EGGS
COMPOSITION
Proteid, 14.9%
Fat, 10.6%
Mineral matter, 1%
Water, 73.5%
Eggs, like milk, form a typical food, inasmuch as they contain all the
elements, in the right proportion, necessary for the support of the
body. Their highly concentrated, nutritive value renders it necessary to
use them in combination with other foods rich in starch (bread,
potatoes, etc.). In order that the stomach may have enough to act upon,
a certain amount of bulk must be furnished.
A pound of eggs (nine) is equivalent in nutritive value to a pound of
beef. From this it may be seen that eggs, at even twenty-five cents per
dozen, should not be freely used by the strict economist. Eggs being
rich in proteid serve as a valuable substitute for meat. In most
families, their use in the making of cake, custard, puddings, etc.,
renders them almost indispensable. It is surprising how many intelligent
women, who look well to the affairs of the kitchen, are satisfied to use
what are termed “cooking eggs”; this shows poor judgment from an
economical standpoint. Strictly fresh eggs should always be used if
obtainable. An egg after the first twenty-four hours steadily
deteriorates. If exposed to air, owing to the porous structure of the
shell, there is an evaporation of water, air rushes in, and
decomposition takes place.
White of egg contains albumen in its purest form. Albumen coagulates at
a temperature of from 134° to 160° F. Herein lies the importance of
cooking eggs at a low temperature, thus rendering them easy of
digestion. Eggs cooked in boiling water are tough and horny, difficult
of digestion, and should never be served.
When eggs come from the market, they should be washed, and put away in a
cold place.
=Ways of Determining Freshness of Eggs.= I. Hold in front of candle
flame in dark room, and the centre should look clear.
II. Place in basin of cold water, and they should sink.
III. Place large end to the cheek, and a warmth should be felt.
=Ways of Keeping Eggs.= I. Pack in sawdust, small end down.
II. Keep in lime water.
III. From July to September a large number of eggs are packed, small
ends down, in cases having compartments, one for each egg, and kept in
cold storage. Eggs are often kept in cold storage six months, and then
sold as cooking eggs.
Boiled Eggs
Have ready a saucepan containing boiling water. Carefully put in with a
spoon the number of eggs desired, covering them with water. Remove
saucepan to back of range, where water will not boil. Cook from six to
eight minutes if liked “soft-boiled,” forty to forty-five if liked
“hard-boiled.” Eggs may be cooked by placing in cold water and allowing
water to heat gradually until the boiling-point is reached, when they
will be “soft-boiled.” In using hard-boiled eggs for making other
dishes, when taken from the hot water they should be plunged into cold
water to prevent, if possible, discoloration of yolks.
Eggs perfectly cooked should be placed and kept in water at a uniform
temperature of 175° F.
Dropped Eggs (Poached)
Have ready a shallow pan two-thirds full of boiling salted water,
allowing one-half tablespoon salt to one quart of water. Put two or
three buttered muffin rings in the water. Break each egg separately into
a cup, and carefully slip into a muffin ring. The water should cover the
eggs. When there is a film over the top, and the white is firm,
carefully remove with a buttered skimmer to circular pieces of buttered
toast, and let each person season his own egg with butter, salt, and
pepper. If cooked for an invalid, garnish with four toast points and a
bit of parsley. An egg-poacher may be used instead of muffin rings.
Eggs à la Finnoise
Dropped Eggs, served with Tomato Sauce I.
Poached Eggs à la Reine
Cover circular pieces of toasted bread with sliced fresh mushrooms
sautéd in butter and moistened with cream. Poach eggs and arrange on
mushrooms. Pour over all white sauce to which grated Parmesan cheese has
been added. Sprinkle with grated cheese and put in oven to brown.
Garnish with canned pimentoes cut in fancy shapes.
Eggs à la Suisse
4 eggs
½ cup cream
1 tablespoon butter
Salt
Pepper
Cayenne
2 tablespoons grated cheese
Heat a small omelet pan, put in butter, and when melted, add cream. Slip
in the eggs one at a time, sprinkle with salt, pepper, and a few grains
of cayenne. When whites are nearly firm, sprinkle with cheese. Finish
cooking, and serve on buttered toast. Strain cream over the toast.
Eggs Susette
Wash and bake six large potatoes, cut slice from top of each, scoop out
inside, and mash. To three cups mashed potato add six tablespoons finely
chopped ham, two tablespoons finely chopped parsley, whites of two eggs
well beaten, three tablespoons butter, four tablespoons cream, and salt
and pepper. Line potato shells with mixture, place in each cavity a
poached egg, cover with potato mixture, and bake until browned. Care
must be taken to have eggs delicately parched.
Baked or Shirred Eggs
Butter an egg-shirrer. Cover bottom and sides with fine cracker crumbs.
Break an egg into a cup, and carefully slip into shirrer. Cover with
seasoned buttered crumbs, and bake in moderate oven until white is firm
and crumbs brown. The shirrers should be placed on a tin plate, that
they may be easily removed from the oven.
Eggs may be baked in small tomatoes. Cut a slice from stem end of
tomato, scoop out the pulp, slip in an egg, sprinkle with salt and
pepper, cover with buttered crumbs, and bake.
Eggs à la Tripe
Serve dropped eggs on Lobster Croquettes (see p. 558) shaped in flat
round cakes one-half inch thick. Garnish with lobster claws and parsley.
Eggs à la Benedict
Split and toast English muffins. Sauté circular pieces of cold boiled
ham, place these over the halves of muffins, arrange on each a dropped
egg, and pour around Hollandaise Sauce II (see p. 274), diluted with
cream to make of such consistency to pour easily.
Eggs à la Lee
Cover circular pieces of toasted bread with thin slices cold boiled ham.
Arrange on each a dropped egg, and pour around.
=Mushroom Purée.= Clean one-fourth pound mushrooms, break caps in
pieces, and sauté five minutes in one tablespoon butter. Add one cup
chicken stock and simmer five minutes. Rub through a sieve and thicken
with one tablespoon each butter and flour cooked together. Season with
salt and pepper.
Eggs à la Commodore
Cut slices of bread in circular pieces and sauté in butter. Remove a
portion of centre, leaving a rim one-fourth inch wide. Spread cavity
thus made with pâté de foie gras purée, place a poached egg in each and
pour over a rich brown or Béchamel sauce to which is added a few drops
vinegar. Garnish with chopped truffles.
Eggs, Waldorf Style
Arrange poached eggs on circular pieces of buttered toast, surround with
Brown Mushroom Sauce (see p. 268), and place a broiled mushroom cap on
each egg.
Poached Eggs with Sauce Bearnaise
Poach six eggs, arrange in serving dish, cover eggs alternately with red
and yellow sauce, and garnish with parsley.
=Sauce Bearnaise.= Beat yolks three eggs slightly, add three tablespoons
olive oil, two tablespoons hot water, three-fourths tablespoon tarragon
vinegar, one-fourth teaspoon salt, and a few grains cayenne. Cook over
boiling water until mixture thickens. Color one-half the sauce with
tomato purée (tomatoes drained from their liquor, stewed, strained, and
cooked until reduced to a thick pulp).
Scrambled Eggs
5 eggs
½ cup milk
½ teaspoon salt
⅛ teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons butter
Beat eggs slightly with silver fork; add salt, pepper, and milk. Heat
omelet pan, put in butter, and when melted, turn in the mixture. Cook
until of creamy consistency, stirring and scraping from bottom of the
pan.
Scrambled Eggs with Tomato Sauce
6 eggs
1¾ cups tomatoes
2 teaspoons sugar
4 tablespoons butter
1 slice onion
½ teaspoon salt
⅛ teaspoon pepper
Simmer tomatoes and sugar five minutes; fry butter and onion three
minutes; remove onion, and add tomatoes, seasonings, and eggs slightly
beaten. Cook same as Scrambled Eggs. Serve with entire wheat bread or
brown bread toast.
Scrambled Eggs with Anchovy Toast
Spread thin slices of buttered toast with Anchovy Paste. Arrange on
platter, and cover with scrambled eggs.
Eggs à la Buckingham
Make five slices milk toast, and arrange on platter. Use recipe for
Scrambled Eggs, having the eggs slightly underdone. Pour eggs over
toast, sprinkle with four tablespoons grated mild cheese. Put in oven to
melt cheese, and finish cooking eggs.
Eggs à la Turk
Prepare Scrambled Eggs, and pour over six slices of toasted bread. Put
one tablespoon tomato purée on each piece, and in the centre of purée
one-half tablespoon chickens’ livers sautéd in bacon fat.
Eggs à la Livingstone
4 eggs
½ cup stewed and strained tomatoes
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon paprika
2 tablespoons butter
Pâté de foie gras
Finely chopped truffles
Beat eggs slightly, and add tomatoes, salt, and paprika. Melt butter in
an omelet pan, add seasoned eggs, and cook same as Scrambled Eggs.
Spread slices of toasted bread with pâté de foie gras. Pour over the
eggs, and sprinkle with truffles.
Scrambled Eggs, Country Style
Heat omelet pan, put in two tablespoons butter, and when melted turn in
four unbeaten eggs. Cook until white is partially set, then stir until
cooking is completed, when whites will be thoroughly set. Season with
salt and pepper.
Buttered Eggs
Heat omelet pan. Put in one tablespoon butter; when melted, slip in an
egg, and cook until the white is firm. Turn it over once while cooking.
Add more butter as needed, using just enough to keep egg from sticking.
Buttered Eggs with Tomatoes
Cut tomatoes in one-third inch slices. Sprinkle with salt and pepper,
dredge with flour, and sauté in butter. Serve a buttered egg on each
slice of tomato.
Planked Eggs
Finely chop cold cooked corned beef or corned tongue; there should be
two-thirds cup. Add an equal quantity of fine bread crumbs, moisten with
cream and season with salt and pepper. Spread mixture on plank, and make
nests and border of duchess potatoes, using rose tube. Put a buttered or
poached egg in each nest and put in oven to brown potato. Garnish with
tomatoes cut in halves and broiled, and parsley. Eggs may be sprinkled
with buttered cracker crumbs, just before sending to oven, if preferred.
Fried Eggs
Fried eggs are cooked as Buttered Eggs, without being turned. In this
case the fat is taken by spoonfuls and poured over the eggs. Lard, pork,
ham, or bacon fat are usually employed,—a considerable amount being
used.
Eggs à la Goldenrod
3 “hard-boiled” eggs
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon flour
1 cup milk
½ teaspoon salt
⅛ teaspoon pepper
5 slices toast
Parsley
Make a thin white sauce with butter, flour, milk, and seasonings.
Separate yolks from whites of eggs. Chop whites finely, and add them to
the sauce. Cut four slices of toast in halves lengthwise. Arrange on
platter, and pour over the sauce. Force the yolks through a potato ricer
or strainer, sprinkling over the top. Garnish with parsley and remaining
toast, cut in points.
Eggs au Gratin
Arrange Dropped Eggs on a shallow buttered dish. Sprinkle with grated
Parmesan cheese. Pour over eggs one pint Yellow Béchamel Sauce. Cover
with stale bread crumbs, and sprinkle with grated cheese. Brown in oven.
Tomato or White Sauce may be used.
Eggs in Batter
1 egg
1½ tablespoons thick cream
2 tablespoons fine stale bread crumbs
¼ teaspoon salt
Mix cream, bread crumbs, and salt. Put one-half tablespoon of mixture in
egg-shirrer. Slip in egg, and cover with remaining mixture. Bake six
minutes in moderate oven.
Curried Eggs I
3 “hard-boiled” eggs
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
¼ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon curry powder
⅛ teaspoon pepper
1 cup hot milk
Melt butter, add flour and seasonings, and gradually hot milk. Cut eggs
in eighths lengthwise, and reheat in sauce.
Curried Eggs II
4 “hard-boiled” eggs
2 tablespoons butter
½ tablespoon finely chopped onion
2 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon curry powder
½ teaspoon salt
⅛ teaspoon paprika
1⅓ cups scalded milk
½ cup cooked rice
Chop whites of eggs and add to sauce made of butter, flour, seasonings,
and milk, then add rice; heat to boiling-point, fill puff paste cases
and sprinkle with yolks of eggs rubbed through a sieve.
Scalloped Eggs
3 “hard-boiled” eggs
1 pint White Sauce I
¾ cup chopped cold meat
¾ cup buttered cracker crumbs
Chop eggs finely. Sprinkle bottom of a buttered baking dish with crumbs,
cover with one-half the eggs, eggs with sauce, and sauce with meat;
repeat. Cover with remaining crumbs. Place in oven on centre grate, and
bake until crumbs are brown. Ham is the best meat to use for this dish.
Chicken, veal, or fish may be used.
Stuffed Eggs
Cut four “hard-boiled” eggs in halves crosswise; remove yolks, mash, and
add two tablespoons grated cheese, one teaspoon vinegar, one-fourth
teaspoon mustard, and salt and cayenne to taste. Add enough melted
butter to make mixture of the right consistency to shape. Make in balls
size of original yolks, and refill whites. Arrange on a serving dish,
pour around one cup White Sauce, cover, and reheat.
Stuffed Eggs in a Nest
Cut “hard-boiled” eggs in halves lengthwise. Remove yolks, and put
whites aside in pairs. Mash yolks, and add half the amount of devilled
ham and enough melted butter to make of consistency to shape. Make in
balls size of original yolks, and refill whites. Form remainder of
mixture into a nest. Arrange eggs in the nest, and pour over one cup
White Sauce I. Sprinkle with buttered crumbs, and bake until crumbs are
brown.
Eggs à la Sidney
Arrange “hard-boiled” eggs, cut in thirds lengthwise, on pieces of
toasted bread. Pour over eggs Soubise Sauce.
Eggs Huntington
4 “hard-boiled” eggs
1 tablespoon butter
1½ tablespoons flour
⅓ cup white stock
⅓ cup milk
½ teaspoon salt
Few grains cayenne
Grated cheese
¾ cup buttered cracker crumbs
Make a sauce of the butter, flour, stock, and milk; add eggs finely
chopped and salt and cayenne. Fill buttered ramequin dishes with
mixture, sprinkle with grated cheese, cover with cracker crumbs, and
bake in a moderate oven until crumbs are brown.
Egg Farci I
Cut “hard-boiled” eggs in halves, crosswise. Remove yolks, and put
whites aside in pairs. Mash yolks, and add equal amount of cold cooked
chicken or veal, finely chopped. Moisten with melted butter or
Mayonnaise. Season to taste with salt, pepper, lemon juice, mustard, and
cayenne. Shape and refill whites.
Egg Farci II
Clean and chop two chickens’ livers, sprinkle with onion juice, and
sauté in butter. Add the yolks of four “hard-boiled” eggs rubbed through
a sieve, one teaspoon chopped parsley, and salt, pepper, and Tabasco
Sauce to taste. Refill whites of eggs with mixture, cover with grated
cheese, and bake until cheese melts. Serve in toast rings and pour
around Tomato Purée (see p. 98).
Lucanian Eggs
5 “hard-boiled” eggs
1 cup cooked macaroni
½ cup grated cheese
Essence Anchovy
1¾ cups White Sauce I
Salt and paprika
Onion juice
¾ cup buttered crumbs
Cut eggs in eighths lengthwise, add macaroni, white sauce, and
seasonings. Arrange in buttered baking dish, cover with buttered crumbs,
and bake until crumbs are brown.
Egg Soufflé
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup milk
1 cup cream
4 eggs
1 teaspoon salt
Few grains cayenne
Cream the butter, add flour, and pour on gradually scalded milk and
cream. Cook in double boiler five minutes, and add yolks of eggs, beaten
until thick and lemon-colored. Remove from fire, add seasonings, and
fold in whites of eggs beaten until stiff and dry. Turn into a buttered
dish, or buttered individual moulds, set in pan of hot water, and bake
in a slow oven until firm. Egg Soufflé may be served with White Sauce I,
highly seasoned with celery salt, paprika, and onion juice.
Egg Timbales
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon flour
⅔ cup milk
3 eggs
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
½ teaspoon salt
⅛ teaspoon pepper
Few grains celery salt
Few grains cayenne
Make a sauce of the butter, flour, and milk; add yolks beaten until
thick and lemon-colored, then add seasonings. Beat whites of eggs until
stiff and dry, and cut and fold into first mixture. Turn into buttered
moulds, set in pan of hot water, and bake in a slow oven until firm.
Serve with Tomato Cream Sauce (see page 271).
Egg Croquettes
6 eggs
2 tablespoons butter
1 slice onion
⅓ cup flour
1 cup white stock
Salt
Pepper
Yolks 3 eggs
Stale bread crumbs
Grated cheese
Poach eggs and dry on a towel. Cook butter with onion three minutes. Add
flour and, gradually, stock. Season with salt and pepper; then add yolks
of eggs slightly beaten. Cook one minute, and cool. Cover eggs with
mixture, roll in bread crumbs and cheese, using equal parts, dip in egg,
again roll in crumbs, fry in deep fat, and drain on brown paper. These
may be served with a thin sauce, using equal parts of white stock and
cream, and seasoning with grated cheese, salt, and paprika.
Eggs à la Juliette
Decorate egg-shaped individual moulds with truffles, and cold boiled
tongue cut in fancy shapes, and pistachio nuts blanched and split. Line
mould with aspic jelly, drop in a poached egg yolk, cover with aspic
jelly, let stand until firm, and turn on a thin oval slice of cold
boiled tongue.
Eggs à la Parisienne
Butter small timbale moulds, sprinkle with finely chopped truffles,
parsley, and cooked beets. Break eggs, and slip one into each mould,
sprinkle with salt and pepper, set in pan of hot water, and cook until
egg is firm. Remove from moulds on octagon slices of toast, and pour
around Tomato Sauce II (see p. 270).
[Illustration:
PLANKED EGGS.—_Page 100._
]
[Illustration:
PLAIN OMELET.—_Page 105._
]
[Illustration:
UTENSILS AND MATERIALS FOR THE STARTING OF BROWN SOUP STOCK.—_Page
113._
]
Eggs Mornay
Break egg and slip into buttered egg-shirrers, allowing one or two eggs
to each shirrer, according to size. Cover with White Sauce II (see p.
266), seasoned with one-third cup grated cheese, paprika, and yolks two
eggs; cover with grated cheese and bake until firm.
Omelets
For omelets select large eggs, allowing one egg for each person, and one
tablespoon liquid for each egg. Keep an omelet pan especially for
omelets, and see that it is kept clean and smooth. A frying-pan may be
used in place of omelet pan.
Plain Omelet
4 eggs
½ teaspoon salt
Few grains pepper
4 tablespoons hot water
1 tablespoon butter
1½ cups Thin White Sauce
Separate yolks from whites. Beat yolks until thick and lemon-colored;
add salt, pepper, and hot water. Beat whites until stiff and dry,
cutting and folding them into first mixture until they have taken up
mixture. Heat omelet pan, and butter sides and bottom. Turn in mixture,
spread evenly, place on range where it will cook slowly, occasionally
turning the pan that omelet may brown evenly. When well “puffed” and
delicately browned underneath, place pan on centre grate of oven to
finish cooking the top. The omelet is cooked if it is firm to the touch
when pressed by the finger. If it clings to the finger like the beaten
white of egg, it needs longer cooking. Fold, and turn on hot platter,
and pour around one and one-half cups Thin White Sauce.
Milk is sometimes used in place of hot water, but hot water makes a more
tender omelet. A few grains baking powder are used by some cooks to hold
up an omelet.
To Fold and Turn an Omelet
Hold an omelet pan by handle with the left hand. With a case knife make
two one-half inch incisions opposite each other at right angles to
handle. Place knife under the part of omelet nearest handle, tip pan to
nearly a vertical position; by carefully coaxing the omelet with knife,
it will fold and turn without breaking.
Omelet with Meat or Vegetables
Mix and cook Plain Omelet. Fold in remnants of finely chopped cooked
chicken, veal, or ham. Remnants of fish may be flaked and added to White
Sauce; or cooked peas, asparagus, or cauliflower may be added.
Oyster Omelet
Mix and cook Plain Omelet. Fold in one pint oysters, parboiled, drained
from their liquor, and cut in halves. Turn on platter, and pour around
Thin White Sauce.
Orange Omelet
3 eggs
2 tablespoons powdered sugar
Few grains salt
1 teaspoon lemon juice
2 oranges
½ tablespoon butter
2½ tablespoons orange juice
Follow directions for Plain Omelet. Remove skin from oranges and cut in
slices, lengthwise. Fold in one-third of the slices of orange, well
sprinkled with powdered sugar; put remaining slices around omelet, and
sprinkle with sugar.
Jelly Omelet
Mix and cook Plain Omelet, omitting pepper and one-half the salt, and
adding one tablespoon sugar. Spread before folding with jam, jelly, or
marmalade. Fold, turn, and sprinkle with sugar.
Bread Omelet
4 eggs
½ cup milk
½ cup stale bread crumbs
¾ teaspoon salt
⅛ teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon butter
Soak bread crumbs fifteen minutes in milk, add beaten yolks and
seasonings, fold in whites. Cook and serve as Plain Omelet.
French Omelet
4 eggs
4 tablespoons milk
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons butter
Beat eggs slightly, just enough to blend yolks and whites, add the milk
and seasonings. Put butter in hot omelet pan; when melted, turn in the
mixture; as it cooks, prick and pick up with a fork until the whole is
of creamy consistency. Place on hotter part of range that it may brown
quickly underneath. Fold, and turn on hot platter.
Omelet with Croûtons
1 cup bread cut in ⅓ inch cubes
Butter
5 eggs
4 tablespoons cream
½ teaspoon salt
⅛ teaspoon pepper
Fry cubes of bread in butter until well browned and crisp. Beat eggs
slightly, add cream, salt, pepper, and croûtons. Put two tablespoons
butter in hot omelet pan, and as soon as melted and slightly browned
turn in mixture and cook same as French Omelet.
Eggs with Spinach à la Martin
Cover the centre of a platter with finely chopped and seasoned cooked
spinach. Beat three eggs slightly, add three tablespoons hot water,
one-third teaspoon salt, one tablespoon, each, red and green pepper cut
in strips, and one tablespoon cooked ham cut in very small pieces. Heat
omelet pan, put in one and one-half tablespoons olive oil, and as soon
as heated pour in mixture. Cook same as French Omelet and turn on to
spinach. Garnish with parsley.
Spanish Omelet
Mix and cook a French Omelet. Serve with Tomato Sauce in the centre and
around omelet.
=Tomato Sauce.= Cook two tablespoons of butter with one tablespoon of
finely chopped onion, until yellow. Add one and three-fourths cups
tomatoes, and cook until moisture has nearly evaporated. Add one
tablespoon sliced mushrooms, one tablespoon capers, one-fourth teaspoon
salt, and a few grains cayenne. This is improved by a small piece of red
or green pepper, finely chopped, cooked with butter and onion.
Rich Omelet
2½ tablespoons flour
¾ teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
3 eggs
3 tablespoons butter
_Mrs. E. A. Dwinell_
Mix salt and flour, and add gradually milk. Beat eggs until thick and
lemon-colored, then add to first mixture. Heat iron frying-pan and put
in two-thirds of the butter; when butter is melted, pour in mixture. As
it cooks, lift with a griddle-cake turner so that uncooked part may run
underneath; add remaining butter as needed, and continue lifting the
cooked part until it is firm throughout. Place on hotter part of range
to brown; roll, and turn on hot platter.
Omelette Robespierre
3 eggs
3 tablespoons hot water
1 tablespoon powdered sugar
⅛ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon vanilla
Beat eggs slightly, and add remaining ingredients. Put one and one-half
tablespoons butter in a hot omelet pan, turn in mixture and cook same as
French Omelet. Fold, turn on a hot platter, sprinkle with powdered
sugar, and score with a hot poker.
Almond Omelet, Caramel Sauce
3 eggs
3 tablespoons caramel sauce
Few grains salt
½ teaspoon vanilla
Beat yolks of eggs until thick and lemon-colored, add caramel, salt, and
vanilla, and cut and fold in whites of eggs beaten until stiff and dry.
Put three-fourths tablespoon butter in a hot omelet pan, cover bottom of
pan with shredded almonds, turn in mixture, and cook and fold same as
Plain Omelet. Pour around
=Caramel Sauce.= Pour one cup sugar in omelet pan, and stir constantly,
over hot part of range, until melted to a light brown syrup. Add
three-fourths cup hot water, and let simmer ten minutes.