Croustades (Three Methods)

Ingredients

• Butter
• Fine pastry dough (pâte à foncer)
• White paper
• Lentils or split peas
• 100 grams Semolina or rice
• White consommé (consommé blanc)
• 6 Egg yolks
• 50 grams Grated cheese
• 3 centimeters Thickness of laid mixture
• 5.5 centimeters Cutter diameter
• 0.25 centimeters Wall thickness
• Breadcrumb coating (panure à l'anglaise)
• Oil or fat for frying
• Pommes duchesse (duchess potato) mixture

Instructions

1. Croustades are small fried pastry cases made three different ways depending on their intended use.
2. METHOD 1 — Blanc (White) Croustades: Line buttered molds (round, oval, or other shapes) with fine pastry dough (pâte à foncer). Prick the bottom, cover with white paper, and fill the interior with lentils or split peas (to act as weights). Bake in a moderate oven. Remove the lentils and weights, then hold the croustades at the oven entrance for a few minutes to dry the interior completely.
3. METHOD 2 — Semolina or Rice Croustades: Cook semolina or rice in white consommé (consommé blanc); rice especially should be very well cooked. Bind the cooked grain with 6 egg yolks and 50 grams of grated cheese per 100 grams raw grain. Spread the mixture on a buttered sheet in a layer 3 centimeters thick. After cooling, cut into shapes using a 5.5-centimeter round cutter dipped in hot water to ease cutting. Bread the pieces twice à l'anglaise (coating with breadcrumbs), taking care to leave a lid on top. Deep fry until golden, then hollow out the interior, leaving walls 0.25 centimeters thick.
4. METHOD 3 — Duchess Potato Croustades: Fill buttered dariole molds with pommes duchesse (duchess potato) mixture, pressing it in firmly. Dip the molds in hot water and unmold. Bread these small potato cylinders twice à l'anglaise. Deep fry until golden, then hollow out the interior, leaving walls 0.25 centimeters thick.