More left overs

The National Mark Calendar of Cooking, published in the 1930’s, was written to promote and publicise national produce, fruit vegetables, meat, poultry and fish, which is very in tune with modern trends of cooking and eating; it was also aimed at encouraging people to be economical and creative, not to waste and to use up any left-overs to make tasty dishes.

Here is what is suggested for a very small amount of left-over chicken:

Chicken croquettes

• chicken
• mushrooms, finely chopped
• onion, finely chopped
• white sauce (butter, plain flour, milk or chicken stock, salt and pepper)
• egg, beaten
• butter
• breadcrumbs (or crushed vermicelli)
• parsley
• salt and pepper
• nutmeg

1. fry the chicken, onion and mushrooms lightly in the butter
2. make a white sauce and add the chicken/onion/mushroom mixture, drained of excess butter, making sure it is thick,
3. add the parsley, salt, pepper and nutmeg and spread on a plate and leave to get cold
4. when cold, cut in pieces and shape with floured hands into cork shapes
5. roll in the beaten egg then coat with breadcrumbs and fry in deep fat
6. as an alternative, wrap the mixture in thin pastry, coat in egg and breadcrumbs and fry in deep fat