slip in the broken eggs carefully, one at a time. Tip the pan and
baste with the melted butter while cooking. If wanted crisp on both
sides, turn the eggs over when the under side is done. Wet in cold
water the saucer on which an egg is broken and the egg will not stick
to it, but will slip easily into the pan. Olive oil may be used
instead of butter, but the pan must be covered during the cooking, as
the oil spatters.
FRIED EGGS AU BEURRE NOIR
Fry eggs as above, using butter or oil. When done, skim out, add more
butter or oil to that in the pan, season with salt, pepper, vinegar,
or lemon-juice, and let brown. When the butter is brown pour it over
the fried eggs and serve.
EGGS A LA CREME
Make a cream sauce, using one tablespoonful of butter, two of flour,
two cupfuls of milk, and pepper and salt to season. When the sauce is
thick and creamy, add hard-boiled eggs coarsely chopped, and serve at
once on toast. Sprinkle with chopped parsley.
EGGS A LA TRIPE
Fry two sliced onions in butter, but do not brown. Stir in one cupful
of milk or cream and enough flour to thicken, rubbed smooth in a
little of the cream or milk. Season with salt, white pepper, and a bit
of grated nutmeg. Stir till thick, then add eight hard-boiled eggs,
sliced crosswise. Heat thoroughly and serve.
EGGS AU MIROIR
Butter a stone platter that will stand the heat of the oven. Break
into it carefully enough fresh eggs to cover it, taking care not to
break the yolks. Place in the oven till the eggs are set. Sprinkle
with salt and pepper and minced parsley and serve at once.
EGGS WITH CREAMED CELERY
Make the cream sauce and put into it enough boiled celery, coarsely
cut, to serve as a vegetable. Spread on buttered toast and lay a
poached egg on each slice. The tough, unsightly portions of celery
stalks may be used in this way.
CHICKEN LIVER SCRAMBLE
Use one cupful of chopped cooked chicken livers and six or seven
well-beaten eggs. Prepare like other scrambles.
CHEESE SCRAMBLE
One half cupful of grated American cheese and six well-beaten eggs.
Mix the cheese with the eggs before cooking.
EGGS A LA PAYSANNE
Put one half cupful of cream into a baking-dish, break into it six
fresh eggs, and place in the oven till the eggs are set. Sprinkle with
salt and pepper, minced parsley, and sweet green pepper.
EGGS A L'AURORE
Make the cream sauce and add to it the shredded whites of six or eight
hard-boiled eggs. Spread on buttered toast and rub the yolks through a
sieve, sprinkling each slice of toast with the powdered yolk.
Sometimes called "Eggs a la Goldenrod."
OYSTER SCRAMBLE
One cupful of oysters, cut fine. Pour boiling water over, drain on a
fine sieve, and add six or seven well-beaten eggs. Prepare as other
scrambles.
MUSHROOM SCRAMBLE
One cupful of cooked mushrooms, cut fine, six or eight well-beaten
eggs. Serve on toast.
LOBSTER SCRAMBLE
One cupful of cold cooked lobster, six or eight well-beaten eggs. Mix
before putting into the hot butter.
TOMATO SCRAMBLE
One cupful of stewed and strained tomato, or of fresh tomato peeled
and rubbed through a sieve, six or eight well-beaten eggs. Mix before
putting into the hot butter.
GREEN PEA SCRAMBLE
One cupful of cold cooked green peas, six or seven well-beaten eggs.
Mix before beginning to cook.
HAM SCRAMBLE
One cupful of cold boiled ham, minced, mixed with eight well-beaten
eggs. A little grated onion is an improvement.
BACON SCRAMBLE
Fry one cupful of shredded bacon until partially cooked, drain off
part of the fat, add six or seven well-beaten eggs, and finish
cooking, stirring constantly. A little grated onion may be added with
the eggs.
CRAB SCRAMBLE
One cupful of cooked shredded crab-meat, six or seven well-beaten
eggs. Shredded green peppers may be added at pleasure. The canned
crab-meat is nearly as good as the fresh.
SHRIMP SCRAMBLE
One cupful of finely cut cooked shrimps, six or seven well-beaten
eggs. Green peppers may be added. Canned shrimps may be used.
KIDNEY SCRAMBLE
One cupful of cold cooked kidneys, cut fine, six or seven well-beaten
eggs. Prepare like other scrambles.
SAUSAGE SCRAMBLE
One cupful of cooked sausage-meat, finely minced, mixed with six or
seven well-beaten eggs before cooking. Or, use uncooked sausage-meat
and prepare like Bacon Scramble.
SARDINE SCRAMBLE
Add the juice of half a lemon to one cupful of finely cut sardines.
Use the oil from the can instead of butter. Beat six or seven eggs
thoroughly and mix with the sardines before cooking.
TONGUE SCRAMBLE
One cupful finely minced cooked tongue, six or eight well-beaten eggs.
Season with grated onion, shredded green pepper, or minced parsley.
EGGS WITH FINE HERBS
Use a heaping tablespoonful of minced parsley, chives, and tarragon to
eight well-beaten eggs, mixing before putting into the hot butter.
MEXICAN EGGS
Split three sweet green peppers, lengthwise, and take out the seeds.
Fry two minutes in very hot butter. Fry six very thin slices of ham
and place on slices of toast, lay the peppers over the ham, and put a
fried or a poached egg on each slice.
SPANISH EGGS
Cook together one cupful of stewed and strained tomato, one bean of
garlic, finely minced, one chopped onion, and two sweet green
peppers, seeded and chopped. Cook gently till reduced one half. Spread
on thin slices of toast and lay a fried or poached egg on each slice.
CREAMED CHICKEN AND POACHED EGGS
Make a cream sauce, add one cupful of minced cooked chicken, spread on
toast, and lay a poached egg on each slice.
BOILED EGGS--I
Put the eggs into a saucepan of cold water and bring to the boil. Boil
one minute and serve at once.
BOILED EGGS--II
Have a saucepan of water at a galloping boil. Drop in the eggs
carefully, cover, and let stand till the eggs are cool enough to
handle. They will be perfectly cooked and much more easily managed
than if the shells were piping hot.
EGGS IN CRUSTS
Cut stale bread into slices an inch thick. Scoop out the centres of
each slice and remove the crust. Rub with butter, drop an egg into
each cavity, and put in a hot oven till the eggs are set.
EGGS IN RAMEKINS
Butter ramekins or custard cups. Drop an egg into each cup and place
in a hot oven till the egg is set. This method of cooking eggs may be
endlessly varied by filling the cups half full of minced meat, fish,
seasoned crumbs, creamed vegetables, or anything else which combines
well with eggs. Anything used in a scramble or an omelet may be placed
in the bottom of the ramekin. If too dry, moisten with cream, milk, or
water. The egg may be sprinkled with crumbs and dotted with butter.
Grated cheese and minced parsley may be added at pleasure. A
"left-over" which is otherwise hopeless may often be used
advantageously in a ramekin with an egg. The small individual dishes
are pleasing, when served on a fresh doily. Lacking the individual
dishes, or for variety, a stoneware platter, or a baking-dish may be
half filled with the mixture and the eggs broken on top.
BAKED EGGS WITH CHEESE
Make toast and hollow the slices slightly in the centre. Mix grated
cheese to a paste with milk and spread over the toast. Arrange on a
stoneware platter or in a baking-dish, break an egg over each slice,
sprinkle with more cheese, and place in a hot oven till the eggs are
set.
BAKED EGGS WITH HAM
Make the cream sauce and add to it one cupful of cold cooked ham,
finely minced. Butter custard cups, break an egg into each, and stand
in a pan of hot water in the oven till the eggs are firm. Spread the
minced ham on a platter or on slices of toast, and turn the eggs on to
it. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and minced parsley.
CODDLED EGGS
Allow four tablespoonfuls of milk for each egg. Beat together
thoroughly, cook in a double boiler till creamy, and serve on toast.
EGGS AND MUSHROOMS
(_May Irwin's Recipe_)
One pound of fresh mushrooms cleaned well in several waters, and wiped
dry. Put into a saucepan with two ounces of butter, half a teaspoonful
of salt, and a dash of white pepper. Set over the fire till thoroughly
hot, then turn into a shallow baking-dish, and break over them six
eggs. Sprinkle with stale bread crumbs, dot with butter, dust with
salt and pepper, and bake in a hot oven till the eggs are set. Serve
on buttered toast.
EGGS IN AMBUSH
Scoop out the crumb from stale rolls, first cutting an even slice off
the top. Toast or fry the shells thus made, or rub freely with butter
and set into a piping hot oven until crisp and brown. Drop a fresh egg
into each shell, add a little minced parsley or a teaspoonful of
cream, if desired, or any preferred seasoning of minced fish, or meat,
or vegetable. (See Eggs in Ramekins.) Bake in a hot oven till the eggs
set, put on the covers, and serve. A pleasant surprise for the person
who expects to find only a roll.
EGGS A LA MAITRE D'HOTEL
Make a sauce of half a cupful of melted butter, the juice of half a
lemon, and a teaspoonful of minced parsley. Cut hard-boiled eggs in
slices lengthwise, arrange on buttered toast, and pour the sauce over
the eggs, or, pour over poached eggs on toast just before serving.
POACHED EGGS ON ANCHOVY TOAST
Work a teaspoonful of anchovy paste, or more, if desired, into half a
cupful of butter. Spread on thin slices of crisp toast and lay a
poached egg on each slice.
EGGS SUR LE PLAT
Beat the whites of eggs to a stiff froth, spread on a buttered
platter, and make hollows in the froth with a spoon. In these hollows
drop carefully the unbroken yolks. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and
place in a hot oven until the eggs are set.
BIRDS' NESTS
Use recipe for Eggs sur le Plat. Arrange in ramekins or on slices of
toast.
EGGS BAKED IN TOMATOES
Cut off a slice from the top (blossom end), of a small, ripe,
well-shaped tomato. With a silver spoon scoop out the pulp carefully,
sprinkle the inside with salt and drain for a few moments, upside
down. Put a tablespoonful of seasoned bread crumbs in the bottom of
the tomato, break a fresh egg into it, sprinkle with salt and pepper,
and place in a hot oven until the egg is set. Prepare one tomato for
each person.
SWISS EGGS
Rub a stoneware platter thickly with butter, cover it with very thin
slices of fresh Gruyere cheese, break fresh eggs upon the cheese,
sprinkle with grated nutmeg, pepper, and salt, pour half a cupful of
cream over the eggs, sprinkle with the cheese, grated, and bake about
a quarter of an hour in a hot oven. Serve on the same platter on which
the eggs were baked.
CHICKEN SCRAMBLE
Use one cupful of cold cooked chicken, shredded or chopped, to seven
well-beaten eggs, and prepare like other scrambles. A bit of green
pepper or of chopped pimento is an agreeable addition.
EGGS A LA BONNE FEMME
Fry two sliced onions brown in butter, then add a tablespoonful of
vinegar. Butter a platter, spread the fried onions over it, break upon
it six fresh eggs, sprinkle with crumbs, dot with butter, and bake in
a hot oven until the eggs are set.
EGGS A LA BOURGEOISE
Cut slices of bread half an inch thick and trim off the crust, lay on
a buttered platter, and sprinkle with grated cheese. Beat eggs enough
to cover the bread, season with salt and pepper and grated nutmeg,
pour over the bread and bake in a moderate oven until the eggs are
set.
EGGS A LA ST. CATHERINE
Select smooth, shapely potatoes and bake until soft. Cut in halves
lengthwise and scoop out a part of the pulp. Break an egg into each
half, sprinkle with salt and pepper, add a teaspoonful of cream to
each egg and bake in a moderate oven until the eggs are set. In the
meantime, beat the white of an egg to a stiff froth, and work
gradually into it the potato pulp which has been scooped out. Heap
roughly over the baked eggs and keep in the oven till well puffed and
brown. A little grated cheese or minced parsley may be sprinkled over
the top.
EGGS IN PEPPERS
Cut a thin slice from the stem end of a green pepper and take out the
seeds. Cut a slice from the smaller end, so that the pepper may stand
straight, and put on a slice of buttered toast. Make a small hollow in
the toast under the pepper and break an egg into each one. Bake until
the eggs are set.
EGGS POACHED IN MILK
Butter a frying-pan, add a pint of milk, and bring the milk to a boil.
Slip in fresh eggs, one at a time, and poach as usual. Skim out,
season with salt and pepper, and put each egg on a slice of buttered
toast. Pour the milk over and serve immediately.
EGGS A LA WASHINGTON
Lay a slice of fresh fried tomato on each slice of buttered toast. On
each slice of tomato arrange some shredded sweet pepper, fried. Lay a
poached egg on each slice, and sprinkle with parsley and sweet pepper
minced together.
PIMENTO SCRAMBLE
Use the scarlet pimentos which come in cans. Chop rather coarsely and
use half a cupful to each four eggs. Prepare like other scrambles.
EGGS A LA ESPAGNOLE
Make a cream sauce and add to it half a cupful of shredded pimentos.
Spread over buttered toast and put a poached egg on each slice.
CODFISH SCRAMBLE
Use one cupful of shredded salt cod which has been freshened, and
seven well-beaten eggs. Salt Mackerel, Finnan Haddie, Smoked Salmon,
or other salt fish may be used. Clams, Caviare, Herring, Sturgeon, and
many other left-overs are also acceptable.
STEAMED EGGS
Break fresh eggs into buttered custard cups and steam until set.
BAKED EGGS ON RASHERS OF BACON
Have ready some thin slices of bacon fried until transparent, but not
crisp. Lay two strips of bacon on each slice of toast, arrange in a
baking-pan, break an egg over each slice of toast, and bake until the
egg is set.
SCRAMBLED EGGS IN CUPS
Prepare stale rolls as for Eggs in Ambush, but bake the buttered rolls
until crisp and brown. Fill with scrambled eggs and serve immediately.
RICE SCRAMBLE
Use a cupful of cold cooked rice and eight well-beaten eggs and
proceed as for other scrambles. A little milk or water may be
necessary.
SURPRISE EGGS
Boil fresh eggs four minutes, skim out, plunge into cold water for an
instant, then remove the shells. Dip each egg into egg and crumbs,
then fry in deep fat.
JAPANESE EGGS
Spread hot boiled rice on a platter, season with melted butter,
lemon-juice, and minced parsley. Poach six eggs and arrange them on
the rice.
RUMBLED EGGS
Beat three fresh eggs with two tablespoonfuls of butter, and add a
teaspoonful of milk. Stir over a moderate fire until it puffs up, then
serve at once on buttered toast.
EGGS A LA WALDORF
Beat six eggs with half a cupful of cream, half a teaspoonful of salt,
and a sprinkle of pepper. Cut two large mushrooms into dice and fry
one minute in two tablespoonfuls of butter. Pour the egg mixture over
the mushrooms and stir rapidly until it begins to thicken, then take
from the fire and beat until smooth and creamy. Serve at once on
buttered toast.
WHIPPED EGGS
Beat six eggs separately, the whites to a stiff froth. Mix thoroughly,
season with salt and pepper, and pour into two quarts of salted water
at a galloping boil. Stir one minute, then drain through a fine sieve.
Serve on buttered toast and garnish with crisp rashers of bacon.
ESCALLOPED EGGS
Make the cream sauce. Have ready eight hard-boiled eggs and some dried
bread crumbs. Butter ramekins, put in a layer of crumbs, then sliced
eggs, then butter in tiny dots, then sauce, and so on, until the dish
is full, having crumbs and butter on top. A little grated cheese may
be sprinkled over the top. If too dry, moisten with a little milk or
cream. Bake until brown.
POACHED EGGS WITH CREAMED SALMON
Make a cream sauce and reheat in it either canned salmon, or a cupful
of salt or smoked salmon. Spread on buttered toast and lay a poached
egg on each slice. Sprinkle with minced parsley and garnish with lemon
quarters.
EGGS A LA MARTIN
Boil six eggs four minutes, plunge into cold water, then remove the
shells. Arrange in a baking-dish, or in ramekins, cover with cream
sauce, sprinkle with bread crumbs and a little grated cheese, dot with
butter, and bake until brown.
OMELETS
"_To make an omelet, you must first break eggs._"--_French
Proverb._
So many different methods for making omelets are given, in works of
recognized authority, that it seems as if any one who had an egg and
an omelet pan could hardly go amiss. Yet failures are frequent, as
every omelet-maker knows.
French writers say positively that no liquid of any sort must be added
to an omelet--that it contains eggs and eggs alone, beaten just enough
to break the yolks. American authorities add milk or water, or beat
the eggs separately, the whites to a stiff froth. One of them makes a
clear distinction between an omelet and a puffy omelet; the puffy
omelet, of course, being made by folding in the stiffly beaten whites
before cooking. Some say milk makes it tough, and others say water
makes it stringy. Suffice it to say, however, that a perfect omelet is
a matter of experience and a deft hand. All writers agree that small
omelets are more easily made than large ones, and it is better to do
it twice or even three times than to have too many eggs in one
omelet. Below are given the various methods, from which the would-be
omelet-maker may choose. All of them have the stamp of good authority.
OMELET--I
Beat six eggs well, yolks and whites together. Put two tablespoonfuls
of butter into a frying-pan. When it is hot, pour in the beaten eggs,
which have been seasoned with salt and pepper. With a fork, draw the
cooked egg from the outside of the pan to the centre. As soon as it is
all thick, lift half of the omelet on to a plate, and turn the other
half over it. It should be turned while the centre is still soft, and
the fire should not be too hot.
OMELET--II
Break the eggs into a bowl, add as many tablespoonfuls of cold water
as there are eggs. Beat the eggs well, then season with salt and
pepper, and pour into a thin, smooth frying-pan which contains a
tablespoonful of melted butter. With a thin knife lift the cooked
portion of the egg and allow the uncooked portion to run down into the
butter, meanwhile gently rocking the pan back and forth. When creamy,
begin at the side of the pan nearest the handle and roll the omelet,
using a little butter if needed.
OMELET--III
Prepare as above, using milk instead of water.
OMELET--IV
Separate the whites and yolks of the eggs. Beat the yolks till thick
and lemon colored and the whites until they stand alone. Fold together
carefully, seasoning with salt and pepper, and adding a tablespoonful
of cold water for each egg. Have two tablespoonfuls of butter in the
frying-pan. When it is hot, pour in the egg mixture and let stand
until the egg is set around the edge and a knife plunged into the
centre comes out nearly clean. Then set the pan into the oven till the
omelet puffs. Score slightly across the middle with a sharp knife,
fold, and serve at once on a hot platter.
OMELET AUX FINES HERBES
Prepare Omelet I, and mix a tablespoonful of chopped parsley and
chives with the eggs before cooking.
PEA OMELET
Prepare Omelet I. As soon as the eggs are in the frying-pan, add a
cupful of cooked and drained peas, arranging carefully in the
outermost half so that the other portion will fold over it. Finish as
usual.
OMELET WITH ASPARAGUS TIPS
Have ready one cupful of cooked and drained asparagus tips. Prepare
according to directions given for Pea Omelet.
MUSHROOM OMELET
Use fresh mushrooms, if possible. Fry, and drain on brown paper. When
the eggs are in the frying-pan, spread the mushrooms on the outermost
half of the omelet, so that the other portion will fold over it.
Finish as usual.
OMELET WITH TOMATO SAUCE
Spread the outermost half of an omelet with tomato sauce, fold, and
finish as usual.
OMELET AU FROMAGE
Prepare Omelet I, adding half a cupful of grated Parmesan cheese, or
dried and grated American cheese, to the egg mixture.
HAM OMELET
Have ready one cupful of cooked ham, very finely minced. Spread on
half of the omelet and fold the other part over it.
OYSTER OMELET
One cupful of cooked oysters, minced or not, as preferred. Lay on half
of the omelet and fold.
CLAM OMELET
See Oyster Omelet.
SHRIMP OMELET
One cupful of cooked and shredded shrimps. See Oyster Omelet.
CRAB OMELET
One cupful of minced cooked crab meat. See Oyster Omelet.
LOBSTER OMELET
One cupful of cooked and shredded lobster. See Oyster Omelet.
TOMATO OMELET
One half cupful of stewed and strained tomatoes, or of fresh tomatoes
peeled and rubbed through a sieve. Spread on the outermost half of the
omelet, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and fold.
DRIED BEEF OMELET
One cupful of dried beef, shredded or minced. Cook five minutes in
boiling water, drain in a cloth, spread on the outermost half of the
omelet, and fold.
KIDNEY OMELET
Cut the kidneys into inch pieces, fry, drain, and finish as for
Mushroom Omelet.
CHICKEN LIVER OMELET
One cupful of cooked chicken livers, cut in small pieces. See Oyster
Omelet.
SAUSAGE OMELET
Spread the outer portion of an omelet with cooked sausage meat and
fold as usual.
SARDINE OMELET
Rub to a paste with melted butter and lemon-juice enough sardines to
make half a cupful. Spread thinly on the outer half of an omelet, and
fold.
CHEESE OMELET II
Spread one cupful of grated cheese, Swiss, American, or Parmesan, on
the outer portion of an omelet when the eggs are first put in the
pan. Cook and fold as usual.
BLAZING OMELET
Make a plain omelet. Pour over it rum, kirsch, or brandy, ignite, and
send to the table blazing. Serve as soon as the fire has gone out.
BACON OMELET
Cook a plain omelet in bacon fat instead of in butter and garnish with
crisp rashers of bacon.
BACON OMELET II
Fry one cupful of minced bacon until crisp, drain off the fat, spread
the bacon on half the omelet, and fold.
BREAD OMELET
Soak half a cupful of bread crumbs in half a cupful of milk and mix
with the eggs before cooking.
OMELET A LA CREME
Make the cream sauce. Mix half a cupful of it with the omelet before
cooking. Spread the rest of it on the outermost half of the omelet,
finish, and fold as usual.
JELLY OMELET
Spread half of an omelet thinly with jelly--crabapple, currant,
gooseberry, or quince, and fold.
SPANISH OMELET
Cook until thick one half can of tomatoes, one grated onion, one very
finely minced bean of garlic, and one minced green pepper. Season with
salt and paprika, spread on half the omelet, and fold.
TONGUE OMELET
Have ready a cupful of cold cooked tongue, minced or shredded. Spread
on half the omelet, and fold.
CHICKEN OMELET
One cupful of cold cooked chicken, shredded or minced. Spread on half
of the omelet, and fold.
CAULIFLOWER OMELET
One cupful of cold cooked cauliflower, with its sauce. Cut fine,
spread on half the omelet, and fold.
ANCHOVY OMELET
Add a teaspoonful of anchovy paste to half a cupful of melted butter.
Mix thoroughly, spread on half the omelet, and fold.
POTATO OMELET
One cupful of cooked potatoes, creamed or fried, cut in dice. Spread
on half the omelet, sprinkle with salt, pepper, and minced parsley,
and fold.
* * * * *
Almost any left-over can be advantageously used in an omelet. Fish,
especially salt fish, meats, and vegetables, in quantities of half a
cupful or more, preserved and fresh fruits, cereals--everything but
soups, salads, and puddings. Roughly speaking, any omelet mixture can
be added to the eggs before cooking, but as a general rule, it is
better to spread it on half of the omelet and fold the other half over
it, as otherwise the omelet is more likely to be heavy.
Sweet omelets are delicious. A teaspoonful of powdered sugar should be
added to the eggs before cooking, and the fruit, jam, jelly, or
preserves should be very thinly spread, as flavor is desired, not a
dessert. Fresh fruits are cut fine and sprinkled with powdered sugar,
spread on half the omelet, and the other half folded over. In the case
of juicy fruits, such as oranges, the juice of the fruit is carefully
saved and poured over the folded omelet just before serving.
Among the fresh fruits suitable for omelets are Apricots, Bananas,
Blackberries, Cherries, Gooseberries, Grapefruit, Plums,
Huckleberries, Oranges, Pineapples, Peaches, Raspberries, and
Strawberries--all crushed very fine and sweetened; the juice, if any,
being poured over the omelet.
Among the stewed and preserved fruits are Apples, Apricots, Cherries,
Currants, Figs, Gooseberries, Peaches, Pears, Plums, Quinces, Rhubarb,
and the various fruit jams. Rum or brandy poured over the omelet and
set on fire just before serving is a pleasant addition to many of the
fruit omelets, Fig especially.
QUICK BREADS