The Cooking Manual of Practical Directions for Economical Every-Day Cookery Part 2

36. =To broil a Beefsteak.=--Rub the bars of the gridiron smooth, and then grease them slightly; lay on a sirloin steak weighing about three pounds; put the gridiron over a hot fire; if the fire is not clear throw a handful of salt into it to clear it; broil the steak, turning it frequently so that it cannot burn, until it is done to the required degree; do not cut into it to ascertain this, but test it by pressing the tips of the fingers upon it; if it spring up again after the pressure is removed it is done rare; if it remains heavy and solid it is well done; while it is broiling prepare a _maitre d'hotel_ b.u.t.ter according to receipt No. 16; spread it over the steak after you have laid it on a hot dish, and arrange the _Parisian potatoes_ at the sides of the dish; send it to the table at once. After the proper cooking of a steak comes the immediate eating thereof, if it is to be found perfect.

37. =Plain Rump Steak.=--Broil three pounds of tender rump steak according to directions in receipt No. 36, put it on a hot dish, season it with a level teaspoonful of salt, and quarter of a saltspoonful of pepper, spread over it one ounce of b.u.t.ter, and lay two tablespoonfuls of grated horseradish on the side of the platter, and serve it hot, without delay.

38. =Portuguese Beef.=--Cut in thin shavings two pounds of cold beef, and put it into a sauce-pan with half a pint of any brown gravy, and heat it gradually; in another pan put one small onion chopped fine, the rind of one orange chopped, the juice, quarter of a saltspoonful of grated nutmeg, as much cayenne as can be taken up on the point of a very small pen-knife blade, and one gill of port wine; boil these ingredients rapidly until the liquid is reduced one half, and then mix them with the beef; fry in hot fat some slices of bread, cut in the shape of hearts, about two inches long and one inch wide, pile the beef in a mound on a hot dish, lay the _croutons_ of fried bread around it, and serve it hot.

39. =Bubble and Squeak.=--Cut about two pounds of cold meat in neat slices, put them into a pan with an ounce of b.u.t.ter, and brown them; at the same time chop one head of tender cabbage, without the stalks, put it into a sauce-pan with two ounces of b.u.t.ter, a saltspoonful of salt, and quarter of a saltspoonful of pepper, and stir it occasionally over the fire until it is quite tender; when both are done, lay the slices of beef in the centre of a hot dish, and arrange the cabbage around it; serve it hot.

40. =Stewed Kidneys.=--Cut one large beef kidney in thin slices about an inch long; fry two ounces of onion in one ounce of b.u.t.ter, until pale yellow; add the kidney, fry or rather _sauter_ it, for about five minutes, shaking the pan frequently to prevent burning; then stir in one ounce and a half of flour, season with one saltspoonful of salt, a quarter of a saltspoonful of pepper, and the same of powdered sweet herbs made as directed on page 20, and one gill of boiling water; cook ten minutes longer; meantime make eight heart-shaped _croutons_ of bread, as directed in receipt No. 38; add one gill of Madeira wine to the kidneys, pour them on a hot dish, sprinkle them with a teaspoonful of chopped parsley, arrange the _croutons_ around the border of the dish, and serve hot at once. The success of this dish depends on serving it while the kidneys are tender; too much cooking hardens them; and they must not be allowed to stand after they are done, or they deteriorate.

41. =Haricot or Stew of Mutton.=--Trim a neck of mutton, weighing about two pounds, of all superfluous fat, cut it into cutlets, put them in a deep sauce-pan with one ounce of b.u.t.ter, and fry them brown; pour off all fat, add two ounces of flour, stir till brown, moisten with one quart and a half of stock, or water, and stir occasionally until the haricot boils; meantime cut one quart of carrots and turnips, half and half, in small b.a.l.l.s, and add them, with one dozen b.u.t.ton onions, a bouquet of sweet herbs, half a saltspoonful of pepper, and a teaspoonful of salt; simmer for one hour; take up the cutlets with a fork, skim out the vegetables, and remove the bouquet; lay the cutlets in a wreath on a hot dish, place the vegetables in the centre, and strain the gravy over all. Green peas, new turnips, or new potatoes, may replace the first named vegetables. The dish should always be sent to the table hot.

42. =Epigramme of Lamb, with Piquante Sauce.=--Boil a breast of young mutton, weighing from two to three pounds until tender, either in the stock-pot, or in hot water seasoned with salt, two cloves stuck in a small onion, and a bouquet of sweet herbs made as directed in the first chapter; when it is tender enough to permit the bones to be drawn out easily, take it up, lay it on a pan, put another, containing weights, on it, and press it until it is cold; then cut it in eight triangular pieces, about the size of a small cutlet; season them with salt and pepper; roll them first in sifted cracker dust, then in an egg beaten with a tablespoonful of cold water, and again in cracker dust; fry them light brown in enough smoking hot fat to cover them.

43. =Piquante Sauce.=--While the lamb is frying, chop one tablespoonful of capers, two of shallot, or small, finely flavored onion, and the same quant.i.ty of green gherkins; place them over the fire in a sauce-pan with one gill of vinegar, two bay leaves, quarter of a saltspoonful of pepper, and the same of powdered thyme, and boil quickly until the vinegar is reduced to one third of its original quant.i.ty; then add half a pint of rich brown gravy of any kind, or of Spanish sauce, which may always be kept on hand; boil the sauce gently for five minutes, take out the bay leaves, and pour a little of the sauce on the bottom of a hot platter; when the pieces of breast are brown, take them up with a skimmer, and lay them on soft paper, or on a clean napkin for a moment, to free them from grease, and arrange them in a wreath on the platter containing the sauce; serve them at once, with the rest of the sauce in a gravy boat.

44. =Spanish Sauce.=--Fry one ounce of ham or bacon, cut in half-inch dice, with one ounce of fat; add to it, as soon as brown, two ounces of carrot sliced, two ounces of onion sliced; stir in two ounces of dry flour, and brown well; then add one quart of stock; or if none is on hand, one quart of water, and half a pound of lean meat chopped fine; season with a teaspoonful of salt, quarter of a saltspoonful of pepper, and a bouquet of sweet herbs, made as directed in the first chapter; simmer gently for an hour, skimming as often as any sc.u.m rises; then strain the sauce, add one gill of wine to it, and use it to dress any dark meat, game, or baked fish. This sauce will keep a week or longer, in a cool place.

45. =Kromeskys, with Spanish Sauce.=--Cut one pound of cold roast lamb, or mutton, in half inch dice; chop one ounce of onion, and fry it pale yellow in one ounce of b.u.t.ter; add one ounce of flour, and stir until smooth; add half a pint of Spanish sauce, or water, if no sauce is at hand, two tablespoonfuls of chopped parsley, one level teaspoonful of salt, one level saltspoonful of white pepper, half a saltspoonful of powdered herbs, as much cayenne as can be taken up on the point of a very small pen-knife blade, and the chopped meat; two ounces of mushrooms, slightly warmed with quarter of an ounce of b.u.t.ter, and a teaspoonful of lemon juice, improve the flavor of the _kromeskys_ exceedingly; stir until scalding hot, add the yolk of one raw egg, cook for two minutes, stirring frequently; and turn out to cool on a flat dish, slightly oiled, or b.u.t.tered, to prevent sticking, spreading the minced meat about an inch thick; set away to cool while the batter is being made.

46. =Plain Frying Batter.=--Mix quarter of a pound of flour with the yolks of two raw eggs, a level saltspoonful of salt, half a saltspoonful of pepper, quarter of a saltspoonful of grated nutmeg, one tablespoonful of salad oil, (which is used to make the batter crisp,) and one cup of water, more or less, as the flour will take it up; the batter should be stiff enough to hold the drops from the spoon in shape when they are let fall upon it; now beat the whites of the two eggs to a stiff froth, beginning slowly, and increasing the speed until you are beating as fast as you can; the froth will surely come; then stir it lightly into the batter; heat the dish containing the meat a moment, to loosen it, and turn it out on the table, just dusted with powdered crackers; cut it in strips an inch wide and two inches long, roll them lightly under the palm of the hand, in the shape of corks, dip them in the batter, and fry them golden brown in smoking hot fat. Serve them on a neatly folded napkin. They make a delicious dish, really worth all the care taken in preparing them.

47. =Sheep's Tongues with Spinach.=--Boil eight sheep's tongues in the stock pot, or in hot water with a bouquet of sweet herbs, and a gill of vinegar, for about an hour, or until they are quite tender; then remove them from the stock, lay them on their sides on a flat dish, place over them another dish with weights on it, and allow them to cool: trim them neatly, put them into a sauce-pan with enough Spanish sauce, or brown gravy to cover them, and heat them gradually.

48. =To boil Spinach.=--Wash and trim one quart of green spinach, put it into a sauce-pan holding at least three quarts of boiling water, and three tablespoonfuls of salt, and boil it rapidly, with the cover off, until it is tender enough to pierce easily with the finger nail, which will be in from three to seven minutes, according to the age of the spinach; then drain it in a colander, wash it in cold water, thoroughly drain it again, and chop it very fine, or pa.s.s it through a sieve with a wooden spoon; put it into a sauce-pan with enough Spanish sauce or brown gravy to moisten it, season it with a saltspoonful of salt, and half that quant.i.ty of white pepper, and heat it until it steams; arrange the tongues in a wreath on a hot platter, put the spinach in the centre, and pour the gravy in which the tongues were heated, over them. Serve hot at once.

49. =Broiled Sheep's Kidneys.=--Split eight kidneys lengthwise, skin them, lay them for half an hour in a dish containing a tablespoonful of salad oil, the same of some spiced vinegar, or table sauce, and a saltspoonful of salt and pepper mixed equally; turn them frequently; then roll them in cracker dust, lay them on a greased gridiron, and broil them, the inside first; when done brown, place them on a hot dish, with a small piece of _maitre d'hotel_ b.u.t.ter in each, made according to receipt No.

16, and send them hot to the table.

50. =Liver Rolls.=--Cut two sheep's livers in slices half an inch thick; season them with salt and pepper; spread over each a layer of sausage meat as thick as the liver, season that, roll each slice up, and tie it in place with a string; on the bottom of a baking pan put one ounce of carrot, and one ounce of onion sliced, two bay leaves, one sprig of thyme, three of parsley, and an ounce of salt pork sliced; lay the liver on these, put over each roll a tablespoonful of brown gravy, or Spanish sauce, and bake them in a moderate oven about forty minutes, or until they are thoroughly cooked; lay them on a hot platter, add a gill of stock or water to the pan they were baked in, stir the vegetables about in it, and strain it over the liver. Serve at once.

51. =Fried Brains with Tomato Sauce.=--Lay four pieces of calf's brains in cold water and salt for one hour, to draw out the blood; meantime begin a tomato sauce as directed below; carefully remove the outer skin without breaking the brains; put them over the fire in enough cold water to cover them, with half a gill of vinegar, two bay leaves, a sprig of parsley, and an onion stuck with three cloves; bring them to a boil, and simmer slowly for ten minutes; take them up carefully, and lay them in cold water and salt to cool. When cool, cut each one in two pieces, roll them first in cracker dust, then in one raw egg beaten with a tablespoonful of cold water, then again in cracker dust, and fry them in plenty of smoking hot fat; as soon as they are golden brown take them up on a skimmer, and lay them on a soft paper or napkin to absorb all fat, and then arrange on a platter containing half a pint of tomato sauce.

52. =Tomato Sauce.=--Put into a thick sauce-pan half a can, or one pint of tomatoes, one ounce of carrot, and the same quant.i.ty of onion sliced, one ounce of salt pork cut in small bits, a bouquet of sweet herbs, made as directed in Chapter first, four cloves, one clove of garlic, if it is liked, one teaspoonful of salt, quarter of a saltspoonful of pepper, and a gill of stock, gravy, or water; simmer slowly one hour, and pa.s.s through a sieve with a wooden spoon. This is an excellent sauce for any breaded side dish.

53. =Calf's Liver larded.=--The operation of larding is done by pa.s.sing strips of larding pork, which is firm, white, fat pork, cut two inches long, and quarter of an inch square, in rows along the surface of a liver, placing the strips of pork in the split end of a larding needle, and with it taking a st.i.tch about a quarter of an inch deep and one inch long in the surface of the liver, and leaving the ends of the pork projecting equally; the rows must be inserted regularly, the ends of the second coming between the ends of the first, and so on, until the surface is covered; the liver is then laid in a dripping pan on one ounce of carrot, one ounce of onions, and one ounce of salt pork sliced, half a teaspoonful of salt, quarter of a saltspoonful of pepper, three sprigs of parsley, one of thyme, three bay leaves, and six cloves; a gill of Spanish sauce or brown gravy is poured over it, and it is cooked in a moderate oven about an hour, until it is thoroughly done. The liver should be laid on a hot platter, while half a pint of Spanish sauce or gravy is stirred among the vegetables it was cooked with, and then strained over it. If served hot it is a most delicious and economical dish, being nearly as satisfactory to appet.i.te as a heavy joint of roast meat.

54. =Blanquette of Veal.=--Cut three pounds of the breast of veal in pieces two inches square, put them in enough cold water to cover them, with one saltspoonful of white pepper, one teaspoonful of salt, a bouquet of sweet herbs, made as directed in Chapter first, and an onion stuck with three cloves; bring slowly to a boil, skim carefully until no more sc.u.m rises, and cook gently for thirty or forty minutes until the veal is tender; then drain it, returning the broth to the fire, and was.h.i.+ng the meat in cold water; meantime make a white sauce by stirring together over the fire one ounce of b.u.t.ter and one ounce of flour, until they are smooth, then adding a pint and a half of the broth gradually, season with a little more salt and pepper if they are required, and with quarter of a saltspoonful of grated nutmeg; when the sauce has boiled up well, stir into it with an egg-whip the yolks of two raw eggs, put in the meat, and cook for five minutes, stirring occasionally; a few mushrooms are a great improvement to the blanquette; or it may be served with two tablespoonfuls of chopped parsley sprinkled over it after it is put on a hot platter.

55. =Stuffed breast of Veal.=--Have the butcher make what is called a pocket in a three pound breast of veal, by cutting the flesh of the upper side free from the breast bones, taking care to leave three outer sides of the meat whole, so as to hold the stuffing; prepare a bed of vegetables, herbs, and pork, as directed for liver, in receipt No. 53; stuff the breast, sew it up, lay it on the vegetables, put four ounces of salt pork cut in thin slices on the top, season it with a teaspoonful of salt, and quarter of a saltspoonful of pepper, and bake it in a moderate oven about one hour, till thoroughly done; serve it with a brown gravy made the same as the liver gravy in receipt No. 53.

56. =Stuffing for Veal.=--Steep four ounces of bread in tepid water; chop one ounce of onion, and fry it yellow in one ounce of b.u.t.ter; wring the bread dry in a towel and add it to the b.u.t.ter and onion; season with one saltspoonful of salt, quarter of a saltspoonful each of pepper and powdered thyme, or mixed spices, and stir till scalding hot, then remove from the fire, stir in the yolk of one raw egg, and stuff the breast of veal with it. This is a very good stuffing for poultry, or lamb.

57. =Broiled Pork Cutlets.=--Make a Robert sauce, according to directions given below. Broil two pounds of cutlets from the neck of pork, being careful not to burn them, and dish them in a wreath on a hot platter with Robert sauce poured on the dish.

58. =Robert Sauce.=--Chop two ounces of onion, fry pale yellow with one ounce of b.u.t.ter, add two tablespoonfuls of spiced vinegar, and reduce one half by quick boiling; add half a pint of Spanish sauce, or brown gravy, and boil slowly for fifteen minutes; then season with a saltspoonful of salt, quarter of a saltspoonful of pepper, and two teaspoonfuls of French mustard, and serve.

59. =Pork Chops with Curry.=--First boil a quarter of a pound of rice according to receipt No. 60. Fry two pounds of pork chops cut from the loin, brown in a very little b.u.t.ter, pour off all the grease, add to them half a pint of Spanish sauce, and a tablespoonful of curry powder mixed smooth with two tablespoonfuls of cold water; cover the sauce-pan, and simmer the chops for fifteen minutes; then dish them in a wreath on a hot platter, pour the sauce on the bottom of the dish, and fill the centre with rice.

60. =Boiled Rice.=--Wash a quarter of a pound of rice in plenty of cold water, put it into a quart of boiling water with a tablespoonful of salt, and boil it fast for twenty minutes; shake it out into a colander, drain it, and shake it from the colander into the centre of the dish of chops; do not stir it with a spoon.

61. =Broiled Pigs' Feet.=--Boil four well cleaned pickled pigs' feet in stock or boiling water with sweet herbs, until they are tender enough to permit the bones to come out readily; split them in halves, take out all the large bones; trim and shape them neatly, and cool them; when cold season them with pepper and salt, dip them first in melted b.u.t.ter and then in cracker dust, and broil them over a clear, moderate fire, turning them frequently; serve with a little melted b.u.t.ter, lemon juice, and chopped parsley over them.

62. =English Pork Pie.=--Make a plain pie crust by mixing together with the hand, half a pound of flour and quarter of a pound of b.u.t.ter, with enough cold water to make a stiff paste; roll out about six times on a well floured pastry board, folding the paste evenly each time; line the side of an earthen pie dish nearly to the bottom; in the bottom put a thin layer of bacon, about four ounces sliced; pare and slice half a quart of potatoes; chop two ounces of onion; cut two pounds of fresh lean pork in two-inch pieces; lay all these in the dish in layers, season with half a saltspoonful of pepper and the same quant.i.ty of powdered sage; fill the dish with any good cold gravy, cover with crust, wetting the edges to make them fit tight; ornament the surface according to your fancy, with leaves and fancy shapes cut out of the pastry; brush over with a raw egg beaten with a tablespoonful of water; bake in a moderate oven fifteen minutes; cover the top with paper, and bake one hour longer; serve hot, or cold, as desired.

63. =Fried Chicken, Spanish Style.=--Cut up a four pound chicken as for a _frica.s.see_, sprinkle the pieces with salt, and Spanish red pepper; put four ounces of lard in a frying pan on the fire, and when smoking hot, put in the legs, back, thighs, and wings; when they are half done, add the pieces of breast, two ounces of chopped onion, one clove of garlic chopped, a bouquet of sweet herbs, made as directed in Chapter first, and fry seven minutes; add half a pound of raw ham cut in half inch dice, and fry till the chicken is tender; take it out and keep it hot, while you fry four large tomatoes cut in dice, and seasoned with salt and pepper to taste; then add the chicken, make it quite hot, and serve all together on a platter, like a _frica.s.see_.

64. =Chicken Frica.s.see.=--Cut a four pound tender chicken in joints, put it over the fire in enough cold water to cover it, with one dessertspoonful of salt, half a saltspoonful of pepper, a bouquet of sweet herbs, made as directed in Chapter first, two ounces of carrot, pared and left whole, and one dozen b.u.t.ton onions peeled; skim frequently as often as any sc.u.m rises, simmer slowly until the chicken is tender, about an hour, and then take it up to keep hot while the sauce is made; strain out the vegetables, and set the broth to boil; mix one ounce of b.u.t.ter and one ounce of flour together over the fire until they become a smooth paste; then gradually add a pint and a half of the broth, stirring the sauce with an egg-whip until it is quite smooth, season it to taste with salt and pepper, and dish it on a hot platter; half a can of mushrooms greatly improve the flavor of the _frica.s.see_.

65. =Grilled Fowl.=--Cut the legs and second joints from two cold roast fowls; score them closely, season them with pepper and salt, and lay them by, ready to broil. Mince the rest of the meat fine. Make a white sauce by mixing together over the fire two ounces of b.u.t.ter and two of flour until they form a smooth paste; gradually add enough boiling milk to make a good thick sauce, season with half a teaspoonful of salt, quarter of a saltspoonful of white pepper, and the same quant.i.ty of grated nutmeg; add the minced fowl, and heat; now broil the legs and thighs, and after dis.h.i.+ng the mince on a hot platter, lay them on it, and serve hot.

66. =Minced Chicken with Macaroni.=--Put four ounces of macaroni to blanch as directed in receipt No. 67. Cut two pounds of cold roast fowl in small slices, or scallops; and heat them in a white sauce, as directed in receipt No. 65: dish them in a border of macaroni, and serve hot.

67. =Macaroni with Cheese.=--Blanch four ounces of macaroni by putting it to boil in two quarts of boiling water and a tablespoonful of salt; boil it until it is tender enough to pierce with the finger nail, drain it in a colander, wash it well in cold water, and let it remain in water while you prepare a white sauce of one ounce of b.u.t.ter, one of flour, and boiling milk, as directed in receipt No. 65:--put the macaroni into it with two ounces of grated cheese, Parmesan is the best; heat it thoroughly; dish it in a border around the minced fowl, which should be piled in the middle of the dish.

68. =Broiled Pigeons.=--Carefully pluck and draw eight pigeons, split them down the middle of the back, flatten them by pounding them with the blade of a heavy knife, broil them on a greased gridiron, the inside first; lay each one on a slice of b.u.t.tered toast, and dress them with a little _maitre d'hotel_ b.u.t.ter, made according to receipt No. 16.

69. =Salmi of Duck.=--Cut two cold roast wild ducks in joints; put them into a sauce-pan with enough Spanish sauce to cover them, and add two dozen olives with the stones removed; season to taste with salt and pepper, being guided in this by the seasoning of the Spanish sauce; heat thoroughly; meantime cut a dozen heart shaped _croutons_, or slices of bread about two inches long and one wide, and fry them brown in plenty of hot fat; when the _salmi_ is hot, pour it on a hot dish, and arrange the _croutons_ around the border; serve hot.

70. =Civet of Hare.=--Skin a pair of leverets, or young hares, carefully wipe them outside with a damp cloth; remove the entrails, and wash the interior with a cup of vinegar, which must be saved; cut them into joints as you would divide a chicken for _frica.s.see_; cut the back and loins in pieces about two inches square; peel two dozen b.u.t.ton onions, and fry them light brown in two ounces of b.u.t.ter, with half a pound of lean ham cut in half inch dice; add the hare, and brown well; stir in two ounces of dry flour, add three gills of broth, and one gill of the vinegar used to wash the hare, or two gills of claret, season with one teaspoonful of salt, one saltspoonful of ground cloves, and half a saltspoonful of pepper; simmer gently about one hour, until the hare is tender, and serve on a hot platter like chicken _frica.s.see_.

71. =Jugged Hare.=--Prepare two hares as for a _civet_, in receipt No. 70; in the cup of vinegar and half a pint of Spanish sauce, (or in their place one pint of claret,) put the yellow rind of one lemon, a bouquet of sweet herbs, prepared as in Chapter first, eight cloves, two blades of mace, two inches of stick cinnamon, eight allspice, one ounce of onion whole, one ounce of carrot whole; boil all these together half an hour when you are preparing the hare, as in receipt No. 70; lay the browned pieces of hare in an earthen jar; season them a little with a teaspoonful of salt, and quarter of a saltspoonful of pepper; strain the gravy made as above into the jar; put on the cover; fasten it in place with a paste made of flour and water, and oiled on the top to prevent cracking. Bake the hare in a moderate oven three hours. When you are nearly ready to dish it, cut a slice of bread two inches thick, the entire side of a large loaf, trim it to a perfect oval, fry it light brown in hot fat, put it on a platter, arrange the hare on it, and pour the gravy over; serve hot.

72. =Stuffed Eggs.=--Boil eight eggs for ten minutes, until quite hard, lay them in cold water until they are quite cold; make a white sauce, as directed in receipt No. 65; soak two ounces of stale bread in tepid water for five minutes, and wring it dry in a towel; put one ounce of grated cheese, Parmesan is the best, in a sauce-pan with one saltspoonful of salt, half that quant.i.ty of white pepper, as much cayenne as can be taken up on the point of a very small pen-knife blade, a teaspoonful of lemon juice, two ounces of b.u.t.ter, and a gill of the white sauce; cut the eggs carefully in halves lengthwise after removing the sh.e.l.ls, rub the yolks through a sieve with a silver spoon, and add them with the bread to the sauce, as prepared above; stir these ingredients over the fire until they cleave from the sides of the sauce-pan, when they will be scalding hot; on a hot platter put a layer of the white sauce as a foundation for the eggs; fill the whites with the forcemeat, rounding it up to look like the entire yolk of an egg, set them on a dish in a pyramid, and heat them in a moderate oven; send whatever white sauce you have left to the table in a boat, with the dish of eggs.

When, after preparing the eggs for the oven, they are sprinkled with grated cheese, and cracker dust, and then browned, they are called gratinated eggs, or stuffed eggs, _au gratin_, and are served without any sauce.

73. =How to make Omelettes.=--There is no great difficulty in making omelettes, and as they may be expeditiously prepared and served they are a convenient resource when an extra dish is required at short notice; care should be taken to beat the eggs only until they are light, to put the omelette into a well heated and b.u.t.tered pan, and _never to turn it in the pan_, as this flattens and toughens it; if the pan be large, and only three or four eggs be used in making the omelette, the pan should be tipped and held by the handle so that the eggs will cook in a small s.p.a.ce upon one side of it; instead of spreading all over it, and becoming too dry in the process of cooking.

There are three secrets in the making of a good omelette, namely, the separate beating of the eggs, the knack of stirring it upon the fire, and the method of transferring it from the fire to the table. If you will carefully follow the directions here given, you can produce a dish dainty enough to satisfy the most fastidious eater.

74. =Plain Omelette.=--If you have to serve eight persons, make three omelettes as follows:

Put one half an ounce (about a tablespoonful) of b.u.t.ter into a clean, smooth frying-pan, and set it upon the back of the stove to melt; stir the yolks of three eggs with a saltspoonful of salt for one minute; beat the whites of three eggs to a stiff froth with an egg-whip, beginning slowly, and gradually increasing the speed until the froth will not leave the dish if it be turned bottom up; this will take from three to five minutes, according to the freshness of the eggs; now pour the yolks into the froth, and mix them gently with a silver spoon, turning the bowl of the spoon over and over, but do not stir in a circle, or rapidly; put the frying-pan containing the melted b.u.t.ter over the fire, pour in the omelette, and stir it with a large two-p.r.o.nged fork (a carving fork will do), carefully raising the edges with the fork as fast as they cook, and turning them toward the centre, until the omelette lies in the middle of the pan in a light ma.s.s, cooked soft or hard to suit the taste; when done to the desired degree, turn it out upon a hot dish _without touching it with either fork or spoon_, and send it to the table immediately. Another excellent method is to beat three eggs, without separating the whites and yolks, with one tablespoonful of milk, and a little salt and pepper, and put them into a frying-pan containing two ounces of b.u.t.ter browned; let the omelette stand for a moment, and then turn the edges up gently with a fork, and shake the pan to prevent it burning or sticking at the bottom; five minutes will fry it a delicate brown, and it should then be doubled and sent to the table at once on a hot dish. Three eggs will make an omelette large enough for two persons, if any other dish is to be served with it. There are several varieties of omelettes, each named after the ingredient prominent in the composition. We subjoin some excellent receipts, which may be based upon the first-mentioned method of preparation and cooking.

75. =Omelette with Herbs.=--Stir into the yolks of three eggs a saltspoonful of salt, half a teaspoonful of chopped parsley, one tablespoonful of chopped mushrooms, and one tablespoonful of shallot or white onion; beat the whites of three eggs to a stiff froth, add them to the yolks, and cook as in the first receipt.

76. =Omelette with Ham, Tongue, or Cheese.=--Use chopped or grated ham, or tongue, or cheese, in the proportion of one tablespoonful to one egg; proceed to mix and cook in the same way as for omelette with herbs.

77. =Omelette with Oysters.=--Blanch one dozen small Blue Point oysters, by bringing them just to a boil in their own liquor, seasoned with a dust of cayenne, a saltspoonful of salt, and a grate of nutmeg; mix an omelette as above, omitting the herbs, place it over the fire, and when it begins to cook at the edges, place the oysters, without any liquor, in its centre, and fold and serve it in the same manner as the omelette with herbs.

78. =Omelette with Mushrooms.=--Choose a dozen small, even sized mushrooms; if they are canned, simply warm them in the essence in which they are preserved, and if they are fresh, peel them by dipping them, held by the stem, into boiling water for one moment, and heat them over the fire with half an ounce of b.u.t.ter and half a saltspoonful of salt put over them; prepare the omelette as above, and as soon as the edges begin to cook, place the mushrooms in the centre, and fold and serve like the omelette with herbs.

79. =Spanish Omelette.=--Peel two large ripe tomatoes, cut them in thin slices, put them into a frying pan with an ounce of b.u.t.ter, a saltspoonful of salt, and a dust of pepper, and toss them to prevent burning, until they are just cooked through; make an omelette as above, and as soon as its edges are cooked put in the tomatoes, and fold and serve the same as the omelette with herbs.

80. =Oriental Omelette.=--Heat a thick earthen plate over a charcoal or wood fire, until it will melt b.u.t.ter enough to cover the bottom of it, dust on the b.u.t.ter a little pepper, and sprinkle on a little salt; break into it as many eggs as will lay upon it without crowding, and brown them underneath; then set them where the heat of the fire will strike their tops, and let them color a pale yellow; salt them a little, and serve them very hot upon the same dish upon which they were cooked.

81. =Omelette with Preserves.=--Prepare an omelette as directed in receipt No. 77, subst.i.tuting any kind of jelly or preserves for the oysters.