EGGS
Of all the products put into requisition by the art of cookery, not
one is so fruitful of variety, so universally liked, and so complete
in itself as the egg. There are very few culinary recipes that do not
include eggs, either as a principal constituent or as an ingredient.
The many and various egg-preparations constitute chiefly breakfast or
luncheon dishes; nevertheless, at a Lenten dinner they may be served
as entrées with advantage, for, at a time when fish, shell-fish and
water-game are the only resources in this respect, eggs form a pleasant
and welcome change.
395—EGGS ON THE DISH
Eggs cooked in this way derive all their quality from the way in which
the cooking process is conducted. They must be evenly cooked, on top
and underneath, and should remain soft. An important condition of the
process is that the eggs should be exceedingly fresh. After having
heated sufficient butter in the dish to cover the whole of the bottom,
break two eggs into it, baste the yolks with a little very hot butter,
salt them slightly, and push them into the oven. As soon as the white
of the eggs assumes a milky-white colour, they are cooked and should be
withdrawn from the oven to be served immediately.
Great attention should be bestowed upon the cooking process, a few
seconds more or less than the required time being sufficient to spoil
the eggs. Special care ought to be taken that they do not cook either
too much or too quickly, for it should be remembered that, even were
the cooking checked before the proper time, the heat of the dish does,
to a certain extent, make good the deficiency.
Eggs _à la poêle_, which, in England, are called “fried eggs,” are a
variety of eggs on the dish, very often served on toast, or accompanied
by sausages or fried bacon. They are cooked in an omelet-pan, trimmed
neatly with a fancy-cutter, and placed, by means of a spatula, upon the
prepared toast.
About one-half oz. of butter should be allowed for every two eggs,
which number constitutes the working-base of the following recipes.
396—BERCY EGGS
Put half of the butter to be used in a dish; let it melt, break the
eggs, taking care not to burst the yolks; baste the latter with the
rest of the butter, and season. Cook as directed—that is to say, until
the whites are quite done and the yolks are glossy. Garnish with a
small, grilled sausage, placed between the yolks, and surround with a
thread of tomato sauce.
397—EGGS WITH BROWN BUTTER
There are two methods: (1) Cook the eggs in a dish as usual, and then
cover them with one-quarter oz. of brown butter and a few drops of
vinegar, which should be added after the butter.
(2) Put one-half oz. of butter into a small omelet-pan, and cook it
until it is almost black. Break the eggs into it, season, cook, tilt
them gently on to a dish, and besprinkle with a few drops of vinegar,
with which the omelet-pan has been rinsed.
398—EGGS CHASSEUR
Cook the eggs as per No. 395. This done, garnish on either side with a
tablespoonful of sliced chicken’s liver, rapidly _sautéd_ and cohered
with a little Chasseur sauce.
399—DEVILLED EGGS
Cook the eggs in the omelet-pan; turn them, after the manner of
pancakes, taking care lest they break. Slide them gently into a dish,
and besprinkle them with brown butter and a few drops of vinegar with
which the omelet-pan has been rinsed.
400—EGGS A LA FLORENTINE
Garnish the bottom of a dish with spinach-leaves stewed in butter;
sprinkle thereon two pinches of grated cheese; break the eggs upon this
garnish, and cover them with two tablespoonfuls of Mornay sauce. Place
in a fierce oven, so that the cooking and glazing of the eggs may be
effected simultaneously.
401—EGGS AU GRATIN
Put a tablespoonful of very hot Mornay sauce into a dish. Break the
eggs into it, cover them with Mornay sauce, sprinkle with grated cheese
mixed with fine raspings, and cook in a fierce oven, in order that the
eggs and the _gratin_ may be done at the same time.
402—ISOLINE EGGS
Cook the eggs according to No. 395. Place between them, and all round
the dish, some small, halved tomatoes à la Provençale. Put in the
centre of each halved tomato a fine chicken’s liver _sautéd_ with
Madeira.
403—JOCKEY CLUB EGGS
Cook the eggs in an omelet-pan; tilt them gently on to a dish, and trim
them with a round fancy-cutter. Place each egg upon a round, thin piece
of toast, and then cover them with foie-gras purée. Arrange them in
the form of a crown, on a dish, and pour into the middle a garnish of
calf’s kidneys cut into dice and _sautéd_, and truffles similarly cut,
the latter being cohered by means of some dense half-glaze.
404—LULLY EGGS
Cook the eggs in an omelet-pan, and cut them with a round fancy-cutter.
Place each egg on a slice of raw ham, cut to the same shape as the
former, and fried in butter. Then place the egg and ham on toast
similarly shaped and of the same size. Arrange the eggs in a circle
round the dish, and garnish the middle of it with macaroni combined
with _concassed_ tomatoes stewed in butter.
405—MEYERBEER EGGS
Cook the eggs as in No. 395. Place a small, grilled sheep’s or lamb’s
kidney between each yolk, and surround with a thread of Périgueux sauce.
406—MIRABEAU EGGS
Substitute for ordinary butter, anchovy butter. Break the eggs and cook
them. Surround each yolk with anchovy fillets, and garnish each of
these with a spray of parboiled tarragon leaves. Place a large olive
stuffed with tarragon butter on either side of the yolks.
407—OMER-PACHA EGGS
Garnish a dish with a large tablespoonful of minced onions cooked in
butter and unbrowned. Break the eggs over the garnish, sprinkle them
with a small tablespoonful of dry, grated Parmesan cheese, and cook in
a sufficiently fierce oven for a slight _gratin_ to form as soon as the
eggs are done.
408—PARMENTIER EGGS
Bake some fine Dutch potatoes in the oven. Open them, from above, with
an oval fancy-cutter; remove the pulp from the inside, rub it through a
sieve, and make a smooth purée of it. Half-fill the potato-shells with
this purée, break an egg into each, besprinkle with cream, and cook
in the oven. Replace the part of the baked shell removed in the first
instance, and dish up on a napkin.
409—EGGS A LA PORTUGAISE
Put a tablespoonful of tomato _fondue_ into a dish. Break the eggs upon
this, season, and cook. Between the eggs and at each end of the dish
put a little heap of tomato _fondue_, and on each of the heaps drop a
pinch of chopped parsley.
410—EGGS A LA REINE
Cook the eggs in an omelet-pan, and trim them with a round
fancy-cutter. Put each egg upon a small disc of Duchesse potatoes, of
the same size as the egg, previously browned in the oven. Arrange the
eggs in a circle round the dish; in the middle put a chicken mincemeat,
and surround with a border of Suprême sauce.
=Poached and Soft-boiled Eggs=
All the recipes given hereafter apply equally to poached and
soft-boiled eggs, wherefore I shall only mention “poached” in the
titles, leaving soft-boiled to be understood.
411—PROCEDURE FOR POACHED EGGS
The one and only essential condition in this case is the use of
perfectly fresh eggs, for it is quite impossible to expect an even
poaching if this condition is not fulfilled.
(1) Have ready a sauté-pan containing boiling salted water
(one-third oz. of salt per quart of water), slightly acidulated with
vinegar. Break the eggs over that part of the water which is actually
boiling.
(2) In order that the eggs may poach freely, do not put more than eight
or ten at a time into the same sauté-pan; better even poach them six at
a time, for then the poaching will be effected more equally.
(3) As soon as the eggs are in the water, let the latter simmer. The
egg is poached when the white has enveloped the yolk, reassuming, as
it were, the form of a raw egg, and when it may be touched without
breaking. The usual time allowed for poaching is three minutes.
(4) Withdraw the eggs by means of a slice; dip them into cold water,
trim their whites, and put them back into moderately warm water until
ready to serve.
412—THE COOKING OF SOFT-BOILED EGGS
These ought to be very fresh, as in the case of poached eggs. With a
view to equalising their cooking, it is a good plan to put them in a
colander perforated with large holes, whereby they may be plunged into
and withdrawn from the water together. Keep the water boiling; plunge
the eggs therein as directed; leave them to cook for six minutes from
the time the water has regained the boiling-point; drain, steep for a
moment in a bowl of cold water, and shell the eggs carefully. Keep them
in moderately-salted hot water until ready to serve.
413—THE DISHING OF POACHED AND SOFT-BOILED EGGS
There are many ways of doing this, viz.:—
(1) On rusks of bread-crumb, slightly hollowed, ornamented according
to taste (_i.e._, indented by means of the point of a small knife) and
fried in clarified butter. Their shape is oval for poached eggs, and
round for soft-boiled eggs, the latter being generally dished upright.
(2) On little, oval _feuilletés_ for poached eggs, on _feuilletés_ in
the shape of indented crowns, or in small patties for soft-boiled eggs.
(3) In borders of forcemeat or other preparations, the kind of which
is indicated by the name of the particular egg-preparation. These
borders are laid on the dish by means of a piping-bag or by hand; they
are either oval or round, plain or indented, poached or oven-browned,
according to the nature of the preparation used.
(4) On tartlet-crusts which are garnished so as to be in keeping with
the method of dressing the eggs.
_Remarks._—(1) Poached or soft-boiled eggs, when dished upon fried
rusks, _feuilletés_, or tartlets, should, before being placed on the
latter, be covered with sauce. Also before being treated with sauce
they should be well drained.
(2) Having given the general outlines of the procedure, I shall now
pass on to the particular recipes, stating them briefly, and reminding
the reader that all of them apply equally to poached and soft-boiled
eggs. Thus “Poached Eggs Mireille” stands for “Poached or Soft-boiled
Eggs Mireille.”
414—POACHED EGGS ARGENTEUIL
Garnish the bottom of some tartlet-crusts with asparagus cut into
pieces and cooked, and six green asparagus-heads, about one and
one-half inches in length, arranged like a star. Place an egg, coated
with cream sauce mixed with half its volume of asparagus purée, upon
each tartlet.
415—POACHED EGGS A L’AURORE
Coat the eggs with Aurora sauce, and dish them on oval _feuilletés_
if poached, or upright on _feuilletés_ in the shape of rings if
soft-boiled.
416—POACHED EGGS EN BERCEAU
Bake some fine Dutch potatoes in the oven. Cut each potato in half,
lengthwise, with the point of a small knife, and remove the pulp.
Emptied in this way, the halved potatoes resemble little cradles. Coat
the interior of each cradle with a fine chicken mincemeat mixed with
cream, and place an egg coated with Aurora sauce in each.
417—POACHED EGGS A LA BOHÉMIENNE
Garnish the bottom of some tartlet-crusts with a _salpicon_ of
foie-gras and truffles cohered with a few tablespoonfuls of the
following sauce:—For six eggs, dissolve one teaspoonful of white-meat
glaze; add thereto half a teaspoonful of truffle essence, and finish
with a lump of butter about the size of a pigeon’s egg. Take enough of
this sauce to effect the cohering of the _salpicon_; coat the eggs with
Hungarian sauce, and place one upon each garnished tartlet.
418—POACHED EGGS BOÏELDIEU
Garnish the tartlets with a white-chicken-meat, foie-gras, and truffle
_salpicon_ cohered with poultry velouté. Coat the eggs with a reduced
and thickened poultry gravy.
419—POACHED EGGS A LA BRUXELLOISE
Garnish some tartlet-crusts with braised, minced endives thickened
with cream. Place an egg, coated with cream sauce, upon each; sprinkle
moderately with _biscotte_ raspings, and set to glaze quickly in a
fierce oven.
420—POACHED EGGS A LA CLAMART
Garnish some tartlet-crusts with small, green peas, cooked à la
française (No. 2193), and mixed with finely _ciseled_ lettuce which
should have cooked with them. Place an egg, coated with cream sauce
which has been finished with fresh-pea butter, upon each.
421—POACHED EGGS COLBERT
Garnish some tartlet-crusts with a _macédoine_ cohered with Béchamel.
Place a plainly-poached egg upon each, and send Colbert butter,
separately, to the table with the tartlets.
422—POACHED EGGS A LA COMTESSE
Garnish some tartlet-crusts with white asparagus purée. Place an egg
coated with Allemande sauce upon each, and sprinkle with very black
chopped truffles.
423—POACHED EGGS GRAND DUC
There are two modes of procedure:—(_a_) Place the eggs on fried rusks,
with a nice slice of truffle on each; arrange them in a circle round
the dish, coat with Mornay sauce, and set to glaze in a fierce oven.
On withdrawing the dish from the oven, put in the centre a garnish
composed of asparagus-heads and a small faggot of the latter, very
green and cooked. (_b_) Prepare a _croustade_, moulded in a flawn ring,
the size of which must be in proportion to the number of eggs to be
served. Arrange the eggs in a circle in the _croustade_, coat them with
Mornay sauce, and set to glaze in a fierce oven. On withdrawing the
_croustade_ from the oven, garnish its centre with asparagus-heads and
a small faggot as above.
424—POACHED EGGS MAINTENON
Garnish some tartlet-crusts with a Soubise à la Béchamel, slightly
thickened by reduction. Coat the eggs with Mornay sauce, besprinkle
with grated cheese, and place them in the crusts by means of a slice.
Set to glaze in a fierce oven, and, on withdrawing the dish from the
oven, surround the crusts with a thread of melted meat-glaze.
425—POACHED EGGS MASSÉNA
Heat some medium-sized artichoke-bottoms in butter. Slightly hollow
them, if necessary, and garnish each with a tablespoonful of
Béarnaise sauce. Place an egg, coated with tomato sauce, upon each
artichoke-bottom; then place a slice of poached marrow upon each egg,
and a little chopped parsley upon each slice of marrow.
426—POACHED EGGS MIREILLE
Slightly press some saffroned pilaff rice in buttered tartlet moulds.
Prepare as many pieces of toast of the same size as the tartlets, and
fry them in oil. Place an egg, coated with cream sauce, finished with
saffron, upon each. Turn the rice-tartlets out of the moulds, and
arrange them in a circle on a dish, alternating them with the eggs on
toast; put a coffeespoonful of _concassed_ tomatoes, stewed in butter
and kept rather thick, upon each rice-tartlet.
427—POACHED EGGS MORNAY
Coat the eggs with Mornay sauce, and besprinkle with grated Gruyère and
Parmesan cheese mixed with fine raspings. Then, by means of a slice,
carefully transfer the eggs to pieces of toast fried in oil. Arrange
them in a circle on a dish, sprinkle each egg with a few drops of
melted butter, and set to glaze quickly in a fierce oven.
428—POACHED EGGS D’ORSAY
Place the eggs upon toast fried in butter. Arrange them in a circle on
a dish, and coat them with Châteaubriand sauce.
429—POACHED EGGS ROSSINI
Garnish some tartlet-crusts, each with a slice of foie gras (raw if
possible) seasoned, dredged with flour, and fried in butter. Place an
egg, coated with thickened veal gravy with Madeira, on each tartlet,
and complete by means of a large slice of very black truffle on each
egg.
430—POACHED EGGS SÉVIGNÉ
Prepare some thin rusks; fry them in clarified butter, and stuff them
with a mince of braised lettuce. Place an egg on each stuffed rusk;
coat with velouté mixed with poultry essence; arrange in a circle on a
dish, and complete by means of a ring of very black truffle on each egg.
431—POACHED EGGS VICTORIA
Garnish some tartlet-crusts with a _salpicon_ made from three oz. of
spiny-lobster meat and one-half oz. of truffles, cohered with three
tablespoonfuls of Diplomate sauce. Place an egg, coated with Diplomate
sauce, on each tartlet. Dish, and set to glaze in a fierce oven.
432—POACHED EGGS WITH RED WINE
These eggs may either be poached with red wine, or in the ordinary way.
In the first case, the wine used for poaching may serve to prepare the
red wine or Bordelaise sauce (No. 32). In either case, the eggs are
dished on oval rusks, slightly hollowed and fried in butter; they are
coated with the sauce, after having been dished, and they are quickly
glazed.
433—HARD-BOILED EGGS
Boiling eggs hard may seem an insignificant matter, but, like the other
modes of procedure, it is, in reality, of some importance, and should
be effected in a given period of time. If, for a special purpose, they
have to be just done, it is pointless and even harmful to boil them
beyond a certain time-limit, seeing that any excess in the boiling
only makes them tough, and the whites particularly so, owing to their
albuminous nature. In order to boil eggs uniformly, they should be put
into a colander with large holes, whereby they may be plunged at the
same moment of time into the boiling water. From the time the water
regains the boiling point, eight minutes should be allowed in the case
of medium-sized eggs, and ten minutes in the case of larger ones; but
these times should never be exceeded. As soon as they are done drain
the eggs and dip them in cold water, and then shell them carefully.
434—HARD-BOILED EGGS CARÊME
Have ready beforehand a timbale crust (No. 2394), somewhat shallow.
For six hard-boiled eggs, slice four artichoke-bottoms of medium size,
and stew them in butter; cut some truffles into slices, allowing four
slices to each egg, and cut up the eggs into discs about one-half inch
thick. Prepare also in advance one-half pint of Nantua sauce.
Garnish the crust with alternate layers of sliced artichoke-bottoms,
egg-discs, and sliced truffles. Finish with a coating of sauce and a
ring of sliced truffles.
Dish up the crust on a napkin.
435—HARD-BOILED EGGS CHIMAY
Cut the eggs, lengthwise, in two. Remove the yolks, pound them into
a paste, and add thereto an equal quantity of dry Duxelle (No. 223).
Fill the empty whites with the preparation; place them on a buttered
_gratin_-dish; cover them with Mornay sauce; besprinkle with grated
cheese; pour a few drops of melted butter upon the sauce, and set to
glaze in a fierce oven.
436—HARD-BOILED EGGS IN CROQUETTES
Cut the eggs into small dice (white and yolks). Per six eggs add
five oz. of cooked mushrooms and one oz. of truffles, cut into dice.
Thicken the whole with one-quarter pint of reduced Béchamel, and spread
on a plate to cool.
When cold, divide the preparation into portions weighing about two oz.;
roll these portions into balls on a floured mixing-board, and then
shape them like eggs. Dip them into an _anglaise_ (No. 174), taking
care to cover them well with it, and then roll them in fine and fresh
bread-crumbs, letting this operation avail for finishing off the shape.
Put them into hot fat seven or eight minutes before dishing up; drain,
salt moderately, place on a napkin, with a centre garnish of very
green, fried parsley, and send a cream sauce to the table with them.
437—HARD-BOILED EGGS IN RISSOLES
Make a preparation of eggs, as for the croquettes, using a little more
sauce. Roll some puff-paste trimmings to a thickness of one-quarter
inch, and stamp it with a round indented cutter two and one-half inches
in diameter.
Place a small tablespoonful of the preparation in the middle of each
piece of paste; moisten slightly all round, and make the rissoles
by folding the outside edges of the paste over one another to look
like a closed purse, taking care to press them well together so as to
join them, thus completely enclosing the preparation. Treat them _à
l’anglaise_; put them into hot fat eight minutes before serving, and
dish up on a napkin, with a centre garnish of parsley.
438—EGGS A LA TRIPE
For six eggs, finely mince two onions, and stew them in butter, without
letting them acquire any colour. Add thereto one-half pint of Béchamel
sauce, and set to cook gently for ten minutes. A few minutes before
serving add the eggs, cut into large slices, to the sauce.
Dish up in a timbale.
439—EGGS A LA TRIPE, BOURGEOISE
For six eggs chop up two large onions and stew them in butter without
colouration. Sprinkle them with one-half oz. of flour, moisten with one
pint of boiling milk, and season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg.
Set to cook, gently, for twenty minutes; rub through a fine sieve or
through tammy, and transfer the preparation to a saucepan, and heat it
well. Dish up the eggs, which should be quartered, in a timbale, and
cover them with the preparation of onions, very hot.
440—EGGS EN COCOTTE
The poaching of eggs _en cocotte_ is done in the _bain-marie_.
_Cocottes_ for eggs, which may be replaced by little china or plaited
cases, are a kind of small saucepan in earthenware, in porcelain, or
in silver, provided with a little handle. The time generally allowed
for the cooking or poaching of eggs in this way is ten minutes, but
this time is subject to variations either way. In order to accelerate
the process I should advise the warming of the _cocottes_ before the
insertion of the eggs.
_Mode of Procedure._—Having garnished the _cocottes_ and broken the
eggs into them, as directed in the recipes given hereafter, set them
in a sauté-pan and pour therein enough boiling water to reach within
one-half inch of the brims of the _cocottes_. Place in the oven and
cover, just leaving sufficient opening for the steam to escape.
The eggs are done when the whites are almost set and the yolks are
glossy. After having properly wiped the _cocottes_, dish them on a
napkin or on a fancy dish-paper.
441—EGGS EN COCOTTE AU CHAMBERTIN
Prepare a red-wine sauce au Chambertin. Fill the _cocottes_, one-third
full, with this sauce. Set to boil on a corner of the stove; break
the eggs into the boiling sauce, season with a grain of salt, and put
the _cocottes_, one by one, into a sauté-pan containing the necessary
quantity of boiling water.
Poach as directed, and set to glaze quickly at the last moment.
442—EGGS EN COCOTTE WITH CREAM
This preparation constitutes the radical type of this series of eggs,
and, for a long time, was the only one in use. Heat the _cocottes_
beforehand; pour a tablespoonful of boiling cream into each, followed
by an egg, broken; season, and add two little lumps of butter, the size
of peas. Place the _cocottes_ in a _bain-marie_, and poach as before.
443—EGGS EN COCOTTE A LA JEANNETTE
Garnish the bottom and the sides of the _cocottes_ with a thickness of
one-third inch of chicken-forcemeat with cream, mixed with a fifth of
its volume of foie gras. Break the egg over the middle, season, and
poach in the usual way. When about to serve, surround the eggs with a
thread of poultry velouté.
444—EGGS EN COCOTTE WITH GRAVY
Break the eggs into buttered _cocottes_. Season, poach, and, when about
to serve, surround the yolks with a thread of reduced veal gravy.
445—EGGS EN COCOTTE A LA LORRAINE
Put a teaspoonful of breast of pork, cut into dice and fried, into
each _cocotte_, also three thin slices of Gruyère cheese and one
tablespoonful of boiling cream. Break the eggs, season, and poach in
the usual way.
446—EGGS EN COCOTTE A LA MARAICHÈRE
Garnish the bottom and sides of the _cocottes_ with cooked spinach,
chopped and pressed, and sorrel and lettuce leaves, both of which
should be stewed in butter. Break the eggs, season, poach in the usual
way, and, when about to send the eggs to the table, drop a fine chervil
_pluche_ on each yolk.
447—EGGS EN COCOTTE WITH MORELS
Garnish the bottom and sides of the cocottes with minced morels fried
in butter and thickened with a little reduced half-glaze. Break the
eggs, season, poach, and surround the yolks with a thread of half-glaze
when dishing up.
448—EGGS EN COCOTTE A LA SOUBISE
Garnish the bottom and sides of the _cocottes_ with a coating of thick
Soubise purée. Break the eggs, season, and poach. When dishing up,
surround the yolks with a thread of melted meat-glaze.
449—MOULDED EGGS
These form a very ornamental dish, but the time required to prepare
them being comparatively long, poached, soft-boiled, and other kinds of
eggs are generally preferred in their stead. They are made in variously
shaped moulds, ornamented according to the nature of the preparation,
and the eggs are broken into them direct, or they may be inserted
in the form of scrambled eggs, together with raw eggs poached in a
_bain-marie_.
Whatever be the mode of preparation, the moulds should always be
liberally buttered. The usual time allowed for the poaching of the eggs
in moulds is from ten to twelve minutes, but when withdrawn from the
_bain-marie_ it is well to let the moulds stand awhile with the view of
promoting a settling of their contents, which action facilitates the
ultimate turning out of the latter.
Empty the moulds on small pieces of toast or tartlets, and arrange
these in a circle round the dish.
450—MOULDED EGGS A LA CARIGNAN
Butter some _Madeleine-moulds_, shaped like elongated shells, and
garnish them with a thin coating of chicken-stuffing or crayfish
butter. Break the eggs in the middle of the forcemeat; season, place
carefully in a _bain-marie_, and poach, with cover on, in the oven,
leaving a small opening for the escape of the generated vapour. Empty
the moulds on toast cut to the same shape as the moulds and fried in
butter; arrange them on the dish, and coat with a Châteaubriand sauce.
451—MOULDED EGGS A LA DUCHESSE
Butter some baba-moulds; garnish the bottom of each with a large slice
of truffle; break an egg into each, and poach in the _bain-marie_.
Turn out the moulds on to little fluted _galettes_ made from Duchesse
potatoes and coloured in the oven after having been _gilded_.
Dish up in the form of a crown, and coat with a thickened veal gravy.
452—GALLI-MARIÉ, MOULDED EGGS
For four people: (1) Prepare five scrambled eggs, keeping them very
soft; add thereto three raw, beaten eggs and one teaspoonful of
capsicum, cut into dice. Mould this preparation in four little shallow
_cassolettes_, well buttered, and poach in the _bain-marie_.
(2) Have ready and hot as many cooked artichoke-bottoms as there are
_cassolettes_; the former should have had their edges fluted. Have also
ready a “Rice à la Grecque” (No. 2253).
(3) Garnish the artichoke-bottoms with the rice; turn out the
_cassolettes_ upon the latter; arrange on a dish, and cover with
highly-seasoned and buttered Béchamel sauce. Put the dish in a fierce
oven, so as to glaze quickly, and serve immediately.
453—MOULDED EGGS A LA MORTEMART
Scramble five eggs, keeping them soft, and add thereto three raw,
beaten eggs. Butter some shallow, timbale moulds; garnish their bottoms
with a fine slice of truffle, and fill them with the preparation of
eggs. Poach in a _bain-marie_.
Turn out each mould on a tartlet-crust, garnished with mushroom purée
à la crème (No. 2079), and arrange in a circle on a round dish. Send a
sauceboat containing some melted and buttered meat-glaze to the table
with the eggs.
454—NEAPOLITAN MOULDED EGGS
Make a preparation consisting of scrambled eggs and Parmesan cheese,
keeping it very soft; add thereto, per five scrambled eggs, two
raw eggs. Fill some little, well-buttered brioche-moulds with this
preparation, and poach in the _bain-marie_. As soon as their contents
are properly set, turn out the moulds on to a buttered _gratin_ dish,
besprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese, and coat the eggs with reduced
and buttered half-glaze, well saturated with tomato.
455—MOULDED EGGS PALERMITAINE
Butter some _baba-moulds_; garnish the bottoms with a slice of truffle,
and besprinkle the sides with very red, chopped tongue. Put the moulds
in ice for a while, in order that the tongue may set in the butter.
Break an egg into each mould, season, and poach in the _bain-marie_.
Turn out the moulds on tartlet-crusts garnished with macaroni with
cream.
456—POLIGNAC MOULDED EGGS
Butter some _baba-moulds_, and garnish the bottoms with a slice of
truffle. Break an egg into each; season, and poach in a _bain-marie_.
Turn out the moulds upon little round pieces of toast; arrange them in
a circle on a dish, and coat the eggs with Maître-d’Hôtel butter, the
latter being dissolved and mixed with three tablespoonfuls of melted
meat-glaze per every one-quarter lb. of its weight.
457—PRINCESS MOULDED EGGS
Butter some narrow and deep _dariole-moulds_; garnish their bottoms
with a slice of very black truffle, and their sides with a very thin
coating of chicken forcemeat.
Make a preparation of scrambled eggs, asparagus-heads, and truffles cut
into dice, keeping them very soft, and add thereto raw, beaten eggs in
the proportion of one raw egg to every four scrambled.
Fill the moulds, two-thirds full, with this preparation; cover the eggs
with a coating of forcemeat, and poach in a _bain-marie_ for twelve
minutes.
Turn out the moulds upon little, round pieces of toast; set these in
a circle on a dish, and surround them with a thread of clear poultry
velouté. Or the velouté may be sent to the table separately, in a
sauceboat.
458—PRINTANIER MOULDED EGGS
Butter some hexagonal moulds, and garnish them, _Chartreuse-fashion_,
with cut-up, cooked vegetables, varying the shades. Break an egg into
each mould; season, and poach in a _bain-marie_. Turn out the moulds
upon little, round pieces of toast; arrange these in a circle on a
dish, and pour in their midst a cream sauce finished by means of a
_Printanier_ butter with herbs, in the proportion of one oz. of butter
to one-quarter pint of sauce.
459—SCRAMBLED EGGS
This dish is undoubtedly the finest of all egg-preparations, provided
the eggs be not over-cooked, and they be kept soft and creamy.
Scrambled eggs are mostly served in silver timbales, but, in certain
cases, they may also be dished in special little _croustades_, in
little receptacles made from hollowed brioches, or in tartlet-crusts.
Formerly, it was customary to garnish scrambled eggs served in a silver
timbale with small, variously-shaped pieces of toast, or with small
scraps of puff-paste, cooked without colouration, and shaped like
crescents, lozenges, rings, _palmettes_, &c. This method has something
to recommend it, and may always be adopted. In old cookery, scrambled
eggs were sanctioned only when cooked in a _bain-marie_. This measure
certainly ensured their being properly cooked, but it considerably
lengthened the procedure. The latter may therefore be shortened by
cooking the eggs in the usual way, _i.e._, in a utensil in direct
contact with the fire; but in this case the heat must be moderate, in
order that, the process of cooking being progressive and gradual,
perfect homogeneity of the particles of the eggs (effecting the
smoothness of the preparation) may result.
460—METHOD OF SCRAMBLING EGGS
For six eggs, slightly heat one oz. of butter in a thick-bottomed
sauté-pan. Add the six eggs, beaten moderately, together with a
large pinch of salt and a little pepper; place the pan on a moderate
fire, and stir constantly with a wooden spoon, taking care to avoid
anything in the way of sudden, fierce heat, which, by instantaneously
solidifying the egg-molecules, would cause lumps to form in the mass—a
thing which, above all, should be guarded against.
When, by cooking, the eggs have acquired the proper consistence, and
are still smooth and creamy, take the sauté-pan off the fire, and
finish the preparation by means of one and one-half oz. of butter
(divided into small quantities) and three tablespoonfuls of cream. Only
whisk the eggs to be scrambled when absolutely necessary.
N.B.—Having given the mode of procedure, which is unalterable for
scrambled eggs, I shall now pass on, in the following recipes, to the
various garnishes suited to this kind of dish. The quantities I give
are those required for six scrambled eggs.
461—SCRAMBLED EGGS A LA BOHÉMIENNE
Take one cottage brioche for every two eggs. Remove the tops of the
brioches, and the crumb from the remaining portions, so as to form
cases of these. Add one-half oz. of foie gras to the scrambled eggs,
and half as much truffles, cut into dice, for every two eggs. Fill the
emptied brioches with this preparation, and place a slice of truffle
coated with meat-glaze upon each.
462—SCRAMBLED EGGS WITH MUSHROOMS
Add to the scrambled eggs one oz. of cooked mushrooms cut into dice, or
raw mushrooms, minced and _sautéd_ in butter, for every two eggs.
Dish in a timbale; put a fine, cooked, and grooved mushroom in the
middle, and surround with a crown of sliced mushrooms, also cooked.
463—SCRAMBLED EGGS, CHASSEUR
Dish the scrambled eggs in a timbale. Hollow out the middle, and place
therein a garnish of one fine chicken’s liver, _sautéd_, per every two
eggs. Sprinkle a pinch of chervil and tarragon on the garnish, and
surround with a thread of chasseur sauce (No. 33).
464—SCRAMBLED EGGS, CHATILLON
Dish the eggs in a timbale, and place a garnish of mushrooms in the
centre. The mushrooms should first be minced raw, and then _sautéd_
in butter. Sprinkle a pinch of chopped parsley on the garnish, and
surround with a thread of melted meat-glaze. Border the whole, close
to the sides of the timbale, with small crescents of puff-paste, baked
pale.
465—SCRAMBLED EGGS WITH SHRIMPS
Dish the scrambled eggs in a silver timbale. Place a little heap of
shrimps’ tails bound with a few tablespoonfuls of shrimp sauce in the
middle, and surround with a thread of the same sauce.
466—SCRAMBLED EGGS WITH HERBS
Add to the scrambled eggs a tablespoonful of parsley, chervil
_pluches_, chives, and tarragon leaves in equal quantities and chopped.
467—SCRAMBLED EGGS WITH CHEESE
Break the eggs, beat them, season, and add thereto, for every two
eggs, one-half oz. of fresh grated Gruyère cheese, and as much grated
Parmesan. Cook the eggs in the usual way on a very moderate fire, in
order to keep them creamy.
468—SCRAMBLED EGGS GRAND-MÈRE
Add to the scrambled eggs a tablespoonful of little crusts, cut into
dice, fried in clarified butter, and prepared in time to be inserted
into the eggs very hot. Dish in a timbale with a pinch of chopped
parsley in the middle.
469—SCRAMBLED EGGS, GEORGETTE
Bake three fine Dutch potatoes, or six smaller ones, in the oven. Open
them by means of an incision on their tops; withdraw the pulp from the
interior with the handle of a spoon, and keep the remaining shells
hot. Prepare the scrambled eggs in the usual way, and finish them away
from the fire with one and one-half oz. of crayfish butter, and eight
or ten shelled crayfish tails. Garnish the potato shells with this
preparation, and dish up on a napkin.
470—SCRAMBLED EGGS FOR HOT LUNCHEON HORS-D’ŒUVRE
I only give one recipe of this kind, but the series may be extended
at will without involving much deep research, since all that is needed
for the purpose of variety is the modification of the garnish and a
change in the _soufflé_ preparation. The mode of procedure remains
unalterable. Prepare the scrambled eggs, and garnish them as fancy may
suggest. Also make a “Soufflé with Parmesan Cheese” (No. 2295a).
Put the scrambled eggs into a large tartlet-crust, cook without
colouration, filling them only two-thirds full. Cover with the
_soufflé_ preparation, taking care to make it project in a mound above
the tartlets; place these on a tray, poach quickly in a hot oven, and
glaze at the same time.
471—SCRAMBLED EGGS WITH MORELS
Add to the scrambled eggs some minced morels, _sautéd_ in butter and
seasoned. Dish in timbales, and place a fine, cooked morel in the
centre of each.
472—SCRAMBLED EGGS WITH MOUSSERONS
Proceed as for No. 471.
473—SCRAMBLED EGGS, ORLOFF
Break the eggs; beat them, and add thereto a little fresh, thick cream.
Cook them in the usual way, and add three crayfishes’ tails per every
two eggs. Dish in little porcelain cases, place a fine slice of truffle
in each of the cases, and arrange these upon a napkin lying on a dish.
474—SCRAMBLED EGGS A LA PIÉMONTAISE
Add to the scrambled eggs, per every two of the latter, one-half oz. of
grated Parmesan cheese and a coffeespoonful of raw, grated, Piedmont
truffles. Dish in a timbale, and garnish with a fine crown of sliced
truffles of the same kind as the above.
475—SCRAMBLED EGGS A LA PORTUGAISE
Dish the eggs in a timbale, and place, in the middle, some fine,
_concassed_ tomatoes, seasoned and _sautéd_ in butter. Sprinkle a pinch
of _concassed_ parsley on the tomatoes, and surround with a thread of
meat-glaze.
476—SCRAMBLED EGGS, PRINCESS MARY
Prepare some small timbales in _dariole-moulds_ from puff-paste
scraps, and bake them without colouration; also some little covers of
puff-paste, stamped out with an indented fancy-cutter, two inches in
diameter. Set the covers on a tray, _gild_ them slightly, place on each
a scrap of indented paste, and leave this uncoloured. Bake the timbales
and the covers in a moderate oven.
Make a preparation of scrambled eggs and Parmesan cheese; add to this,
away from the fire, two tablespoonfuls of reduced velouté with truffle
essence and truffles cut into dice.
Garnish the timbales, put a cover on each, and dish up on a napkin.
477—SCRAMBLED EGGS, RACHEL
Add some truffles, cut into dice, and some asparagus-heads to the
scrambled eggs. Dish on a timbale; put a fine little faggot of
asparagus-heads in the middle, and surround with a crown of sliced
truffles.
478—SCRAMBLED EGGS, REINE MARGOT
Prepare the scrambled eggs in the usual way, and finish them with the
necessary quantity of almond butter. Place this preparation in small
tartlet-crusts, baked without colouration, and surround the tartlets
with a thread of Béchamel sauce, finished with pistachio butter, the
thread of sauce being close up to the edge of the tartlets.
480—SCRAMBLED EGGS, ROTHSCHILD
Finely pound the remains of six crayfish (cooked in _Mirepoix_) the
tails of which have been put aside, and add thereto, little by little,
two tablespoonfuls of thick cream. Rub through tammy.
Add this crayfish cream to the six beaten eggs; season, and cook on a
moderate fire with the object of obtaining a smooth, soft, and creamy
preparation. Serve in a timbale and garnish, firstly with a small
faggot of asparagus-heads placed in the middle of the eggs, secondly
with crayfish tails arranged in a circle round the asparagus, and
thirdly with large slices of very black truffles arranged in a crown
around the crayfish tails.
481—SCRAMBLED EGGS WITH TRUFFLES
Add one tablespoonful of truffles, cooked in Madeira and cut into dice,
to the scrambled eggs. Place these in a timbale, and garnish with a
crown of sliced truffles.
Or place the preparation in tartlet-crusts, made from trimmings of
puff-paste and baked without colouration, with a large slice of truffle
on the eggs, in each tartlet.
482—FRIED EGGS
In the long series of egg-preparations, fried eggs are those which hold
the least important place, for the fried eggs which are so commonly
served at breakfasts in England and America are really eggs _à la
poêle_. The real fried egg is almost unknown in England and America. As
a rule, the garnish given to this kind of eggs is served apart, while
the latter are dished, either on a napkin or on pieces of toast, with a
little fried parsley laid in the middle of the dish.
483—THE PREPARATION OF FRIED EGGS
Any fat, provided it be well purified, may be used for these eggs, but
oil is the more customary frying medium. To do these eggs properly,
only one should be dealt with at a time.
Heat some oil in an omelet-pan until it begins to smoke slightly; break
the egg on a plate; season it, and let it slide into the pan. Then,
with a wooden spoon, quickly cover up the yolk with the solidified
portions of the white, in order to keep the former soft.
Drain the egg on a piece of stretched linen, and proceed in the same
way with the other eggs until the required quantity has been treated.
484—FRIED EGGS A LA BORDELAISE
Prepare as many halved tomatoes à la Provençale (see tomatoes) as there
are eggs, adding a pinch of chopped shallots to each halved tomato.
When cooked, garnish them with _cèpes_, finely minced and _sautéd_ à
la Bordelaise; place a fried egg on each garnished half-tomato, and
arrange them in a circle on a dish, with fried parsley in the middle.
485—HARVESTERS’ FRIED EGGS
Fry as many _blanched_ rashers of breast of bacon as there are eggs.
Arrange in a circle on a dish, alternating the rasher with the eggs.
Garnish the centre with large peas, cooked with _ciseled_ lettuce and
finely-sliced potatoes.
486—FRIED POACHED EGGS
This kind is recommended, because it may be served with various
garnishes—either vegetables of the same nature, a _macédoine_,
vegetable purées, or divers cullises, sauces in keeping with the eggs,
artichoke-bottoms, mushrooms, morels, &c. (sliced and _sautéd_ in
butter), or tomato-_fondue_, &c.
After having properly drained and dried the poached eggs, which should
have been prepared beforehand, dip them carefully in a Villeroy
sauce (No. 108), and arrange them, one by one, on a dish. When the
sauce has set, pass the point of a small knife round the eggs to
remove any excess of sauce; take them off the dish to treat them
with an _anglaise_ (No. 174), and then roll them in very fine, fresh
bread-crumbs.
Plunge them into very hot fat three or four minutes before serving;
drain them on a piece of linen; salt slightly, arrange in a circle on a
dish, and set the selected garnish in the middle.
487—FRIED EGGS A LA PORTUGAISE
Place each of the fried eggs upon a half-tomato à la Portugaise,
_i.e._, stuffed with rice after having been previously half-baked in
the oven. Arrange in a circle on a dish, and garnish the centre with
_concassed_ tomatoes _sautéd_ in butter.
488—FRIED EGGS A LA PROVENÇALE
Put each fried egg on a half-tomato on a large, thick slice of
egg-plant, seasoned, rolled in flour, and fried in oil.
Set in a circle on a dish, with fried parsley in the centre.
489—FRIED EGGS A LA ROMAINE
Place the eggs, fried in oil, on little, oval _subrics_ of spinach.
The preparation of spinach should have anchovy fillets, cut into dice,
added to it.
490—FRIED EGGS A LA VERDI
Cut six hard-boiled eggs lengthwise. Remove the yolks, pound them with
two oz. of butter, and add thereto two tablespoonfuls of thick, cold
Béchamel, two tablespoonfuls of cooked herbs, and one tablespoonful of
lean ham, cooked and chopped. Garnish each half-white of egg with a
good tablespoonful of this preparation, and smooth it with the blade of
a small knife, shaping it in such wise as to represent the other half
of the egg. Dip each whole egg, thus formed, into an _anglaise_, and
roll in fine, fresh bread-crumbs. Plunge in hot fat six minutes before
serving, and dish on a napkin, with fried parsley in the centre. Send,
separately, to the table a garnish composed of asparagus-heads.
491—FRIED POACHED EGGS A LA VILLEROY
Prepare the eggs, poached beforehand, as explained under No. 486. Fry
them similarly, and dish them on a napkin, with a garnish of fried
parsley in the centre.
=Omelets=
The procedure for omelets is at once very simple and very difficult,
for tastes differ considerably in respect of their preparation. Some
like them well done, others insist upon their being just done, while
there are yet others who only enjoy them when they are almost liquid.
Nevertheless, the following conditions apply to all—namely, that there
should be homogeneity of the egg-molecules; that the whole mass should
be smooth and soft; and that it should be borne in mind that an omelet
is in reality scrambled eggs enclosed in a coat composed of coagulated
egg.
I take as my standard an omelet consisting of three eggs, the seasoning
of which comprises a small pinch of table-salt and a little pepper,
and which requires one-half oz. of butter for its preparation. The
quantities of garnishing ingredients given below, therefore, are based
upon this standard.
492—THE PREPARATION OF OMELETS
Heat the butter in the omelet-pan, until it exhales the characteristic
nutty smell. This will not only lend an exquisite taste to the omelet,
but the degree of heat reached in order to produce the aroma will be
found to ensure the perfect setting of the eggs.
Pour in the beaten and seasoned eggs, and stir briskly with a fork, in
order to heat the whole mass evenly. If the omelet is to be garnished
inside, this ought to be done at the present stage, and then the omelet
should be speedily rolled up and transferred to a dish, to be finished
in accordance with the nature of its designation.
When the omelet is on the dish, a piece of butter may be quickly drawn
across its surface, to make it glossy.
493—AGNÈS SOREL OMELET
Stuff the omelet with one tablespoonful of mushrooms, minced and
_sautéd_ in butter. Roll it up, and transfer it to a dish.
Then lay eight small slices of very red tongue upon it, letting their
edges overlap; surround with a thread of veal gravy.
494—OMELET A LA BRUXELLOISE
Stuff the omelet with two tablespoonfuls of braised endives, _ciseled_
and thickened with cream. Surround with a thread of cream sauce.
495—OMELET WITH CÈPES
Finely mince two oz. of _cèpes_; toss them in butter in an omelet-pan
until they have acquired a brown colour; add thereto a pinch of chopped
shallots, and toss them again for a moment.
Pour the eggs into the omelet-pan; make the omelet; dish up, and
surround with a thread of half-glaze.
496—OMELET WITH MUSHROOMS
Mince two oz. of raw mushrooms; toss them in butter in an omelet-pan;
add the eggs thereto, and make the omelet. Transfer it to a dish, lay
three little cooked and grooved mushrooms upon it, and surround with a
thread of half-glaze.
497—OMELET A LA CHOISY
Stuff the omelet with two tablespoonfuls of braised lettuce; the latter
should have been _ciseled_ and cohered by means of cream sauce.
Roll and dish the omelet, and surround it with a thread of cream sauce.
498—OMELET A LA CLAMART
Stuff the omelet with two tablespoonfuls of fresh peas, bound by means
of butter and combined with a portion of the lettuce used in cooking
them, finely _ciseled_. Roll and dish the omelet, make an opening
lengthwise in the centre, and fill the interspace with a tablespoonful
of fresh peas.
499—OMELET WITH CRUSTS
Combine with the beaten and seasoned eggs two tablespoonfuls of small
crusts, cut into dice, fried in clarified butter, and very hot.
Make the omelet very quickly.
500—OMELET WITH SPINACH
Stuff the omelet with two tablespoonfuls of spinach with cream, and
surround with a thread of cream sauce.
501—OMELET A LA FERMIÈRE
Add to the beaten and seasoned eggs one tablespoonful of very lean,
cooked ham cut into dice. Pour the eggs into the omelet-pan, and cook
them quickly, taking care to keep them very soft. Let the outside
harden slightly; tilt into the dish after the manner of a pancake, and
besprinkle the surface with a pinch of chopped parsley.
502—OMELET AUX FINES HERBES
Add to the eggs one tablespoonful of parsley, chervil, chive,
and tarragon leaves, all to be finely chopped and almost equally
apportioned.
Make the omelet in the usual way.
503—OMELET WITH VEGETABLE MARROW FLOWERS
Add to the eggs one and one-half oz. of the calices of freshly-plucked
and young vegetable-marrow flowers; _cisel_ and stew them, and add
thereto a pinch of chopped parsley. Surround the omelet with a thread
of tomato sauce.
N.B.—This omelet may be made with oil, as well as with butter.
504—OMELET WITH CHICKEN’S LIVER
Stuff the omelet with two tablespoonfuls of chicken’s liver, which
should be cut into dice or finely sliced, seasoned, quickly _sautéd_ in
butter, and cohered with half-glaze. Dish the omelet, make an opening
lengthwise in the centre, and place one tablespoonful of chicken’s
liver, prepared as above, in the interspaces. Besprinkle with chopped
parsley, and surround the omelet with a thread of half-glaze.
505—OMELET WITH ARTICHOKE-BOTTOMS
Finely mince two small artichoke-bottoms (raw if possible), season
them, and slightly colour them in butter. Add the beaten and seasoned
eggs, and make the omelet in the usual way.
506—OMELET WITH YOUNG SHOOTS OF HOPS
Stuff the omelet with two tablespoonfuls of young shoots of hops,
cohered with cream, and finish it in the usual way. Open it slightly
along the top, and garnish with a few young shoots of hops put aside
for the purpose.
The omelet may be surrounded with a thread of cream sauce, but this is
optional.
507—OMELET A LA LYONNAISE
Finely mince half an onion, and cook it with butter in an omelet-pan,
letting it brown slightly. Add the eggs, with which a large pinch of
chopped parsley has been mixed, and make the omelet in the usual way.
508—OMELET MAXIM
Make the omelet in the usual way. Lay upon it alternate rows of
crayfish tails and slices of truffle. Surround the omelet with a fine
border of frogs’ legs “_sautéd_ à la Meunière,” _i.e._, seasoned raw,
rolled in flour, and _sautéd_ in butter until quite cooked and well
_gilded_.
509—OMELET WITH MORELS
Mince and toss in butter two oz. of very firm morels. Two should be put
aside, which, after having been cut in two, lengthwise, and _sautéd_
with the others, should be placed on a dish when the omelet is about to
be made. Having dished the latter, place the four _sautéd_ and reserved
pieces of morels upon it, and surround it with a thread of half-glaze.
510—OMELET MOUSSELINE
Beat the yolks of three eggs in a bowl with a small pinch of salt and
a tablespoonful of very thick cream. Add thereto the three whites,
whisked to a stiff froth, and pour this preparation into a wide
omelet-pan containing one oz. of very hot butter. _Sauté_ the omelet,
tossing it very quickly, and taking care to turn the outside edges of
the preparation constantly towards the centre; when the whole mass
seems uniformly set, roll the omelet up quickly, and dish it. This
omelet should be sent to the table immediately.
510a—OMELET WITH MOUSSERONS
Mince two oz. of very fresh _mousserons_; toss them in butter in the
omelet-pan; add thereto the eggs mixed with a pinch of chopped parsley;
make the omelet, dish it, and surround it with a thread of half-glaze.
511—OMELET A LA NANTUA
Add to the omelet six little crayfishes’ tails, each of which must be
cut into three, and the whole mixed with a little Nantua sauce. Put
two fine crayfishes’ tails on the omelet, making them touch at their
thicker ends, and surround with a thread of Nantua sauce.
512—OMELET PARMENTIER
Add a pinch of chopped parsley to the eggs, and, when about to pour the
latter into the omelet-pan, add two tablespoonfuls of potato cut into
dice, seasoned, _sautéd_ in butter, and very hot. Make the omelet in
the usual way.
513—OMELET A LA PAYSANNE
Frizzle with butter, in the omelet-pan, two oz. of breast of bacon cut
into dice. Add to the eggs one tablespoonful of finely-sliced potatoes
_sautéd_ in butter, one-half tablespoonful of _ciseled_ sorrel stewed
in butter, and a pinch of _concassed_ chervil.
Pour the whole over the bacon-dice; cook the eggs quickly, keeping
them soft; turn the omelet after the manner of a pancake, and tilt it
immediately on to a round dish.
514—OMELET WITH ASPARAGUS-TOPS
Add one and one-half tablespoonfuls of blanched asparagus-tops, stewed
in butter, to the omelet. Having dished the omelet, open it along
the middle, and lay a nice little faggot of asparagus-tops in the
interspace.
515—OMELET A LA PROVENÇALE
Rub the bottom of the omelet-pan lightly with a clove of garlic; put
two tablespoonfuls of oil into the utensil, and heat it until it smokes.
Throw into the oil a fine, peeled, pressed, and pipped tomato, cut
into dice and besprinkled with a pinch of _concassed_ parsley. Cook it
quickly, tossing it the while, and add it to the beaten and seasoned
eggs. Make the omelet in the usual way.
N.B.—The nature of this preparation demands the use of oil in treating
the tomato, but, failing oil, clarified butter may be used.
516—OMELET WITH KIDNEYS
Add to the omelet a tablespoonful of calf’s or sheep’s kidney, cut into
dice, seasoned with salt and pepper, _sautéd_ quickly in butter, and
cohered by means of half-glaze. Having dished the omelet, divide it
down the middle, lay some reserved kidney-dice in the interspace, and
surround with a thread of half-glaze.
517—OMELET A LA ROSSINI
Add to the beaten and seasoned eggs one dessertspoonful of cooked
foie gras and as much truffle, cut into small dice. Having dished the
omelet, place in the middle thereof a small rectangular piece of heated
foie gras, and two slices of truffle on either side of the latter.
Surround it with a thread of half-glaze flavoured with truffle essence.
518—OMELET WITH TRUFFLES
Add to the omelet one tablespoonful of truffles, cut into dice. Make
the omelet, dish it, and lay a row of fine slices of truffles upon it.
Surround it with a thread of melted meat-glaze.
519—HOT LAPWINGS’ AND PLOVERS’ EGGS
_Note._—In the chapter on hors-d’œuvres, where recipes were given
which deal with lapwings’ eggs, I made a few remarks relative to their
freshness, and indicated the procedure for boiling them soft and hard.
520—SCRAMBLED LAPWINGS’ EGGS
Proceed as for ordinary scrambled eggs, all the recipes given for the
latter being perfectly applicable to lapwings’ eggs. They require,
however, very great care in their preparation, and it should be borne
in mind that one ordinary hen’s egg is equal to about three lapwings’
eggs.
521—LAPWINGS’ EGGS A LA DANOISE
Poach the eggs as directed in the recipe dealing with the process, and
dish them up in tartlet-crusts garnished with a purée of smoked salmon.
522—OMELET OF LAPWINGS’ EGGS
Proceed as for other omelets, but one ordinary hen’s egg is generally
added to every six lapwings’ eggs in order to give more body to the
preparation. All the omelet recipes already given may be applied to
lapwings’ eggs.
523—LAPWINGS’ EGGS A LA ROYALE
Garnish as many small tartlet moulds as there are eggs with
chicken-forcemeat. Poach, turn out the moulds, and hollow out the
centres of the tartlets in such wise as to be able to set an egg
upright in each.
Place a soft- or hard-boiled egg on each forcemeat tartlet, coat the
eggs with a light purée of mushrooms, besprinkle with chopped truffles,
and arrange in a circle on a dish.
524—LAPWINGS’ EGGS AU TROUBADOUR
Select as many large morels as there are eggs. Remove the stalks, and
widen the openings of the morels; season them, and stew them in butter.
Boil the lapwings’ eggs soft.
Garnish each stewed morel with an egg; set them on little
tartlet-crusts garnished with a light, foie-gras purée, and arrange
them in a circle on a dish.
=Cold Eggs=
The preparation of cold eggs is not limited by classical rules; it
rests with the skill and artistic imagination of the operator, and,
since fancifulness and originality are always closely allied to
artistic imagination, it follows that the varieties evolved may be
infinite.
Indeed, so various and numerous are the recipes dealing with this kind
of egg-preparations that I must limit myself to a selection only of the
more customary ones, culled as far as possible from my own repertory.
525—COLD EGGS ALEXANDRA
Take some cold, well-trimmed, poached eggs; dry them and cover them
with a white chaud-froid sauce. Place a fine indented slice of truffle
in the centre of each, and sprinkle with a cold, white, melted aspic
jelly until they are thinly coated therewith. Slip the point of a small
knife round each egg with the view of moving them more easily, and
transfer them to oval tartlet-crusts made from puff-paste trimmings,
baked without colouration.
Lay a border of caviare round the eggs; dish them in the form of a
crown, and put some chopped jelly in the centre.
526—COLD EGGS A L’ANDALOUSE
Cover some cold, well-dried, poached eggs with a tomato purée combined
with a full third of its volume of Soubise purée and one-half pint of
melted aspic jelly per pint of sauce. Cut some pimentos, marinaded
in oil, into very thin strips, and lay these, after the manner of a
lattice, upon each egg.
Now garnish as many oiled, oval tartlet-moulds as there are eggs with
tomato purée, thickened with jelly, and let the garnish set on ice.
Turn out the moulds, and put an egg upon each of the tomato tartlets;
arrange the latter in a circle on a dish surrounded with a chain
composed of linked rings of onion, and garnish the centre with chopped,
white jelly.
527—COLD EGGS ARGENTEUIL
Coat some well-dried, soft-boiled eggs, slightly cut at their base to
make them stand, with a white chaud-froid sauce combined with a good
third of its volume of asparagus-tops purée. Sprinkle repeatedly with
cold, melted, white jelly, until a glossy coating is obtained.
Garnish the centre of a dish with a salad of asparagus-tops; surround
this with fine slices of cold potato, cooked in water and cut up with
an even fancy-cutter, one inch in diameter, and arrange the eggs all
round.
528—COLD EGGS CAPUCINE
Carefully dry some cold, poached eggs, and half-coat them lengthwise
with a white chaud-froid sauce; complete the coating on the other side
with a smooth purée of truffles, thickened with jelly. Leave these two
coats to set, placing the eggs in the cool or on ice for that purpose.
Garnish the centre of a round dish with a small pyramid of cold,
truffled Brandade of _morue_, and set the eggs round the latter.
529—COLD EGGS CARÊME
Cook the eggs on the dish, leave them to cool, and trim them with
an even fancy-cutter, oval in shape. Place each egg on an oval
tartlet-crust, garnished with dice of cooked salmon, cohered with
mayonnaise.
Surround with a thread of caviare, and lay a thin slice of very black
truffle on each egg.
530—COLD EGGS COLBERT
Garnish some small, oval moulds in _Chartreuse fashion_, _i.e._, like
a draught-board. Put a small, cold, poached egg into each mould, fill
up with melted, white jelly, and leave to set. Garnish the centre of a
dish with a heaped vegetable salad; arrange the eggs taken from their
moulds around this, and surround with a little chopped jelly.
531—COLD EGGS COLINETTE
Let a thin coat of white jelly set upon the bottom and sides of
some small, oval moulds. Garnish the latter with some small dice,
consisting of white of egg and truffles, placing them so as to simulate
a draught-board; now insert a very small, cold, poached egg into each
mould, and fill up with a melted jelly.
Garnish the centre of a dish with a “Rachel” salad, encircled by a ring
of sliced, cold potatoes, cooked in water, and place the eggs, removed
from their moulds, all round. Border the dish with indented crescents
of white jelly.
532—COLD EGGS WITH TARRAGON
Mould these in _baba-moulds_, or in porcelain _cocottes_; sometimes
they may simply be dished up on small tartlet-crusts.
The preparation consists of poached or soft-boiled eggs, garnished
with blanched tarragon leaves, or coated or moulded with a very fine
tarragon jelly.
533—COLD EGGS, FROU-FROU
Select some very small poached eggs of equal size, cover them with a
white chaud-froid sauce combined with about a third of its volume of a
purée of hard-boiled egg-yolks.
Garnish the top of each egg with an indented ring of very black
truffle, and surround the base of the eggs with a narrow ribbon
composed of chopped truffles. Glaze with jelly, and leave to set on ice.
Prepare a salad of green vegetables (peas, French beans cut into dice
or lozenges, asparagus-tops); thicken it with a very little mayonnaise
mixed with melted jelly. Pour this preparation into an oiled mould,
and leave it to set. For dishing, turn out the salad in the middle of
a dish; surround the base with a line of chopped jelly; encircle the
whole with the eggs, letting them rest on the jelly, and garnish the
dish with a border of dice cut in very clear, white jelly.
534—COLD EGGS MOSCOVITE
Slightly level both ends of some shelled, hard-boiled eggs. Surround
the tops and the bases with three little anchovy fillets, and place a
bit of truffle just half-way along each egg. Eggs prepared in this way
resemble little barrels, whereof the anchovy fillets imitate the iron
hoops, and the bits of truffle the bungs. By means of a tubular cutter
empty the eggs with care; garnish them with caviare, and shape the
latter to a point, outside the edges of the egg.
Lay each egg in an artichoke-bottom, cooked white, and garnished with
finely-chopped jelly, and arrange them in a circle on a dish with
chopped jelly in the centre.
535—COLD EGGS A LA NANTUA
Prepare some hard-boiled eggs to resemble little barrels, after the
manner described above. For every six eggs keep ready and cold eighteen
crayfish cooked à la Bordelaise. Shell the tails, put two aside for
each egg, and cut the remainder into dice; finely pound the bodies
and remains, add thereto three tablespoonfuls of thick cream, and rub
through tammy. Add to this cullis one tablespoonful of thick mayonnaise.
Bind the crayfish tails, cut into dice, with a few tablespoonfuls of
this sauce, and garnish the eggs, emptied by the method indicated
above, with the preparation of dice, making it stand out of the eggs in
the shape of a small dome. Garnish each dome with a rosette composed of
four halved crayfish tails and four truffle lozenges.
Glaze well with jelly; set the eggs upon artichoke-bottoms garnished
with a mayonnaise with crayfish cullis, and arrange in a circle on a
dish.
536—COLD EGGS POLIGNAC
Prepare some eggs à la Polignac, as explained under “Moulded Eggs,”
and leave them to cool. Select some moulds a little larger than those
used in the cooking of the eggs; pour into each half a tablespoonful of
melted, white jelly, and leave to set. Then put an egg into each mould,
and fill up the space around the eggs with melted, white jelly.
Leave to set, turn out the moulds, arrange the mouldings on a dish, and
surround them with dice of faintly coloured jelly.
537—COLD EGGS A LA REINE
Prepare some soft-boiled eggs, and leave them to cool. Take as many
cottage brioches as there are eggs; trim them to the level of the
fluting, and remove the crumb from the inside, so as to form little
_croustades_ of them. Garnish the bottom and the sides of these
_croustades_ with a fine mince of white chicken-meat, thickened with
mayonnaise, and season moderately with cayenne. Place a shelled,
soft-boiled egg in each _croustade_; coat thinly with mayonnaise
slightly thickened by means of a jelly; lay a fine piece of truffle on
each egg, and, when the sauce has set, glaze with jelly, using a fine
brush for the purpose.
Dish up on a napkin.
538—COLD EGGS, RUBENS
Season some cooked young shoots of hops with salt and freshly-ground
pepper; add thereto some chopped parsley and chervil, and a purée of
plainly-cooked tomatoes combined with just sufficient jelly to ensure
the cohesion of the hops. Mould in oiled tartlet-moulds.
Coat some well-dried, cold, poached eggs with white chaud-froid sauce;
garnish with pieces of tarragon leaves, and glaze with jelly.
Turn out the tartlet-moulds; set an egg on each of the mouldings, and
arrange them in a circle on a dish, placing between each egg a piece of
very clear jelly, cut to the shape of a cock’s comb.
Garnish the centre of the dish with chopped jelly.