are laid; but rather a longer time should be allowed for boiling a
new-laid egg than for one that is three or four days old. Have ready a
saucepan of boiling water; put the eggs into it gently with a spoon,
letting the spoon touch the bottom of the saucepan before it is
withdrawn, that the egg may not fall and consequently crack. For those
who like eggs lightly boiled, three minutes will be found sufficient;
three and three-quarters to four minutes will be ample time to set the
white nicely; and if liked hard, six or seven minutes will not be
found too long. Should the eggs be unusually large, as those of black
Spanish fowls sometimes are, allow an extra half minute for them. Eggs
for salad should be boiled for ten or fifteen minutes, and should be
placed in a basin of cold water for a few minutes to shrink the meat
from the shell; they should then be rolled on the table with the hand
and the shell will peel off easily.
SOFT BOILED EGGS.
When properly cooked eggs are done evenly through, like any other
food. This result may be obtained by putting the eggs into a dish with
a cover, or a tin pail, and then pouring upon them _boiling_
water--two quarts or more to a dozen of eggs--and cover and set them
away where they will keep _hot_ and _not_ boil for ten to twelve
minutes. The heat of the water cooks the eggs slowly, evenly and
sufficiently, leaving the centre or yolk harder than the white, and
the egg tastes as much richer and nicer as a fresh egg is nicer than a
stale egg.
SCALLOPED EGGS.
Hard-boil twelve eggs; slice them thin in rings; in the bottom of a
large well-buttered baking-dish place a layer of grated bread crumbs,
then one of eggs; cover with bits of butter and sprinkle with pepper
and salt. Continue thus to blend these ingredients until the dish is
full; be sure, though, that the crumbs cover the eggs upon top. Over
the whole pour a large teacupful of sweet cream or milk and brown
nicely in a moderately heated oven.
SHIRRED EGGS.
Set into the oven until quite hot a common white dish large enough to
hold the number of eggs to be cooked, allowing plenty of room for
each. Melt in it a small piece of butter, and breaking the eggs
carefully in a saucer, one at a time, slip them into the hot dish;
sprinkle over them a small quantity of pepper and salt and allow them
to cook four or five minutes. Adding a tablespoonful of cream for
every two eggs, when the eggs are first slipped in, is a great
improvement.
This is far more delicate than fried eggs.
Or prepare the eggs the same and set them in a steamer over boiling
water.
They are usually served in hotels baked in individual dishes, about
two in a dish, and in the same dish they were baked in.
SCRAMBLED EGGS.
Put a tablespoonful of butter into a hot frying pan; tip around so
that it will touch all sides of the pan. Having ready half a dozen
eggs broken in a dish, salted and peppered, turn them (without
beating) into the hot butter; stir them one way briskly for five or
six minutes or until they are mixed. Be careful that they do not get
too hard. Turn over toast or dish up without.
POACHED OR DROPPED EGGS.
Have one quart of _boiling_ water and one tablespoonful of salt in a
frying pan. Break the eggs, one by one, into a saucer, and slide
carefully into the salted water. Dash with a spoon a little water over
the egg, to keep the top white.
The beauty of a poached egg is for the yolk to be seen blushing
through the white, which should only be just sufficiently hardened to
form a transparent veil for the egg.
Cook until the white is firm, and lift out with a griddle cake turner
and place on toasted bread. Serve immediately.
A tablespoonful of vinegar put into the water keeps the eggs from
spreading.
Open gem rings are nice placed in the water and an egg dropped into
each ring.
FRIED EGGS.
Break the eggs, one at a time, into a saucer, and then slide them
carefully off into a frying pan of lard and butter mixed, dipping over
the eggs the hot grease in spoonfuls, or turn them over, frying both
sides without breaking them. They require about three minutes'
cooking.
Eggs can be fried round like balls, by dropping one at a time into a
quantity of hot lard, the same as for fried cakes, first stirring the
hot lard with a stick until it runs round like a whirlpool; this will
make the eggs look like balls. Take out with a skimmer. Eggs can be
poached the same in boiling water.
EGGS AUX FINES HERBES.
Roll an ounce of butter in a good teaspoonful of flour; season with
pepper, salt and nutmeg; put it into a coffeecupful of fresh milk,
together with two teaspoonfuls of chopped parsley; stir and simmer it
for fifteen minutes, add a teacupful of thick cream. Hard-boil five
eggs and halve them; arrange them in a dish with the ends upwards,
pour the sauce over them, and decorate with little heaps of fried
bread crumbs round the margin of the dish.
POACHED EGGS Á LA CRÊME.
Put a quart of hot water, a tablespoonful of vinegar and a teaspoonful
of salt into a frying pan, and break each egg separately into a
saucer; slip the egg carefully into the hot water, simmer three or
four minutes until the white is set, then with a skimmer lift them out
into a hot dish. Empty the pan of its contents, put in half a cup of
cream, or rich milk; if milk, a large spoonful of butter; pepper and
salt to taste, thicken with a very little cornstarch; let it boil up
once, and turn it over the dish of poached eggs. It can be served on
toast or without.
It is a better plan to warm the cream in butter in a separate dish,
that the eggs may not have to stand.
EGGS IN CASES.
Make little paper cases of buttered writing paper; put a small piece
of butter in each, and a little chopped parsley or onion, pepper and
salt. Place the cases upon a gridiron over a moderate fire of bright
coals, and when the butter melts, break a fresh egg into each case.
Strew in upon them a few seasoned bread crumbs, and when nearly done,
glaze the tops with a hot shovel. Serve in the paper cases.
MINCED EGGS.
Chop up four or five hard-boiled eggs; do not mince them too fine. Put
over the fire in a suitable dish a cupful of milk, a tablespoonful of
butter, salt and pepper, and some savory chopped small. When this
comes to a boil stir into it a tablespoonful of flour, dissolved in a
little cold milk. When it cooks thick like cream put in the minced
eggs. Stir it gently around and around for a few moments and serve,
garnished with sippets of toast. Any particular flavor may be given to
this dish, such as that of mushrooms, truffles, catsup, essence of
shrimps, etc., or some shred anchovy may be added to the mince.
MIXED EGGS AND BACON.
Take a nice rasher of mild bacon; cut it into squares no larger than
dice; fry it quickly until nicely browned; but on no account burn it.
Break half a dozen eggs into a basin, strain and season them with
pepper, add them to the bacon, stir the whole about and, when
sufficiently firm, turn it out into a dish. Decorate with hot pickles.
MIXED EGGS GENERALLY--SAVORY OR SWEET.
Much the same method is followed in mixed eggs generally, whatever may
be added to them; really it is nothing more than an omelet which is
stirred about in the pan while it is being dressed, instead of being
allowed to set as a pancake. Chopped tongue, oysters, shrimps,
sardines, dried salmon, anchovies, herbs, may be used.
COLD EGGS FOR A PICNIC.
This novel way of preparing cold egg for the lunch-basket fully repays
one for the extra time required. Boil hard several eggs, halve them
lengthwise; remove the yolks and chop them fine with cold chicken,
lamb, veal or any tender, roasted meat; or with bread soaked in milk
and any salad, as parsley, onion, celery, the bread being half of the
whole; or with grated cheese, a little olive oil, drawn butter,
flavored. Fill the cavity in the egg with either of these mixtures, or
any similar preparation. Press the halves together, roll twice in
beaten egg and bread crumbs, and dip into boiling lard. When the color
rises delicately, drain them and they are ready for use.
OMELETS.
In making an omelet, care should be taken that the omelet pan is hot
and dry. To insure this, put a small quantity of lard or suet into a
clean frying pan, let it simmer a few minutes, then remove it; wipe
the pan dry with a towel, and then put in a tablespoonful of butter.
The smoothness of the pan is most essential, as the least particle of
roughness will cause the omelet to stick. As a general rule, a small
omelet can be made more successfully than a large one, it being much
better to make two small ones of four eggs each, than to try double
the number of eggs in one omelet and fail. Allow one egg to a person
in making an omelet and one tablespoonful of milk; this makes an
omelet more puffy and tender than one made without milk. Many prefer
them without milk.
Omelets are called by the name of what is added to give them flavor,
as minced ham, salmon, onions, oysters, etc., beaten up in the eggs in
due quantity, which gives as many different kind of omelets.
They are also served over many kinds of thick sauces or purees, such
as tomato, spinach, endive, lettuce, celery, etc.
If vegetables are to be added, they should be already cooked, seasoned
and hot; place in the centre of the omelet, just before turning; so
with mushroom, shrimps, or any cooked ingredients. All omelets should
be served the moment they are done, as they harden by standing, and
care taken that they do not _cook too much_.
Sweet omelets are generally used for breakfast or plain desserts.
PLAIN OMELET.
Put a smooth, clean, iron frying pan on the fire to heat; meanwhile,
beat four eggs very light, the whites to a stiff froth and the yolks
to a thick batter. Add to the yolks four tablespoonfuls of milk,
pepper and salt; and, lastly, stir in the whites lightly. Put a piece
of butter nearly half the size of an egg into the heated pan; turn it
so that it will moisten the entire bottom, taking care that it does
not scorch. Just as it begins to boil, pour in the eggs. Hold the
frying pan handle in your left hand, and, as the eggs whiten,
carefully, with a spoon, draw up lightly from the bottom, letting the
raw part run out on the pan, till all be equally cooked; shake with
your left hand, till the omelet be free from the pan, then turn with a
spoon one half of the omelet over the other; let it remain a moment,
but continue shaking, lest it adhere; toss to a warm platter held in
the right hand, or lift with a flat, broad shovel; the omelet will be
firm around the edge, but creamy and light inside.
MEAT OR FISH OMELETS.
Take cold meat, fish, game or poultry of any kind; remove all skin,
sinew, etc., and either cut it small or pound it to a paste in a
mortar, together with a proper proportion of spices and salt; then
either toss it in a buttered frying pan over a clear fire till it
begins to brown and pour beaten eggs upon it, or beat it up with the
eggs, or spread it upon them after they have begun to set in the pan.
In any case serve hot, with or without a sauce, but garnish with crisp
herbs in branches, pickles, or sliced lemon. The right proportion is
one tablespoonful of meat to four eggs. A little milk, gravy, water,
or white wine, may be advantageously added to the eggs while they are
being beaten.
Potted meats make admirable omelets in the above manner.
VEGETABLE OMELET.
Make a purée by mashing up ready-dressed vegetables, together with a
little milk, cream or gravy and some seasoning. The most suitable
vegetables are cucumbers, artichokes, onions, sorrel, green peas,
tomatoes, lentils, mushrooms, asparagus tops, potatoes, truffles or
turnips. Prepare some eggs by beating them very light. Pour them into
a nice hot frying pan, containing a spoonful of butter; spread the
purée upon the upper side; and when perfectly hot, turn or fold the
omelet together and serve. Or cold vegetables may be merely chopped
small, then tossed in a little butter, and some beaten and seasoned
eggs poured over.
OMELET OF HERBS.
Parsley, thyme and sweet marjoram mixed gives the famous _omelette aux
fines herbes_ so popular at every wayside inn in the most remote
corner of sunny France. An omelet "jardiniere" is two tablespoonfuls
of mixed parsley, onion, chives, shallots and a few leaves each of
sorrel and chevril, minced fine and stirred into the beaten eggs
before cooking. It will take a little more butter to fry it than a
plain one.
CHEESE OMELET.
Beat up three eggs, and add to them a tablespoonful of milk and a
tablespoonful of grated cheese; add a little more cheese before
folding; turn it out on a hot dish; grate a little cheese over it
before serving.
ASPARAGUS OMELET.
Boil with a little salt, and until about half cooked, eight or ten
stalks of asparagus, and cut the eatable part into rather small
pieces; beat the egg and mix the asparagus with them. Make the omelet
as above directed. Omelet with parsley is made by adding a little
chopped parsley.
TOMATO OMELET. No. 1.
Peel a couple of tomatoes, which split into four pieces; remove the
seeds and cut them into small dice; then fry them with a little butter
until nearly done, adding salt and pepper. Beat the eggs and mix the
tomatoes with them, and make the omelet as usual. Or stew a few
tomatoes in the usual way and spread over before folding.
TOMATO OMELET. No. 2.
Cut in slices and place in a stewpan six peeled tomatoes; add a
tablespoonful of cold water, a little pepper and salt. When they begin
to simmer, break in six eggs, stir well, stirring one way, until the
eggs are cooked, but not too hard. Serve warm.
RICE OMELET.
Take a cup of cold boiled rice, turn over it a cupful of warm milk,
add a tablespoonful of butter melted, a level teaspoonful of salt, a
dash of pepper; mix well, then add three well-beaten eggs. Put a
tablespoonful of butter in a hot frying pan, and when it begins to
boil pour in the omelet and set the pan in a hot oven. As soon as it
is cooked through, fold it double, turn it out on a hot dish, and
serve at once. Very good.
HAM OMELET.
Cut raw ham into dice, fry with butter and when cooked enough, turn
the beaten egg over it and cook as a plain omelet.
If boiled ham is used, mince it and mix with the egg after they are
beaten. Bacon may be used instead of raw ham.
CHICKEN OMELET.
Mince rather fine one cupful of cooked chicken, warm in a teacupful of
cream or rich milk a tablespoonful of butter, salt and pepper; thicken
with a large tablespoonful of flour. Make a plain omelet, then add
this mixture just before turning it over. This is much better than the
dry minced chicken. Tongue is equally good.
MUSHROOM OMELET.
Clean a cupful of large button mushrooms, canned ones may be used; cut
them into bits. Put into a stewpan an ounce of butter and let it melt;
add the mushrooms, a teaspoonful of salt, half a teaspoonful of pepper
and half a cupful of cream or milk. Stir in a teaspoonful of flour,
dissolved in a little milk or water to thicken, if needed. Boil ten
minutes, and set aside until the omelet is ready.
Make a plain omelet the usual way, and just before doubling it, turn
the mushrooms over the centre and serve hot.
OYSTER OMELET.
Parboil a dozen oysters in their own liquor, skim them out and let
them cool; add them to the beaten eggs, either whole or minced. Cook
the same as a plain omelet.
Thicken the liquid with butter rolled in flour; season with salt,
cayenne pepper and a teaspoonful of chopped parsley. Chop up the
oysters and add to the sauce. Put a few spoonfuls in the centre of the
omelet before folding; when dished, pour the remainder of the sauce
around it.
FISH OMELET.
Make a plain omelet, and when ready to fold, spread over it fish
prepared as follows: Add to a cupful of any kind of cold fish, broken
fine, cream enough to moisten it, seasoned with a tablespoonful of
butter; then pepper and salt to taste. Warm together.
ONION OMELET.
Make a plain omelet, and when ready to turn spread over it a
teaspoonful each of chopped onion and minced parsley; then fold, or,
if preferred, mix the minces into the eggs before cooking.
JELLY OMELET.
Make a plain omelet, and just before folding together, spread with
some kind of jelly. Turn out on a warm platter. Dust it with powdered
sugar.
BREAD OMELET. No. 1.
Break four eggs into a basin and carefully remove the treadles; have
ready a tablespoonful of grated and sifted bread; soak it in either
milk, water, cream, white wine, gravy, lemon juice, brandy or rum,
according as the omelet is intended to be sweet or savory. Well beat
the eggs together with a little nutmeg, pepper and salt; add the
bread, and, beating constantly (or the omelet will be crumbly), get
ready a frying pan, buttered and made thoroughly hot; put in the
omelet; do it on one side only; turn it upon a dish, and fold it
double to prevent the steam from condensing. Stale sponge-cake, grated
biscuit, or pound cake, may replace the bread for a sweet omelet, when
pounded loaf sugar should be sifted over it, and the dish decorated
with lumps of currant jelly. This makes a nice dessert.
BREAD OMELET. No. 2.
Let one teacupful of milk come to a boil, pour it over one teacupful
of bread crumbs and let it stand a few minutes. Break six eggs into a
bowl, stir (not beat) till well mixed; then add the milk and bread,
season with pepper and salt, mix all well together and turn into a hot
frying pan, containing a large spoonful of butter boiling hot. Fry the
omelet slowly, and when brown on the bottom cut in squares and turn
again, fry to a delicate brown and serve hot.
Cracker omelet may be made by substituting three or four rolled
crackers in place of bread.
BAKED OMELET.
Beat the whites and yolks of four or six eggs separately; add to the
yolks a small cup of milk, a tablespoonful of flour or cornstarch, a
teaspoonful of baking powder, one-half teaspoonful of salt, and,
lastly, the stiff-beaten whites. Bake in a well-buttered pie-tin or
plate about half an hour in a steady oven. It should be served the
moment it is taken from the oven, as it is liable to fall.
OMELET SOUFFLÉ.
Break six eggs into separate cups; beat four of the yolks, mix with
them one teaspoonful of flour, three tablespoonfuls of powdered sugar,
very little salt. Flavor with extract lemon or any other of the
flavors that may be preferred. Whisk the whites of six eggs to a firm
froth; mix them lightly with the yolks; pour the mixture into a
greased pan or dish; bake in a quick oven. When well-risen and lightly
browned on the top, it is done; roll out in warm dish, sift pulverized
sugar over, and send to table.
RUM OMELET.
Put a small quantity of lard into the pan; let it simmer a few minutes
and remove it; wipe the pan dry with a towel, and put in a little
fresh lard in which the omelet may be fried. Care should be taken that
the lard does not burn, which would spoil the color of the omelet.
Break three eggs separately; put them into a bowl and whisk them
thoroughly with a fork. The longer they are beaten, the lighter will
the omelet be. Beat up a teaspoonful of milk with the eggs and
continue to beat until the last moment before pouring into the pan,
which should be over a hot fire. As soon as the omelet sets, remove
the pan from the hottest part of the fire. Slip a knife under it to
prevent sticking to the pan. When the centre is almost firm, slant the
pan, work the omelet in shape to fold easily find neatly, and when
slightly browned, hold a platter against the edge of the pan and
deftly turn it out on to the hot dish. Dust a liberal quantity of
powdered sugar over it, and singe the sugar into neat stripes with a
hot iron rod, heated in the coals; pour a glass of warm Jamaica rum
around it, and when it is placed on the table set fire to the rum.
With a tablespoon dash the burning rum over the omelet, put out the
fire and serve. Salt _mixed_ with the eggs prevents them from rising,
and when it is so used the omelet will look flabby, yet without salt
it will taste insipid.
Add a little salt to it just before folding it and turning out on the
dish.
_"The Cook."_
SANDWICHES.
HAM SANDWICHES.
Make a dressing of half a cup of butter, one tablespoonful of mixed
mustard, one of salad oil, a little red or white pepper, a pinch of
salt and the yolk of an egg; rub the butter to a cream, add the other
ingredients and mix thoroughly; then stir in as much chopped ham as
will make it consistent and spread between thin slices of bread. Omit
salad oil and substitute melted butter if preferred.
HAM SANDWICHES, PLAIN.
Trim the crusts from thin slices of bread; butter them and lay between
every two some thin slices of cold boiled ham. Spread the meat with a
little mustard if liked.
CHICKEN SANDWICHES.
Mince up fine any cold boiled or roasted chicken; put it into a
saucepan with gravy, water or cream enough to soften it; add a good
piece of butter, a pinch of pepper; work it very smooth while it is
heating until it looks almost like a paste. Then spread it on a plate
to cool. Spread it between slices of buttered bread.
SARDINE SANDWICHES.
Take two boxes of sardines and throw the contents into hot water,
having first drained away all the oil. A few minutes will free the
sardines from grease. Pour away the water and dry the fish in a cloth;
then scrape away the skins and pound the sardines in a mortar till
reduced to paste; add pepper, salt and some tiny pieces of lettuce,
and spread on the sandwiches, which have been previously cut as above.
The lettuce adds very much to the flavor of the sardines.
Or chop the sardines up fine and squeeze a few drops of lemon juice
into them, and spread between buttered bread or cold biscuits.
WATER CRESS SANDWICHES.
Wash well some water cress and then dry them in a cloth, pressing out
every atom of moisture as far as possible; then mix with the cress
hard-boiled eggs chopped fine, and seasoned with salt and pepper. Have
a stale loaf and some fresh butter, and with a sharp knife cut as many
thin slices as will be required for two dozen sandwiches; then cut the
cress into small pieces, removing the stems; place it between each
slice of bread and butter, with a slight sprinkling of lemon juice;
press down the slices hard, and cut them sharply on a board into small
squares, leaving no crust.
_Nantasket Beach._
EGG SANDWICHES.
Hard boil some very fresh eggs and when cold cut them into moderately
thin slices and lay them between some bread and butter cut as thin as
possible; season them with pepper, salt and nutmeg. For picnic
parties, or when one is traveling, these sandwiches are far preferable
to hard-boiled eggs _au naturel_.
MUSHROOM SANDWICHES.
Mince beef tongue and boiled mushrooms together, add French mustard
and spread between buttered bread.
CHEESE SANDWICHES.
These are extremely nice and are very easily made. Take one
hard-boiled egg, a quarter of a pound of common cheese grated, half a
teaspoonful of salt, half a teaspoonful of pepper, half a teaspoonful
of mustard, one tablespoonful of melted butter, and one tablespoonful
of vinegar or cold water. Take the yolk of the egg and put it into a
small bowl and crumble it down, put into it the butter and mix it
smooth with a spoon, then add the salt, pepper, mustard and the
cheese, mixing each well. Then put in the tablespoonful of vinegar,
which will make it the proper thickness. If vinegar is not relished,
then use cold water instead. Spread this between two biscuits or
pieces of oat-cake, and you could not require a better sandwich. Some
people will prefer the sandwiches less highly seasoned. In that case,
season to taste.
BREAD.
Among all civilized people bread has become an article of food of the
first necessity; and properly so, for it constitutes of itself a
complete life sustainer, the gluten, starch and sugar which it
contains representing ozotized and hydro-carbonated nutrients, and
combining the sustaining powers of the animal and vegetable kingdoms
in one product. As there is no one article of food that enters so
largely into our daily fare as bread, so no degree of skill in
preparing other articles can compensate for lack of knowledge in the
art of making good, palatable and nutritious bread. A little earnest
attention to the subject will enable any one to comprehend the theory,
and then ordinary care in practice will make one familiar with the
process.
GENERAL DIRECTIONS.
The first thing required for making wholesome bread is the utmost
cleanliness; the next is the soundness and sweetness of all the
ingredients used for it; and, in addition to these, there must be
attention and care through the whole process.
Salt is always used in bread-making, not only on account of its
flavor, which destroys the insipid raw state of the flour, but because
it makes the dough rise better.