Cassell's dictionary of cookery

Cressy Soup. — Wash clean, prepare, and slice eight carrots, eight turnips, eight small onions stuck with one or two cloves, half a drachm of celery-seed, bruised and tied in a muslin bag, and a slice of lean ham cut into small pieces. Put these into a stewpan with a piece of butter the size of a large egg, move them constantly, and when they are nicely browned, add, a little at a time, three quarts of good stock (see Stock). If it is necessary to use fresh meat, two pounds of the shin of beef boiled gently in four quarts of water for three hours will answer the purpose. Simmer until the vegetables are quite tender. Press them through a coarse sieve with the back of a spoon, return them to the saucepan, season with pepper and salt, and boil twenty minutes longer. The soup should be of the consistency of very thick cream. A little boiled rice may be put into the tureen, and the soup poured on it. Time, two hours, if the stock or gravy be already prepared. Sufficient for eight or ten persons. Probable cost. Is. 6d., exclusive of the stock or gravy. Crisp Biscuits.— A very stiff dough is required for these biscuits. To one pound and a half of flour add the yolks of two small eggs, and as much milk as will bring it to the required consistency. Beat and knead the paste till it is quite smooth, and, when rolled out tliin, make it into small biscuits with a tin cutter, and bake these in a slow oven about fifteen minutes. Probable cost, about 6d. Crisped Parsley. — Wash some young parsley; pick away the decayed or brown leaves, and shake it in a cloth till it is quite dry. Spread it on a sheet of paper, and put it in a Dutcli oven before a clear fire ; turn it very often until it is quite crisp. Time, about a quarter of an hour. Sufficient, a little to garnish a dish. Croquant Paste. — Mix two ounces of finely-sifted loaf sugar with a quarter of a pound of fine flour. Add the well-beaten yolks of eggs till it forms a stiff paste. Roll it out about the eighth of an inch in thickness, and, with an ordinary pastry cutter, cut it out into pretty little shapes. Let those dry a short time, then brush them over with the white of an egg, sift a little sugar over them, place them on a tin, and bake them for a few minutes in a moderate oven. Take them from the tin before they are cold, and place them on the tartlets, &c., for which they arc intended. Sufficient, two or tlu'ce for a small dish of pastry. Probable cost, 4d. for this quantity. Croquettes. — These useful little dishes are made of minced meat, poultry, fish, <kc., highly seasoned, mixed with a little sauce, dipped in egg and bread-crumbs, fried until crisp, and served with any sauce. They differ from rissoles only in this, that the latter are covered with good puff paste before fiying, and croquettes are rolled in egg and bread-crumbs. They should be well drained from the fat before serving, then piled high on a hot napkin, and the sauce sent to table in a' tui-een. Though, they are often made of fresh meat, they are chiefly useful for cold. It will be evident that nearly everything deijends ujDon the seasoning.