin, add the parsley, herbs, onion, and season with celery salt, freshly-ground black pepper, and a little powdered mace, then stir in the cream, which should be hot, and one and a half ounces of butter, which should be melted; mix thoroughly and add about half a beaten egg. Turn the mixture on to a floured board, divide it into equal portions, and form into little flat cakes, which should be moderately thick. Make a hollow in the middle of each, then dip them into beaten egg and cover thickly with fine breadcrumbs and fry in deep, boiling fat. Beat three eggs until they are quite frothy with a patent beater, season them with celery salt, pepper, and a dust of curry powder, and pour into a saucepan containing one ounce of butter, stir quickly until the eggs begin to set, then remove the pan from the stove and pile the mixture neatly on the croustades and garnish the dish with fried tomatoes and potato straws (potatoes cut into fine strips and fried until crisp) arranged in little heaps.
EGG FRITTERS
Three hard-boiled eggs, 1 oz. butter, 1 dessertspoonful ground pine kernels, ¹⁄₂ minced shallot (which has been scalded and fried until just coloured), 1 teaspoonful minced parsley, 1 teaspoonful tomato conserve, seasoning, frying batter.
Method.—Pass the eggs through a sieve and pound them in a mortar with the other ingredients (excepting the batter) seasoning them with a teaspoonful of grated Parmesan cheese, celery salt, black and Nepaul pepper. Turn the mixture on to a floured board, take a small portion at a time and form it into a moderately thick little cake of about the size of half a crown; when a sufficient number have been made dip them separately into a thick batter and fry in deep, boiling fat until each fritter is a golden brown; drain them and serve them piled upon a hot dish garnished with little bunches of fried parsley and send to the table accompanied by cauliflower au gratin prepared as follows: Put a fairly large, compact cauliflower into a saucepan containing plenty of cold, salted water; bring it gradually to boiling point, and when it has boiled, rapidly pour off the water and rinse the cauliflower in cold water, then put it again into the saucepan, which this time should contain sufficient boiling milk and water to cover it and let it cook gently until it is done. Drain the cauliflower on a soft cloth, and put it on to a buttered fireproof china dish; thicken the milk in which it was cooked with flour, add a liberal amount of butter, a tablespoonful of cream (if practicable), and season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Pour the sauce over the cauliflower, then cover it thickly with breadcrumbs and grated Parmesan or Gruyère cheese (mixed in equal quantities) and bake in a quick oven until evenly browned.
EGG PATTIES
One ounce butter, 1 shallot, 2 large mushrooms, 1 teaspoonful minced parsley, 2 hard-boiled eggs, 1 raw egg, a small quantity thick white sauce, seasoning, 8 ozs. short paste.
Method.—Fry the shallot (minced) and the mushrooms (also minced) in the butter, seasoning them with salt, pepper, and nutmeg; then remove the pan from the stove and add the parsley and the hard-boiled eggs, coarsely chopped, and moisten the mixture with a small quantity of thick white sauce which has been nicely flavoured with vegetables. Roll out the short paste to rather less than a quarter of an inch in thickness, and with a round cutter of suitable size stamp out six pieces, then with a cutter a size larger stamp out an equal number of rounds; place a portion of the prepared mince in the middle of the smaller rounds; moisten the edges with beaten egg and cover in the mince with the larger pieces of paste, making the edges meet neatly and pressing them together. Select a cutter about two sizes smaller than that first used, invert it, and press it gently on the top of the patties, which will bring the middle up into the shape of a little dome; brush them over with egg and bake in a quick oven.