Croutes Creuses.
Another way of presenting hors d'œuvres sur les plats, if
I may borrow the term, is in little hollow croustades (croûtes
creuses) of fried bread, or in small saucers made of light pastry.
The former should be made as if for marrow in celeri à la
moëlle:—Cut out of stale bread, half an inch thick, squares of
two inches; in the centre of each stamp with a pastry cutter a
circle one and a half inch in diameter, pressing it down quite a
quarter of an inch deep. Fry these in butter till of a pale
golden colour, drain, dry carefully, and when cold pick out
with the point of a small, sharp knife the hollow you marked
with the cutter. Having done this, arrange your hors d'œuvre
therein.
For pastry saucers use oval patty pans two and a half inches
long, butter them, line them with pastry thinly rolled, preserve
the hollow with a piece of bread, bake, remove the bread when
cold, and fill as in the previous case.