Hand-Book of Practical Cookery for Ladies and Professional Cooks Part 52

_With Brown b.u.t.ter._--Break gently in a plate or dish, and without breaking the yolks, eight eggs; sprinkle salt and pepper on them. Put two ounces of b.u.t.ter in a frying-pan, and on a good fire; when turning brown subdue the fire. Put also, and at the same time, the same quant.i.ty of b.u.t.ter in another frying-pan, and on a good fire, and when hot, place the eggs in without breaking the yolks; then spread over the eggs the brown b.u.t.ter you have in the other; take from the fire when you see the whites becoming hard; put them on a dish, pour on them a tablespoonful of vinegar which you have warmed in the pan after having used the brown b.u.t.ter, and serve.

_Fried._--Put half a pound of lard in a frying-pan, and on a good fire; when hot, break gently, one by one (being careful not to break the yolk), the quant.i.ty of eggs you can put in the pan without allowing them to adhere together; turn them upside down once with a spoon or skimmer; take from the pan with a skimmer as soon as the white part becomes hard, and serve with fried parsley around.

_Scrambled, or Mashed._--Beat six eggs just enough to mix the whites and yolks together; put two ounces of b.u.t.ter in a stewpan, and set on the fire; when melted, take from the fire, add salt, pepper, and a pinch of grated nutmeg, then the eggs, also a tablespoonful of broth; put back on a very slow fire, stir continually till cooked, and serve warm.

_Sur le Plat._--b.u.t.ter the bottom of a crockery or tin dish with two ounces of b.u.t.ter; break into the dish and over the b.u.t.ter, gently and without breaking the yolks, six eggs; sprinkle salt, pepper, and grated nutmeg all over, put the dish on a slow fire, or on warm cinders, and when the white is hard, serve. They must be served in the dish in which they are cooked.

_In the Sh.e.l.l._--Bear in mind that some eggs cook quicker than others.

Put eggs in boiling water for two minutes, if liked soft or underdone; and three minutes, if liked more done. They are generally served enveloped in a napkin.

_In Matelote._--Put a bottle of claret wine in a stewpan and set it on a good fire; add to it two sprigs of parsley, one of thyme, a clove of garlic, a middling-sized onion, a clove, a bay-leaf, salt, and pepper; boil fifteen minutes; then take all the seasonings out and have your wine boiling gently; break one egg in by letting it fall gently in order to have it entire, and then take it out immediately with a skimmer, and place it on a dish; do the same with eight eggs; keep them in a warm (but not hot) place. After which put in the wine, without taking it from the fire, four ounces of b.u.t.ter kneaded with a tablespoonful of flour; boil till reduced to a proper thickness, pour it on the eggs, and serve.

_With Onions._--Cut in dice three middling-sized onions and put them in a saucepan with four ounces of b.u.t.ter; set it on a moderate fire and stir now and then till the onions are turning yellow, then sprinkle on them a teaspoonful of flour, salt, and pepper; add a pint of warm water and boil gently till rather thick, but not too much so. Put into the saucepan half a dozen hard-boiled eggs cut in four pieces each, lengthwise, boil gently two or three minutes longer, and serve warm.

_With Green Peas._--Proceed as for eggs with asparagus, except that you boil a gill of peas instead of asparagus; prepare and serve in the same way.

_With Cauliflowers._--Blanch the cauliflowers and proceed as for the above. Eggs are prepared as above, with celery, lettuce, etc.

_A la Tripe._--Proceed exactly the same as for eggs with onions, except that you use milk or broth instead of water.

_A la Neige, or Floating Island._--Beat four (or more) whites of eggs to a stiff froth. Put in a tin saucepan one pint of milk and one ounce of sugar, set on the fire, and as soon as it rises put lumps of the whites into it with a skimmer, turn the lumps over after having been in about half a minute, leave them in another half minute, take them off with a skimmer also, place them on a sieve to allow the milk that may be around the lumps to drop. Put in a tin saucepan four yolks of eggs, two ounces of sugar, and mix well; add the milk that has been used to cook the whites, after having strained it, and mix again. Set on the fire, stir, give one boil, take off, add a few drops of essence to flavor; turn into a dish; place the lumps of whites gently on the liquor and they will float, and serve cold. If the liquor is desired thicker, use only half of the milk.

_To poach Eggs._--Set cold water on the fire in a frying-pan, with salt and vinegar in it, a tablespoonful of vinegar to a quart of water. As soon as it boils, break a fresh egg in the water or in a small plate, and slide it gently into the water. Then with a skimmer turn the white gently and by degrees over the yolk, so as to envelop the latter in the former, giving the eggs an elongated shape. They may be poached hard or soft--hard when the yolk is cooked hard; soft when the yolk is still in a soft state.

_Fondue of Eggs._--Beat well six eggs, and put them in a stewpan with two ounces of _Gruyere_, well grated, and about one ounce of b.u.t.ter; set on a brisk fire, and leave till it becomes rather thick, stirring all the time with a wooden spoon; take from the fire, add pepper, and stir a little; turn over on a warm dish, and serve. This is a very favorite dish in Italy, and also in Switzerland, where it originated.

_To beat Whites of Eggs._--Have a convenient basin; break the eggs gently; allow the whites to fall in the basin and retain the yolks in the sh.e.l.l. This is very easily done by breaking the sh.e.l.l about the middle, opening slowly so as to let the white fall, and at the same time retain the yolk in one of the halves of the sh.e.l.l; if some white remains, turn the yolk from one half into the other, and _vice versa_, till the whole of it has fallen. Then add a very small pinch of salt to prevent the curdling of the eggs; commence by beating slowly; beat faster and faster, till they form a stiff froth. They are well beaten when, placing a twenty-five and a ten-cent silver piece on the top, they are firm enough to bear them. If the pieces sink, beat again. Always beat eggs in a cool place, they will rise better and faster. (_See_ Egg-beater.)

_Basin._--Pay no attention to the old prejudice and belief that metal is not good to beat eggs in. The best and easiest for family use, in which one as well as a dozen whites of eggs can be easily whisked, is of block-tin, and can be made by any tinsmith. It has the shape of an ordinary goblet or tumbler if the foot is cut off, the bottom being round. Size: six inches deep from the centre of the bottom to the top; eight inches in diameter at the top, and only six inches in diameter where the bottom commences (or five inches from the top); the basin being broader at the top than at the bottom, and the bottom being one inch deeper in the centre than on the sides.

_Omelets--how to beat the Eggs._--Break in a bowl the quant.i.ty of eggs you want, or as many as there are persons at the table; beat them well with salt and pepper, by means of a fork. A little grated nutmeg may be added, if liked. The adding of milk to the eggs makes the omelet soft.

_To make it._--Always have a brisk fire to make an omelet; the quicker it is made the better, and the less b.u.t.ter it requires. If possible, have a frying-pan to make omelets only in; keep it in a clean place and never wash it if you can help it; by warming it a little before making the omelets and wiping it with a coa.r.s.e towel, you can keep it as clean as can be without was.h.i.+ng. To wash it causes the omelet to adhere to it while cooking, and injures its appearance. Commence by beating the eggs, then put the b.u.t.ter in the frying-pan, about two ounces for eight eggs; set on the fire and toss gently to melt the b.u.t.ter as evenly and as quickly as possible, else some of it will get black before the whole is melted. As soon as melted, turn the beaten eggs in, and stir and move continually with a fork or knife, so as to cook the whole as nearly as possible at the same time. If some part of the omelet sticks to the pan, add a little b.u.t.ter, and raise that part with a knife so as to allow the b.u.t.ter to run under it, and prevent it from sticking again. It must be done quickly, and without taking the pan from the fire. When cooked according to taste, soft or hard, fold, dish, and serve warm.

It is _folded_ in this way: run the knife or fork under one part of the omelet, on the side nearest to the handle of the pan, and turn that part over the other part of the omelet, so as to double it or nearly so; then have an oval dish in your left hand, take hold of the frying-pan with the right hand, the thumb upward instead of the fingers, as is generally the case in taking hold of a pan, incline the dish by raising the left side, place the edge of the pan (the one opposite to the handle) on the edge of the dish, turn it upside down--and you have the omelet on the dish, doubled up and sightly. Cooks do not succeed in turning out a decent omelet generally, because they cook it too much, turn it upside down in the pan, or because they do not know how to handle the pan.

In holding the pan as it is generally and naturally held, that is, with the palm of the hand resting on the upper side of the handle, it is impossible for anybody, cook or other, to dish the omelet properly without extraordinary efforts; while by resting the thumb on the upper part of the handle, the fingers under it, the little finger being the nearest to the pan, it is only necessary to move the right hand from right to left, describing a circle and twisting the wrist, so that, when the pan is turned upside down, the fingers are up instead of downward, as they were when taking hold of the pan.

An omelet is called soft if, when you commence to fold, only about two-thirds of the eggs are solidified; and hard, when nearly the whole of the eggs are solidified. With a good fire it takes only about four minutes to make an omelet.

By following our directions carefully, it will be very easy to make an omelet, and make it well and sightly, even the first time, and will be child's play to make one after a few days' practice.

_With Apples._--Peel two or three apples, cut them in thin, round slices, fry them with a little b.u.t.ter, and take them from the pan; then put a little more b.u.t.ter in the pan, and when hot, pour in it six beaten eggs, in which you have mixed the slices of apples; cook, dish, and serve as directed above.

_With Asparagus._--Cut the eatable part of the asparagus half an inch in length, throw them in boiling water with a little salt, drain them when cooked, and chop them fine; beat them with eggs and a little milk; have hot b.u.t.ter in a frying-pan on a good fire; pour the eggs in, tossing continually till done, and serve on a dish as directed.

_With Bacon._--Put two ounces of b.u.t.ter in a frying-pan; when melted, add two ounces of bacon cut in dice; when turning brown and very hot, pour in eight eggs, beaten as directed above; toss the pan nearly all the time till done, and serve as directed.

_Au naturel._--Beat five eggs, with salt and pepper, as directed. Put about an ounce of b.u.t.ter in a frying-pan on the fire, and when melted, turn the eggs in; cook, dish, and serve as directed.

_Aux Fines Herbes._--Proceed as for _au naturel_ in every particular, except that you beat with the eggs a tablespoonful of chopped parsley, or parsley and chives, when handy; cook, dish, and serve in the same way.

_Celestine._--Beat eight eggs as directed. Dip the point of a small kitchen knife in water and cut with it little lumps of b.u.t.ter the size of a pea and of any shape; about two ounces of it, drop them in the eggs and beat a little to mix, then melt b.u.t.ter in a frying-pan and cook, dish, and serve as directed.

_In the Oven._--When the omelet _au naturel_ or _Celestine_ is cooked enough to commence folding, put the frying-pan in a quick oven for about one minute and serve. The omelet swells and does not need folding, but if it gains in bulk, it loses in taste.

_Jardiniere._--Chop fine, parsley, chives, onions, shallots, a few leaves of sorrel, and a few sprigs of chervil; beat and mix the whole well with beaten eggs; cook, dish, and serve as directed. It requires a little more b.u.t.ter than if made with eggs only.

_With Cheese._--Grate some pine-apple or _Gruyere_ cheese, about two ounces to four or five eggs, and mix and beat it with the eggs; then make the omelet as directed.

_With Kidney._--_Saute_ as directed, till about half done, part of a beef or calf's kidney, or one sheep's kidney, and mix it with beaten eggs. Cook and serve as directed. It makes an excellent dish for breakfast. The kidney may be cooked till done, and when the omelet is to be folded in the pan, put five or six tablespoonfuls of the kidney on the middle of the omelet, fold, dish, and serve as directed. When dished, none of the kidney is seen, being under the omelet.

_With Mushrooms._--Cut mushrooms in pieces, and mix them, with beaten eggs; then cook and serve them as directed. This also makes an excellent dish for breakfast, especially if made with fresh mushrooms.

_With Sorrel._--Make an omelet _au naturel_ or _Celestine_, and serve it on a _puree_ of sorrel. The same may be served on a _puree_ of tomatoes or onions.

_With Lobster._--Cut two ounces of boiled lobster in small dice, mix it well with beaten eggs, and cook and serve as directed.

_With Sugar._--Mix well the yolks of eight eggs with two ounces of fine white sugar and a pinch of salt, and beat well the whites; then mix well yolks, whites, and the rind of half a lemon, having the latter chopped very fine. Put four ounces of b.u.t.ter in a frying-pan, and set it on the fire; when melted, pour the eggs in, and toss and stir as directed. Then dust a dish with fine white sugar, put the omelet on, then dust again the upper side with the same; have ready a red-hot shovel, or any other flat piece of iron, pa.s.s it over the top of the omelet, so as to color it while melting the sugar, and serve warm. The whole process must be performed quickly. The sugar may be beaten with the eggs whole; both ways are good; it is only a question of taste.

_With Rum._--Make an omelet with sugar as above, and when on the table, pour a gill or so of rum on it, set fire to it, and let it burn as long as it can, taking slowly but continually with a silver spoon the rum from the sides, and pouring it on the middle while it is burning, and until it dies out by itself; then eat immediately.

_With Truffles._--Slice four ounces of truffles, beat them with six eggs, a little milk, and a little salt and pepper. Put in a frying-pan four ounces of b.u.t.ter, and set it on a good fire; when melted, pour the eggs in, toss almost continually till done, and serve as directed for omelets.

_With Ham._--Cut four ounces of ham in small dice, and set it on the fire in a frying-pan with about two ounces of b.u.t.ter; stir, and while the ham is frying, beat six eggs and turn them over the ham in the pan when the latter is fried; stir with a fork, to cook the eggs as quickly as possible; turn the part of the omelet nearest to you over the other part by means of a fork, and serve like an omelet _au naturel_.

_With Boiled Ham._--Proceed as for the above in every particular, except that you mix the ham with the eggs after the latter are beaten; put the mixture in the frying-pan, and finish as the above.

_With Salt Pork (called omelet au Lard)._--Beat half a dozen eggs with a fork. Cut four ounces of salt pork in dice, set it on the fire in a frying-pan, and when nearly fried turn the eggs in; stir, and finish as other omelets. Lean or fat salt pork (according to taste) may be used, or both. If it is all lean, use some b.u.t.ter, otherwise it will burn.

_Soufflee._--Put in a bowl four ounces of pulverized sugar with four yolks of eggs; then with a wooden spoon mix well and stir for two minutes; add a few drops of essence to flavor. Beat the whites of four eggs to a stiff froth in another bowl, and when you see that they are beaten enough, turn two tablespoonfuls of the yolks and sugar into them, and while still beating, but not as fast; then turn the rest of the yolks and sugar into the whites, and mix gently with a wooden spoon.

b.u.t.ter a tin or silver dish, turn the mixture into it, smooth or scallop with the back of a knife, dust with sugar, and bake in an oven at about 310. It takes about twelve minutes to bake.

_Another._--Mix well six yolks of eggs with four ounces of sugar; beat the six whites to a stiff froth and mix them with the rest, add some lemon-rind chopped very fine or grated. Put four ounces of b.u.t.ter in a crockery dish, set on a moderate fire, and when the b.u.t.ter is melted pour the eggs in; stir with a fork, and as soon as you see some of the mixture becoming hard, place the dish in a hot oven for about five minutes; take off, dust with sugar, and serve.

_Macedoine, or a la Was.h.i.+ngton._--Make four omelets of four eggs each, one with apples, one with asparagus or sorrel (according to the season), a third with _fines herbes_, and the fourth _au naturel_; you serve them on the same dish, one lapping over the other. It makes a fine as well as a good dish.

This omelet, or rather these omelets, were a favorite dish with the Father of his Country; they were very often served on his table when he had a grand dinner. It is also served with the four following omelets: _au naturel_, with salt pork, _fines herbes_, and with cheese.

_With Oysters._--Blanch a dozen oysters, drain, and beat with the eggs, and then proceed as directed.

_With Tunny, or any kind of smoked or salt Fish._--Beat the eggs as directed, using little or no salt; then chop the fish fine, mix and beat it with the eggs, and cook as directed. It requires a little more b.u.t.ter than if there were no fish. A few drops of lemon-juice may be added when dished.

_With Sweetmeats._--Make an omelet _au naturel_, and when ready to be folded in the pan, place on the middle of it two or three tablespoonfuls of any kind of sweetmeats, then fold and serve.

Omelets are served as _entremets_ after the vegetables, and at breakfast. All but four are served as _entremets_, and all are served at breakfast; the four excepted are: with bacon, ham, salt pork, and kidneys. By using different kinds of sweetmeats, an infinite number of omelets can be made, and, except the _soufflee_, they are all made alike.

_Macaroni._--This excellent article of food is now as well known here as in Europe. The harder the wheat the better the macaroni. The manufacturers of this country use Michigan flour in preference to any other.