colour in plenty of butter, add 1 tablespoonful curry powder and
a sprinkling of flour, moisten with a cupful of stock, and simmer
gently for 10 minutes, then add 6 hard-boiled eggs cut in slices,
simmer for a few minutes longer, and serve.
(_h_) Mix very smoothly some curry powder with nicely flavoured rich
gravy, halve some hard-boiled eggs, take out the yolks, and beat
them in a little of the gravy and curry powder; replace them into
the whites, of which the under part must be cut a little to make
them stand nicely in the dish. Simmer them in the rest of the gravy,
thicken it with a little butter and flour, garnish with fried onions,
and serve with boiled rice in a separate dish.
_Devilled._--Boil a number of eggs very hard; when cold, remove the
shells, and cut each egg in half. Take out the yolks and pound them
in a mortar with a few boned anchovies, pepper, salt, and a pinch of
dry mustard, moistening with a little butter. Fill the empty whites
cut in halves with this mixture, and arrange in a dish garnished with
parsley. This is a great favourite at Cinderella suppers.
_En Matelote._--Put a good piece of butter or lard into a saucepan,
cook in it several--about 1 doz.--small onions whole; let them
only slightly colour, add a little white wine and stock in equal
quantities, pepper and salt to taste, also a sprinkling of nutmeg
and a small bunch of sweet herbs. Let all simmer gently for about 15
minutes, then reduce, strain off the herbs and the onions, reserving
the latter; break as many eggs as you may require, very carefully
so as not to break the yolks, into the sauce, and poach them one
after the other. When sufficiently cooked, serve them on a hot dish
with the onions (whole) round them, thicken the sauce to a proper
consistency, pour over the eggs and serve at once with little fried
sippets round.
_Fried._--Parboil some well-washed rice in plain water, then simmer
till quite done in some good gravy, with a very little curry powder.
Serve with some fried eggs on the top.
_Forced._--(_a_) Boil 4 or 5 eggs 10-15 minutes; when done put
into cold water. When cold take off the shells, and cut in half
lengthways, take out the yolks, and put in a mortar with 1
teaspoonful chopped parsley, 1 teaspoonful lemon thyme, and ¼
teaspoonful green onion, all finely minced; 1 teaspoonful essence of
anchovies, 1 grate of nutmeg, a little salt, a few grains of cayenne,
and 1 oz. butter. Pound these ingredients well together; when quite
smooth use this mixture to fill the whites of the eggs. Oil a border
mould or shallow mould with funnel, put a little melted aspic in the
bottom, let it set, and then put some of the half eggs on the aspic;
then pour over them very gently some more of the aspic, let this set,
and put on more of the eggs and more aspic; by this time the mould
should be full; set on the ice or in a cool place to get firm till
wanted, turn out in the usual way, and fill up the centre or form a
border of small salad around, add a little oil and vinegar over, and
serve.
(_b_) 10-12 eggs, 1 oz. truffles, ½ pint mushrooms, 1 blade of mace,
a grate of nutmeg, 1 dessertspoonful parsley, a small slice of onion,
4 oz. butter, ¼ pint cream, a little good white stock, a small bunch
of sweet herbs, 1 wineglass white wine, the juice of 1 lemon, or a
little of the peel, a few slices of ham or tongue, pepper and salt.
For the croustade have a stale quartern tin loaf rather close, pare
off the crust, and with a sharp knife carve the crumb into the shape
of a fluted cup or vase, make an incision all round the top about 1
in. from the outer edge, and after it is fried scoop out the middle
carefully. The croustade should be fried in plenty of boiling lard in
a large stewpan or frying kettle, and should be of a golden brown.
When done drain it on a sieve or on a piece of white paper, and keep
warm till wanted. Boil the eggs about 10 minutes, then put them into
cold water. When cold shell carefully. Cut the eggs in half, take
out the yolks, and put the whites aside till wanted. Mince very
fine the parsley, truffles, mushrooms, onion, and a little of the
ham separately, and then all together. Pound the mace, and put to
it a grate of nutmeg. Chop the eggs a little, add them to the other
ingredients in a stewpan, with 2 oz. butter, and a little pepper
and salt. Stir over the fire a few minutes, then add the yolks of
2 uncooked eggs to bind the mixture. When it thickens, and seems
cooked, turn it out on a plate. Fill the whites of the eggs with this
mixture, and put the halves together to look like whole eggs. When
they are all filled put them in a basin, and stand the basin in a
little hot water to keep the eggs hot while you make the sauce. For
this stir the remainder of the butter and a tablespoonful of flour
over the fire. When the butter is dissolved stir into it a little
white stock in which has been boiled a small bunch of sweet herbs,
a small onion, a little thin lemon rind, and the cream. When it
boils add to it the wine, lemon juice, a pinch of sugar, and pepper
and salt to taste. Pile the eggs high in the croustade, and serve
croustade with pieces of ham previously warmed, and the chopped
truffles between the eggs; pour the sauce round the base and serve.
_In Cases._--Oil some small paper cases as for ramakins, put into
each a piece of butter the size of a hazel nut, with a small pinch
of minced parsley, some pepper, salt, and the least bit of cayenne.
Break an egg into each case, add a teaspoonful of grated Parmesan
and a sprinkling of baked breadcrumbs. Put the cases in the oven for
about 5 minutes, and serve. They may also be so prepared a number at
a time in a silver dish, and served in it.
_Nogg._--Beat up the yolks of 4 eggs with 4 dessertspoonfuls
powdered sugar; add ½ tumblerful brandy gradually, a teaspoonful at
a time, and beating continually; add a pint of rich cream gradually,
and still beating: beat up the whites of two eggs separately and
thoroughly, and put this on top of the mixture. (S. H. R.)
_Omelets._ Apricot.--Beat up the whites of 4 and the yolks of 6 eggs
with a very small pinch of salt. Put a piece of fresh butter in the
omelet pan, and directly it is melted pour in the eggs. As soon
as they are set, fold up the omelet, inserting within the fold as
much apricot jam as will lie in it. Turn out the omelet neatly on
its dish, cover it with powdered sugar, and glaze it with a red-hot
salamander.
Brussels Sprouts.--Boil 25 young Brussels sprouts until they are
tender, divide each sprout into 4 or more portions according to size,
dry on a cloth, beat up 6 eggs, yolks and whites; mix the sprouts
with them, adding pepper and salt to taste. Melt 1 oz. fresh butter
in the pan, when hot, put in the mixture, sprinkle with pepper and
salt, and fry until of a nice brown colour. Serve quickly, sending
butter sauce, sharpened with a dash of lime juice, to table with it.
Cheese.--(_a_) Grate 4 oz. good cooking cheese, beat up 6 eggs, only
using the whites of 4; add the grated cheese to them, and by degrees
½ pint cream. Season well with pepper and salt, using cayenne pepper,
if liked, and fry with butter in the ordinary way, serving as quickly
as possible when ready.
(_b_) Beat up 3 or 4 eggs with 1-2 tablespoonfuls grated Parmesan
cheese, and pepper and salt to taste. Put a piece of butter, the
size of an egg, into a frying-pan; as soon as it is melted pour in
the omelet mixture, and, holding the handle of the pan with one
hand, stir the omelet with the other by means of a spoon. The moment
it begins to set, cease stirring, but keep on shaking the pan for
a minute or so: then with the spoon double up the omelet, and keep
shaking the pan until the under side of the omelet has become of a
golden colour. Turn it out on a hot dish and serve, with plenty of
grated Parmesan cheese strewn over it. The cheese must be of good
quality, and grated at the time--not the musty powder which so often
does duty for Parmesan.
Haricot Beans.--These make a very nourishing omelet; but require to
be carefully prepared beforehand, i.e. they should steep at least 6
hours in cold, slightly salted, water. It is a good plan to set them
to steep overnight, especially if they are required for luncheon or
early dinner. After steeping they must be boiled in fresh water until
perfectly soft, and then mashed in milk, for ½ pint beans ½ teacupful
milk will be required; when mashed, rub through a sieve or fine
colander; then add 2 tablespoonfuls finely grated breadcrumbs, ½ oz.
finely chopped parsley, and 4 eggs, yolks and whites, well beaten,
a tablespoonful of melted butter, or else olive oil, and salt and
pepper to taste. Mix the whole thoroughly, and pour into a buttered
pan or enamelled dish. Bake ¾-1 hour in the oven, which should not be
too hot; when served send a sharp brown sauce to table with it.
Macaroni.--Boil 2 oz. macaroni until it is perfectly tender; then
drain it. Rub 2 tablespoonfuls flour into a smooth paste with a
little cold water, boil in a lined saucepan ½ pint new milk, pour
it when boiling on the flour paste, and stir well until thickened.
Add to it the macaroni, which should be cut up into small bits; have
ready beaten 4 eggs and ½ oz. parsley chopped up fine; add these to
the milk at the same time as the macaroni, season with white pepper
and salt, and pour the mixture while hot into an enamelled pie-dish,
which should be well buttered. Bake in a moderately hot oven until
browned over, then turn out, and serve with onion sauce, if liked; if
not, with brown sauce.
Plain.--(_a_) Beat up 3 or 4 eggs with 1 dessertspoonful parsley very
finely minced, and pepper and salt to taste. Put a piece of butter
the size of an egg into a frying-pan; as soon as it is melted, pour
in the omelet mixture, and, holding the handle of the pan with one
hand, stir the omelet with the other by means of a spoon. The moment
it begins to set cease stirring, but keep on shaking the pan for a
minute or so; then, with the spoon, double up the omelet and keep
shaking the pan until the under side of the omelet has become of a
golden colour. Turn it out on a hot dish, and serve.
(_b_) Break 3 eggs, yolks and white, into a basin, add salt and
pepper to taste, and beat them with a Dover’s whisk till thoroughly
blended. Have the frying-pan previously on the fire with a lump of
butter in it, the size of a walnut. Throw in the beaten eggs just
before the butter boils. Let them set, and then fold up the omelet,
and serve on a hot dish. A few chopped herbs and parsley may be added
to the eggs before frying.
Plain Sweet.--Beat up well 3 eggs (whites and yolks), add to them 1
oz. butter broken up into small pieces and 1 oz. sifted sugar; stir
well together, put 1 oz. fresh butter into the omelet pan; when it
fritters pour in the mixture, and continue stirring until it is set,
then turn the edges over until the omelet is of an oval shape, brown
it with a salamander, and sift sugar over before sending to table.
This will only make a small omelet; if a larger is required, double
the proportions of the ingredients.
Potato.--Boil 6 mealy potatoes, then dry them well, and mash them
with ½ oz. butter, add 1 oz. breadcrumbs, very finely grated, the
yolks of 6 eggs and the whites of 4 seasoning with white pepper and
salt; melt a little butter in the omelet pan, and when it is quite
hot pour in the mixture, and fry it of a nice golden brown colour
over a not too fierce fire. For omelet making a gas boiling-burner
is far preferable to a stove; the heat can be so nicely regulated,
and the operation so much more comfortably carried on than over a hot
coal range.
Rice (Savoury).--Boil 3 oz. rice, after well washing in 2 or 3
waters, in 1 pint water until the water is entirely absorbed, when
it is nearly cold; add to it 3 well-beaten eggs and ¼ oz. chopped
parsley. Butter a lined pie-dish, pour in the omelet, and bake in a
moderate oven. Serve with fine herbs sauce.
Rice (Sweet).--Follow the above recipe, only use instead of chopped
parsley 1 oz. sifted white sugar, and omit the seasoning and sauce.
Rum.--Make a plain sweet omelet with 4 whites and 6 yolks of eggs.
When cooked strew sugar over, and, instead of glazing it, pour a
wineglassful of hot rum over it, and set it alight as it is being put
on the table.
Savoury.--(_a_) Beat up 3 or 4 eggs with 1 dessertspoonful parsley
very finely minced, ½ clove of shallot, also finely minced, pepper
and salt to taste. Put a piece of butter the size of an egg into a
frying-pan; as soon as it is melted pour in the omelet mixture, and,
holding the handle of the pan with one hand, stir the omelet with
the other by means of a spoon. The moment it begins to set, cease
stirring, but keep shaking the pan for a minute or so; then with the
spoon double up the omelet, and keep shaking the pan until one side
of the omelet has become a golden colour, and it is ready.
(_b_) Beat 2 eggs in a basin, season with cayenne and salt, mix with
it 1 teaspoonful each of finely chopped onion and parsley, melt ½
oz. butter in an omelet pan, pour the mixture into this, and keep
stirring it over the fire until it sets, then roll and serve. About 3
minutes will serve to cook this omelet, which should be of a delicate
brown when done.
(_c_) Besides parsley, add a very few fresh sweet herbs and a few
chives, all very finely minced. Powdered sweet herbs may be used, but
in either case great care should be taken not to put in too many.
Shallot (Francatelli’s recipe).--Break 3 eggs into a basin, add 1
spoonful cream, a small pat of butter, broken into pieces, a little
chopped parsley, and the shallots, well chopped, some pepper and
salt; then put 2 oz. butter into the omelet pan. While the butter is
melting, whip the eggs and other ingredients well together until they
become frothy. As soon as the butter begins to fritter, pour the eggs
into the pan, and stir the omelet; as the eggs appear to set, roll
the omelet into the form of an oval cushion. Allow it to acquire a
golden-brown colour on one side over the fire, and then turn it out
on its dish. Pour a thin sauce, or gravy, or half glaze under it, and
serve.
Soufflé.--Break carefully 6 eggs, separating the yolks and whites.
Strain the yolks and add to them 2 tablespoonfuls powdered sugar and
a little lemon juice or orange-flower water, stir well together. Whip
the whites into a stiff froth, and then mix lightly with the rest.
Heat some fresh butter in the pan, pour in the mixture, when ready
sprinkle it over with sugar, and either put it into the oven for a
few minutes to rise, or else hold a salamander over it. (Eliot James.)
Spinach.--Chop up all together ¼ lb. spinach (it should be young and
tender), ¼ lb. beets, ½ oz. parsley, and ½ oz. leeks and lemon-thyme
mixed. Season the mixture with salt and pepper, then add by degrees,
a heaped-up tablespoonful of well-dried flour, 4 spoonfuls milk,
4 eggs well beaten, and 2 oz. butter melted; mix the whole well
together, put into a pan, and bake 20 minutes in the oven. This is
rather more solid food than the ordinary fried omelet, but, when well
made, an appetising dish. If beet is not liked, sprouts can be used
instead.
Sweet.--(_a_) Beat up the whites of 4 and the yolks of 6 eggs, with a
very small pinch of salt. Put a piece of fresh butter in the omelet
pan, and directly it is melted pour in the eggs. As soon as they are
set fold up the omelet, inserting within the fold as much apricot
jam as will lie in it. Turn out the omelet neatly on its dish, cover
it with powdered sugar, and glaze it with a red-hot salamander.
(_b_) Beat up the eggs as in (_a_), with the addition of a large
pinch of powdered cinnamon, and 2 tablespoonfuls powdered loaf sugar.
When cooked glaze with sugar and serve.
Swiss.--Made with grated cheese in the following manner: Grate 2 oz.
Parmesan cheese, melt 2 oz. butter, and add to the cheese also ½ oz.
finely chopped parsley, 1 oz. breadcrumbs, finely grated, ¼ pint new
milk, and 4 eggs well beaten; fry in the usual way, with a little
butter in the pan, which must be properly heated before the mixture
is put in.
Tomato.--Scald 6 ripe tomatoes, pare them and remove the ends and
seeds. Stew them until tender, then mash them and rub through a
sieve; add 2 oz. finely grated breadcrumbs, 4 well-beaten eggs,
4 tablespoonfuls milk, and salt and pepper to taste. Mix all
thoroughly, pour into a buttered dish and bake in a moderately hot
oven. Serve with vinegar or brown sauce, not made with stock, as is
ordinary brown sauce, but merely browned butter thickening thinned
with vinegar.
_Poached._--(_a_) To be covered with the white, they should be broken
into a saucepan with plenty of boiling water, enough to cover them.
(_b_) Stir the water round very fast, then drop the egg in the middle
of the whirlpool, and keep stirring the same way till it is set.
(_c_) Fill a shallow sauté pan with water and sufficient salt; add a
little vinegar, a few peppercorns, and some leaves of parsley. When
the water is on the point of boiling (it should never be allowed to
boil) break 2 or more eggs into it (according to the size of the
pan), and put on the cover. When done, take them out carefully, brush
them clean on both sides with a paste brush, and cut each egg with
a round fluted paste cutter, so as to get them of a uniform shape.
Serve on a purée made as follows: Pick and wash perfectly clean 2-3
lb. spinach, put it into a saucepan with a little water, and let it
boil till quite done, turn it out on a hair sieve to drain, squeeze
the water out, and pass the spinach through the sieve. Put a good
lump of butter into a saucepan, fry it a light brown, add a pinch of
flour, mix well, put in the spinach, pepper and salt to taste, and
a little milk, stir well, dispose the spinach on a dish, laying the
poached eggs on the top of it, and a border of fried sippets round it.
(_d_) Poach some eggs (one for each person and one over) in salted
water, with a little vinegar, some peppercorns, and a few leaves of
parsley, in a shallow sauté pan, just long enough to set the yolks
slightly; take out each egg with a slice, brush it clean with a
paste brush, and cut it with a round fluted paste cutter, about 2
in. diameter, so as to get all the eggs a uniform shape, and leave
neither too much nor too little white round them. Turn the egg over
carefully, brush it clean, and lay it in the soup tureen, ready
filled with boiling hot clear consommé. The water in which the eggs
are poached should be kept at boiling point, but never boil. Some
leaves or very small sprigs of chervil may be served in the soup.
(_e_) Served with a sauce composed of curry powder mixed to a paste
in milk, to which is added sliced onions and butter; the sauce should
be strained, and then poured round the poached eggs, which have been
previously arranged in a hot dish.
_Purée._--Beat the yolks of 7 hard-boiled eggs in a mortar with 1½
oz. fresh butter, a little very finely minced parsley, some salt and
pepper to taste, and the yolks of 3 raw eggs; mince the whites of the
boiled eggs as fine as possible, and toss them over the fire, with
about ½ pint good gravy, till they become rather thick; press the
pounded yolks through a colander in the centre of a dish, put the
minced whites round them, and arrange as a garnish some sippets of
bread, brushed over with beaten egg; put the dish into the oven, or
before the fire in a Dutch oven, to brown, and serve very hot. This
is an extremely pretty dish.
_Rolls._--Allow one egg for each person, ¾ pint of milk and 4
teaspoonfuls flour for every three eggs; beat whites and yolks
separately, mix the flour smoothly with the milk, then add the eggs
and whisk well. Fry a little at a time in a buttered omelet-pan, roll
as an omelet; serve very hot. To be eaten with sugar or treacle.
_Savoury._--Take 4 eggs, boil them hard, when cold shell them, and
cut them in half lengthwise, take out the yolks, beat into a smooth
paste. To each egg allow a good slice of butter, ½ teaspoonful
anchovy sauce, and cayenne pepper to taste. This should all be
thoroughly mixed with the yolks; then fill the white halves with
this paste. Serve on a napkin, and garnish with parsley. This is a
most appetising dish, either for dinner or supper, and enough for 8
persons.
_Scalloped._--(_a_) Mash some potatoes very smoothly, and boil some
rice. Boil 5 eggs for 3 minutes; when they are cold remove the
shells, and chop the eggs up roughly. Mix a teacupful of the mashed
potatoes, the same quantity of rice, and the eggs together; add some
chopped capers, very little vinegar, some melted butter, pepper,
salt, and Worcester sauce. Put the mixture into scallop shells, with
breadcrumbs and a little butter. Bake a light brown.
(_b_) Boil 3 or 4 eggs hard. When cold, remove the shells and chop
the eggs roughly, have ready a small teacupful of mashed potatoes,
another of rice; mix all together, add capers, a little melted
butter, pepper, and salt, put into scallop shells with breadcrumbs on
top, and bake a pale brown.
_Scotch._--Boil some eggs hard enough to set the whites, so that you
can remove the shells without breaking the white. After peeling the
shell clean off, cover them completely with a savoury forcemeat, in
which let ham or finely chopped anchovy bear due proportion. Fry of a
gold colour, and serve with good gravy in the dish.
_Scrambled._--(_a_) Break 4 eggs into a clean stewpan with 1 oz.
butter, and a little salt and pepper; beat it all up until the yolks
and whites are well mixed, then stir it over the fire with a wooden
spoon till cooked; it should never be clotted or hard. A spoonful
of stock, or any sauce, is a great improvement. Mushrooms minced
and tossed in a little butter, cold asparagus cut into nice pieces,
or even sliced cucumber placed in with the eggs 1-2 minutes before
serving, make pleasant varieties of this little dish.
(_b_) Put in a saucepan 2 tablespoonfuls cream and a piece of butter
the size of a walnut, well beat up 4 eggs, and when the butter is
melted and quite hot pour in the eggs, and stir over the fire for a
few minutes.
(_c_) Beat up 3 eggs well, add ½ teacupful cream or milk, salt to
taste, and a small pat of butter; pour into a shallow stewpan, stir
over a clear fire until the mixture grows quite thick; have ready a
buttered slice of toast on a hot dish, turn the eggs out on to the
toast, and serve with a sprinkling of pepper.
(_d_) Take a piece of butter about the size of a walnut, put it into
a saucepan to melt. Take 3 eggs, break them, and put them into the
saucepan with a little salt. Put the saucepan on the fire, stir the
eggs quickly till they begin to set, then serve on a piece of dried
toast. Take care to stir the eggs quickly, and take them out of the
saucepan as soon as they begin to set, or they become hard.
(_e_) Beat up some eggs in a basin with pepper, salt, and a small
quantity of French tomato sauce; melt some butter in a saucepan; add
the eggs, and stir with a spoon until nearly set. Serve on toast, or
in a very hot dish. If no tomato sauce is added to the eggs, a little
chopped parsley should be sprinkled over them just before serving.
(_f_) Peel a large tomato, free it from pips, and chop it up small,
also chop 2 slices Spanish onion; put both into a saucepan with
plenty of butter, and pepper and salt to taste; stir on the fire till
the onion is quite cooked, but not coloured; then throw in 4 eggs
beaten up, and keep on stirring the whole till the eggs are nearly
set; serve at once within a circle of bread sippets fried in butter.
_Snow._--Whisk the whites of 6 eggs with a little powdered lump sugar
into a stiff froth; set 1 qt. milk, sweetened to taste, to boil; drop
the egg froth in it by tablespoonfuls; a few seconds will cook them;
take them out, and put them on a sieve to drain. When all the egg
froth is cooked, strain what is left of the milk; let it get cold,
and mix gradually with it the yolks of the eggs with any flavouring
you like. Put the vessel containing this into a saucepanful of water,
and keep stirring on the fire until the custard thickens. To serve,
pile up the whites on the dish, pour the custard round them, and
sprinkle the top with “hundreds and thousands.”