BATTER BALLS
Two ounces of butter, 1¹⁄₂ gills water, ¹⁄₂ lb. dry, sifted flour, 2 eggs, 2 yolks, seasoning, grated Parmesan, sea-kale, celery, or cauliflower, white sauce.
Two ounces of butter, 1¹⁄₂ gills water, ¹⁄₂ lb. dry, sifted flour, 2 eggs, 2 yolks, seasoning, grated Parmesan, sea-kale, celery, or cauliflower, white sauce.
Method.—Put the water into a stewpan with the butter; as soon as it boils draw the pan to the side of the stove and add the flour, by degrees, stirring quickly all the time with a wooden spoon, and when it is all worked in, a perfectly smooth paste should result. Continue the stirring for a few minutes until the paste is sufficiently dry to leave the sides of the pan, then remove it from the stove and let it cool a little, but it must not get cold; add the eggs, beating one into the paste before putting in the second, then add two more yolks in the same way and season well with salt, pepper, and nutmeg. The paste should now be sufficiently stiff to roll into little balls on a floured board, allowing a heaped teaspoonful for each. When it has all been used, drop a few at a time into a pan of deep fat, which is just under boiling point, taking care to remove them directly they are a golden colour; the temperature must be slightly reduced each time before more little balls are put in, but the pan may be moved to a hotter part of the stove after theyhave been in a minute or two. Drain the little balls on paper, sprinkle some grated Parmesan over them and serve them with braised sea-kale, or it may be plainly boiled and masked with white sauce; celery or cauliflower would be equally suitable if sea-kale is not available.