Ham Croutons

Dip long kite-shaped pieces of bread in melted butter; brown in the oven, then let cool. Arrange these in a circle on a serving dish, the narrow ends meeting in the centre. Pound a cup of lean, cooked ham, chopped fine, half a cup of butter, and four tablespoonfuls of Bechamel sauce to a paste; pass through a purée sieve, then pipe - using a bag with star tube attached - upon the pieces of bread. Garnish the piping with chopped white of egg. Place stoned olives or pimolas and sprig of parsley between the croutons. Use hard-boiled white of egg or, better still, two or three uncooked whites and a tablespoonful of milk or cream to each white, beaten together; turn into a buttered dish and poach gently until firm in water "just off the boil." Serve as a luncheon dish, or as a hors d'oeuvre.