CHAPTER IV

CROQUETTES, TIMBALES, CASSEROLES, STEWS AND OTHER MEAT DISHES

=Improved with Lea & Perrins' Sauce=

One of the greatest problems in the average household is what to do with meat, fish or vegetables which are of too small a quantity to serve alone and yet too worth-while to be wasted. Deliciously seasoned with =Lea & Perrins' Sauce=, croquettes, cutlets, meat cakes or creamed dishes, served in attractive bread and pastry cases, not only help to keep down the meat bill, but also to keep up the family's enthusiasm for mother's cooking. By forming the well-known cone-shaped croquette into a cylinder-shaped or a crescent-shaped cutlet, and serving it with any one of the delicious Spanish, Creole, Tomato or Mushroom Dressings given in Chapter II, an old recipe is made into a new dinner surprise.

BASIC RECIPE FOR CROQUETTES

_Improved with Lea & Perrins' Sauce_

2 tablespoonfuls of =Lea & Perrins' Sauce=. 4 tablespoonfuls of butter. 8 tablespoonfuls of flour. 1⅓ cupfuls of stock or rice water. ½ teaspoonful of salt. 2 cupfuls of cooked meat. 1 egg. Bread crumbs.

Melt the butter, add the salt, remove from fire and stir in the flour until smooth. Add the stock or rice water slowly, stirring constantly, until all is added and boil for five minutes, or until thick and creamy. Add the cooked meat, ground, the =Lea & Perrins' Sauce=, and cool.

When thoroughly chilled, pat mixture into desired cylinder or cutlet shape and roll in bread crumbs. Beat the egg until well blended, adding to it 1 tablespoonful of melted butter and 3 tablespoonfuls of water. Dip the croquette in this egg mixture, roll in the bread crumbs again, and put into the ice-box for an hour or more to harden before frying.

Fry in deep fat or oil which will brown a cube of bread to a golden brown in 40 seconds. Do not fry croquettes for more than 40 seconds. Drain in frying basket or on brown paper.

If desired, pour 2 tablespoonfuls of oil or melted fat over the unfried croquettes and bake in a very hot oven for from five to eight minutes, dressing occasionally with more oil if necessary.

Serve with Tomato, Cheese, Mushroom or Hollandaise sauce given in