(882). Pullet Croquettes, Wright Sanford (Croquettes De Poularde A La "Wright Sanford)

Mince two ounces of peeled truffles, cut them into small three-sixteenths of an inch squares, suppress the skin from several fat pullets and all the hard parts so as to obtain one pound of meat, and cut it up the same as the truffles. Put the bones and parings from the pullets into a saucepan with the peelings from the truffles, three gills of veal blond stock (No. 423), and a garnished bunch of parsley; cover and set it on a brisk fire to reduce the liquid to half, then strain through a tammy (Fig. 88).

Pour into a flat saucepan, one pint of bechamel (No. 409), mix into it a few pieces of raw ham, reduce the sauce while stirring it well from the bottom of the saucepan with a reducing spatula (Fig. 601), and incorporate into it gradually the above stock; continue to reduce until the sauce becomes thick and succulent, then take out the ham, and replace it by the truffles, and afterward the pullet; season with salt if deemed necessary, and a little nutmeg. Spread this preparation on a baking sheet covered with a piece of paper, having it an inch in thickness, and when it is cold and stiff, overturn it on the table previously dredged with bread-crumbs; remove the paper, and cut the preparation into oblongs, three inches long by one inch wide; dip these in beaten eggs, roll them in fresh bread-crumbs, and throw them into hot fat; as soon as they are nicely colored, take them out and drain. Dress them pyramidic-ally on folded napkins, and garnish around with fried parsley.

(883). Fish Croquettes (Croquettes De Poisson)

The Fish Croquettes may be prepared with either salmon, trout, sole, bass, kingfish sheeps-head, or red snapper. Simply cut up the meat into small three-sixteenths of an inch squares; lay them in a vessel and mix in a third of their quantity of cooked mushrooms, and half as many truffles as there are mushrooms, all cut into the same sized pieces. Put ou the fire to boil a few gills of good, consistent bechamel (No. 409); mix into it slowly the mushroom liquor and a few spoonfuls of good melted glaze (No. 402), and when the sauce has become succulent, add the salpicon in the saucepan; heat it without boiling, and spread it over a tin sheet to become hard, leaving it for a few hours in a cool place or on the ice. Divide the preparation into balls, an inch and a half in diameter, lay them on a table bestrewn with white bread-crumbs, and roll them either in the shape of corks or balls; dip them in beaten eggs and roll them in the bread-crumbs; smooth well the surfaces with the blade of a knife, then range them on a tin sheet; put them in hot frying fat; cook only a few at a time and let them get a nice color.

After the croquettes are finished and well drained from the fat, range them in pyramid-form over a folded napkin, and garnish around with fried parsley.

(884). Frog or Oyster Croquettes (Croquettes De Grenouilles Ou D'Huitres)

Saute some frogs' legs with butter in a pan over a brisk fire; season, take off all the meat from the bones to obtain one pound; cut in small squares, have half a pound of cooked and well-dried mushrooms, cut them into quarter inch squares, and mix them with a quart of well seasoned and reduced bechamel and cream sauce (No. 411); incorporate two ounces of butter, and toss the salpicon in the sautoire. Let the preparation get thoroughly cold, and then form it into balls an inch and a half in diameter: flatten them down to half an inch in thickness, dip them in eggs and bread-crumbs, and fry them a fine golden color, then drain and serve on folded napkins with fried parsley.

Oyster Croquettes

instead of frogs blanched oysters may be substituted after removing the hard parts, and dividing them into squares; saute them, drain off the butter and finish the same as the frogs.