Part 80

_En Matelote._--Put a good piece of butter or lard into a saucepan, cook in it several--about 1 doz.--small onions whole; let them only slightly colour, add a little white wine and stock in equal quantities, pepper and salt to taste, also a sprinkling of nutmeg and a small bunch of sweet herbs. Let all simmer gently for about 15 minutes, then reduce, strain off the herbs and the onions, reserving the latter; break as many eggs as you may require, very carefully so as not to break the yolks, into the sauce, and poach them one after the other. When sufficiently cooked, serve them on a hot dish with the onions (whole) round them, thicken the sauce to a proper consistency, pour over the eggs and serve at once with little fried sippets round.

_Fried._--Parboil some well-washed rice in plain water, then simmer till quite done in some good gravy, with a very little curry powder. Serve with some fried eggs on the top.

_Forced._--(_a_) Boil 4 or 5 eggs 10-15 minutes; when done put into cold water. When cold take off the shells, and cut in half lengthways, take out the yolks, and put in a mortar with 1 teaspoonful chopped parsley, 1 teaspoonful lemon thyme, and ¼ teaspoonful green onion, all finely minced; 1 teaspoonful essence of anchovies, 1 grate of nutmeg, a little salt, a few grains of cayenne, and 1 oz. butter. Pound these ingredients well together; when quite smooth use this mixture to fill the whites of the eggs. Oil a border mould or shallow mould with funnel, put a little melted aspic in the bottom, let it set, and then put some of the half eggs on the aspic; then pour over them very gently some more of the aspic, let this set, and put on more of the eggs and more aspic; by this time the mould should be full; set on the ice or in a cool place to get firm till wanted, turn out in the usual way, and fill up the centre or form a border of small salad around, add a little oil and vinegar over, and serve.

(_b_) 10-12 eggs, 1 oz. truffles, ½ pint mushrooms, 1 blade of mace, a grate of nutmeg, 1 dessertspoonful parsley, a small slice of onion, 4 oz. butter, ¼ pint cream, a little good white stock, a small bunch of sweet herbs, 1 wineglass white wine, the juice of 1 lemon, or a little of the peel, a few slices of ham or tongue, pepper and salt. For the croustade have a stale quartern tin loaf rather close, pare off the crust, and with a sharp knife carve the crumb into the shape of a fluted cup or vase, make an incision all round the top about 1 in. from the outer edge, and after it is fried scoop out the middle carefully. The croustade should be fried in plenty of boiling lard in a large stewpan or frying kettle, and should be of a golden brown. When done drain it on a sieve or on a piece of white paper, and keep warm till wanted. Boil the eggs about 10 minutes, then put them into cold water. When cold shell carefully. Cut the eggs in half, take out the yolks, and put the whites aside till wanted. Mince very fine the parsley, truffles, mushrooms, onion, and a little of the ham separately, and then all together. Pound the mace, and put to it a grate of nutmeg. Chop the eggs a little, add them to the other ingredients in a stewpan, with 2 oz. butter, and a little pepper and salt. Stir over the fire a few minutes, then add the yolks of 2 uncooked eggs to bind the mixture. When it thickens, and seems cooked, turn it out on a plate. Fill the whites of the eggs with this mixture, and put the halves together to look like whole eggs. When they are all filled put them in a basin, and stand the basin in a little hot water to keep the eggs hot while you make the sauce. For this stir the remainder of the butter and a tablespoonful of flour over the fire. When the butter is dissolved stir into it a little white stock in which has been boiled a small bunch of sweet herbs, a small onion, a little thin lemon rind, and the cream. When it boils add to it the wine, lemon juice, a pinch of sugar, and pepper and salt to taste. Pile the eggs high in the croustade, and serve croustade with pieces of ham previously warmed, and the chopped truffles between the eggs; pour the sauce round the base and serve.

_In Cases._--Oil some small paper cases as for ramakins, put into each a piece of butter the size of a hazel nut, with a small pinch of minced parsley, some pepper, salt, and the least bit of cayenne. Break an egg into each case, add a teaspoonful of grated Parmesan and a sprinkling of baked breadcrumbs. Put the cases in the oven for about 5 minutes, and serve. They may also be so prepared a number at a time in a silver dish, and served in it.

_Nogg._--Beat up the yolks of 4 eggs with 4 dessertspoonfuls powdered sugar; add ½ tumblerful brandy gradually, a teaspoonful at a time, and beating continually; add a pint of rich cream gradually, and still beating: beat up the whites of two eggs separately and thoroughly, and put this on top of the mixture. (S. H. R.)

_Omelets._ Apricot.--Beat up the whites of 4 and the yolks of 6 eggs with a very small pinch of salt. Put a piece of fresh butter in the omelet pan, and directly it is melted pour in the eggs. As soon as they are set, fold up the omelet, inserting within the fold as much apricot jam as will lie in it. Turn out the omelet neatly on its dish, cover it with powdered sugar, and glaze it with a red-hot salamander.

Brussels Sprouts.--Boil 25 young Brussels sprouts until they are tender, divide each sprout into 4 or more portions according to size, dry on a cloth, beat up 6 eggs, yolks and whites; mix the sprouts with them, adding pepper and salt to taste. Melt 1 oz. fresh butter in the pan, when hot, put in the mixture, sprinkle with pepper and salt, and fry until of a nice brown colour. Serve quickly, sending butter sauce, sharpened with a dash of lime juice, to table with it.

Cheese.--(_a_) Grate 4 oz. good cooking cheese, beat up 6 eggs, only using the whites of 4; add the grated cheese to them, and by degrees ½ pint cream. Season well with pepper and salt, using cayenne pepper, if liked, and fry with butter in the ordinary way, serving as quickly as possible when ready.

(_b_) Beat up 3 or 4 eggs with 1-2 tablespoonfuls grated Parmesan cheese, and pepper and salt to taste. Put a piece of butter, the size of an egg, into a frying-pan; as soon as it is melted pour in the omelet mixture, and, holding the handle of the pan with one hand, stir the omelet with the other by means of a spoon. The moment it begins to set, cease stirring, but keep on shaking the pan for a minute or so: then with the spoon double up the omelet, and keep shaking the pan until the under side of the omelet has become of a golden colour. Turn it out on a hot dish and serve, with plenty of grated Parmesan cheese strewn over it. The cheese must be of good quality, and grated at the time--not the musty powder which so often does duty for Parmesan.

Haricot Beans.--These make a very nourishing omelet; but require to be carefully prepared beforehand, i.e. they should steep at least 6 hours in cold, slightly salted, water. It is a good plan to set them to steep overnight, especially if they are required for luncheon or early dinner. After steeping they must be boiled in fresh water until perfectly soft, and then mashed in milk, for ½ pint beans ½ teacupful milk will be required; when mashed, rub through a sieve or fine colander; then add 2 tablespoonfuls finely grated breadcrumbs, ½ oz. finely chopped parsley, and 4 eggs, yolks and whites, well beaten, a tablespoonful of melted butter, or else olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste. Mix the whole thoroughly, and pour into a buttered pan or enamelled dish. Bake ¾-1 hour in the oven, which should not be too hot; when served send a sharp brown sauce to table with it.

Macaroni.--Boil 2 oz. macaroni until it is perfectly tender; then drain it. Rub 2 tablespoonfuls flour into a smooth paste with a little cold water, boil in a lined saucepan ½ pint new milk, pour it when boiling on the flour paste, and stir well until thickened. Add to it the macaroni, which should be cut up into small bits; have ready beaten 4 eggs and ½ oz. parsley chopped up fine; add these to the milk at the same time as the macaroni, season with white pepper and salt, and pour the mixture while hot into an enamelled pie-dish, which should be well buttered. Bake in a moderately hot oven until browned over, then turn out, and serve with onion sauce, if liked; if not, with brown sauce.

Plain.--(_a_) Beat up 3 or 4 eggs with 1 dessertspoonful parsley very finely minced, and pepper and salt to taste. Put a piece of butter the size of an egg into a frying-pan; as soon as it is melted, pour in the omelet mixture, and, holding the handle of the pan with one hand, stir the omelet with the other by means of a spoon. The moment it begins to set cease stirring, but keep on shaking the pan for a minute or so; then, with the spoon, double up the omelet and keep shaking the pan until the under side of the omelet has become of a golden colour. Turn it out on a hot dish, and serve.

(_b_) Break 3 eggs, yolks and white, into a basin, add salt and pepper to taste, and beat them with a Dover’s whisk till thoroughly blended. Have the frying-pan previously on the fire with a lump of butter in it, the size of a walnut. Throw in the beaten eggs just before the butter boils. Let them set, and then fold up the omelet, and serve on a hot dish. A few chopped herbs and parsley may be added to the eggs before frying.

Plain Sweet.--Beat up well 3 eggs (whites and yolks), add to them 1 oz. butter broken up into small pieces and 1 oz. sifted sugar; stir well together, put 1 oz. fresh butter into the omelet pan; when it fritters pour in the mixture, and continue stirring until it is set, then turn the edges over until the omelet is of an oval shape, brown it with a salamander, and sift sugar over before sending to table. This will only make a small omelet; if a larger is required, double the proportions of the ingredients.

Potato.--Boil 6 mealy potatoes, then dry them well, and mash them with ½ oz. butter, add 1 oz. breadcrumbs, very finely grated, the yolks of 6 eggs and the whites of 4 seasoning with white pepper and salt; melt a little butter in the omelet pan, and when it is quite hot pour in the mixture, and fry it of a nice golden brown colour over a not too fierce fire. For omelet making a gas boiling-burner is far preferable to a stove; the heat can be so nicely regulated, and the operation so much more comfortably carried on than over a hot coal range.

Rice (Savoury).--Boil 3 oz. rice, after well washing in 2 or 3 waters, in 1 pint water until the water is entirely absorbed, when it is nearly cold; add to it 3 well-beaten eggs and ¼ oz. chopped parsley. Butter a lined pie-dish, pour in the omelet, and bake in a moderate oven. Serve with fine herbs sauce.

Rice (Sweet).--Follow the above recipe, only use instead of chopped parsley 1 oz. sifted white sugar, and omit the seasoning and sauce.

Rum.--Make a plain sweet omelet with 4 whites and 6 yolks of eggs. When cooked strew sugar over, and, instead of glazing it, pour a wineglassful of hot rum over it, and set it alight as it is being put on the table.

Savoury.--(_a_) Beat up 3 or 4 eggs with 1 dessertspoonful parsley very finely minced, ½ clove of shallot, also finely minced, pepper and salt to taste. Put a piece of butter the size of an egg into a frying-pan; as soon as it is melted pour in the omelet mixture, and, holding the handle of the pan with one hand, stir the omelet with the other by means of a spoon. The moment it begins to set, cease stirring, but keep shaking the pan for a minute or so; then with the spoon double up the omelet, and keep shaking the pan until one side of the omelet has become a golden colour, and it is ready.

(_b_) Beat 2 eggs in a basin, season with cayenne and salt, mix with it 1 teaspoonful each of finely chopped onion and parsley, melt ½ oz. butter in an omelet pan, pour the mixture into this, and keep stirring it over the fire until it sets, then roll and serve. About 3 minutes will serve to cook this omelet, which should be of a delicate brown when done.

(_c_) Besides parsley, add a very few fresh sweet herbs and a few chives, all very finely minced. Powdered sweet herbs may be used, but in either case great care should be taken not to put in too many.

Shallot (Francatelli’s recipe).--Break 3 eggs into a basin, add 1 spoonful cream, a small pat of butter, broken into pieces, a little chopped parsley, and the shallots, well chopped, some pepper and salt; then put 2 oz. butter into the omelet pan. While the butter is melting, whip the eggs and other ingredients well together until they become frothy. As soon as the butter begins to fritter, pour the eggs into the pan, and stir the omelet; as the eggs appear to set, roll the omelet into the form of an oval cushion. Allow it to acquire a golden-brown colour on one side over the fire, and then turn it out on its dish. Pour a thin sauce, or gravy, or half glaze under it, and serve.

Soufflé.--Break carefully 6 eggs, separating the yolks and whites. Strain the yolks and add to them 2 tablespoonfuls powdered sugar and a little lemon juice or orange-flower water, stir well together. Whip the whites into a stiff froth, and then mix lightly with the rest. Heat some fresh butter in the pan, pour in the mixture, when ready sprinkle it over with sugar, and either put it into the oven for a few minutes to rise, or else hold a salamander over it. (Eliot James.)

Spinach.--Chop up all together ¼ lb. spinach (it should be young and tender), ¼ lb. beets, ½ oz. parsley, and ½ oz. leeks and lemon-thyme mixed. Season the mixture with salt and pepper, then add by degrees, a heaped-up tablespoonful of well-dried flour, 4 spoonfuls milk, 4 eggs well beaten, and 2 oz. butter melted; mix the whole well together, put into a pan, and bake 20 minutes in the oven. This is rather more solid food than the ordinary fried omelet, but, when well made, an appetising dish. If beet is not liked, sprouts can be used instead.

Sweet.--(_a_) Beat up the whites of 4 and the yolks of 6 eggs, with a very small pinch of salt. Put a piece of fresh butter in the omelet pan, and directly it is melted pour in the eggs. As soon as they are set fold up the omelet, inserting within the fold as much apricot jam as will lie in it. Turn out the omelet neatly on its dish, cover it with powdered sugar, and glaze it with a red-hot salamander.

(_b_) Beat up the eggs as in (_a_), with the addition of a large pinch of powdered cinnamon, and 2 tablespoonfuls powdered loaf sugar. When cooked glaze with sugar and serve.

Swiss.--Made with grated cheese in the following manner: Grate 2 oz. Parmesan cheese, melt 2 oz. butter, and add to the cheese also ½ oz. finely chopped parsley, 1 oz. breadcrumbs, finely grated, ¼ pint new milk, and 4 eggs well beaten; fry in the usual way, with a little butter in the pan, which must be properly heated before the mixture is put in.

Tomato.--Scald 6 ripe tomatoes, pare them and remove the ends and seeds. Stew them until tender, then mash them and rub through a sieve; add 2 oz. finely grated breadcrumbs, 4 well-beaten eggs, 4 tablespoonfuls milk, and salt and pepper to taste. Mix all thoroughly, pour into a buttered dish and bake in a moderately hot oven. Serve with vinegar or brown sauce, not made with stock, as is ordinary brown sauce, but merely browned butter thickening thinned with vinegar.

_Poached._--(_a_) To be covered with the white, they should be broken into a saucepan with plenty of boiling water, enough to cover them.

(_b_) Stir the water round very fast, then drop the egg in the middle of the whirlpool, and keep stirring the same way till it is set.

(_c_) Fill a shallow sauté pan with water and sufficient salt; add a little vinegar, a few peppercorns, and some leaves of parsley. When the water is on the point of boiling (it should never be allowed to boil) break 2 or more eggs into it (according to the size of the pan), and put on the cover. When done, take them out carefully, brush them clean on both sides with a paste brush, and cut each egg with a round fluted paste cutter, so as to get them of a uniform shape. Serve on a purée made as follows: Pick and wash perfectly clean 2-3 lb. spinach, put it into a saucepan with a little water, and let it boil till quite done, turn it out on a hair sieve to drain, squeeze the water out, and pass the spinach through the sieve. Put a good lump of butter into a saucepan, fry it a light brown, add a pinch of flour, mix well, put in the spinach, pepper and salt to taste, and a little milk, stir well, dispose the spinach on a dish, laying the poached eggs on the top of it, and a border of fried sippets round it.

(_d_) Poach some eggs (one for each person and one over) in salted water, with a little vinegar, some peppercorns, and a few leaves of parsley, in a shallow sauté pan, just long enough to set the yolks slightly; take out each egg with a slice, brush it clean with a paste brush, and cut it with a round fluted paste cutter, about 2 in. diameter, so as to get all the eggs a uniform shape, and leave neither too much nor too little white round them. Turn the egg over carefully, brush it clean, and lay it in the soup tureen, ready filled with boiling hot clear consommé. The water in which the eggs are poached should be kept at boiling point, but never boil. Some leaves or very small sprigs of chervil may be served in the soup.

(_e_) Served with a sauce composed of curry powder mixed to a paste in milk, to which is added sliced onions and butter; the sauce should be strained, and then poured round the poached eggs, which have been previously arranged in a hot dish.

_Purée._--Beat the yolks of 7 hard-boiled eggs in a mortar with 1½ oz. fresh butter, a little very finely minced parsley, some salt and pepper to taste, and the yolks of 3 raw eggs; mince the whites of the boiled eggs as fine as possible, and toss them over the fire, with about ½ pint good gravy, till they become rather thick; press the pounded yolks through a colander in the centre of a dish, put the minced whites round them, and arrange as a garnish some sippets of bread, brushed over with beaten egg; put the dish into the oven, or before the fire in a Dutch oven, to brown, and serve very hot. This is an extremely pretty dish.

_Rolls._--Allow one egg for each person, ¾ pint of milk and 4 teaspoonfuls flour for every three eggs; beat whites and yolks separately, mix the flour smoothly with the milk, then add the eggs and whisk well. Fry a little at a time in a buttered omelet-pan, roll as an omelet; serve very hot. To be eaten with sugar or treacle.

_Savoury._--Take 4 eggs, boil them hard, when cold shell them, and cut them in half lengthwise, take out the yolks, beat into a smooth paste. To each egg allow a good slice of butter, ½ teaspoonful anchovy sauce, and cayenne pepper to taste. This should all be thoroughly mixed with the yolks; then fill the white halves with this paste. Serve on a napkin, and garnish with parsley. This is a most appetising dish, either for dinner or supper, and enough for 8 persons.

_Scalloped._--(_a_) Mash some potatoes very smoothly, and boil some rice. Boil 5 eggs for 3 minutes; when they are cold remove the shells, and chop the eggs up roughly. Mix a teacupful of the mashed potatoes, the same quantity of rice, and the eggs together; add some chopped capers, very little vinegar, some melted butter, pepper, salt, and Worcester sauce. Put the mixture into scallop shells, with breadcrumbs and a little butter. Bake a light brown.

(_b_) Boil 3 or 4 eggs hard. When cold, remove the shells and chop the eggs roughly, have ready a small teacupful of mashed potatoes, another of rice; mix all together, add capers, a little melted butter, pepper, and salt, put into scallop shells with breadcrumbs on top, and bake a pale brown.

_Scotch._--Boil some eggs hard enough to set the whites, so that you can remove the shells without breaking the white. After peeling the shell clean off, cover them completely with a savoury forcemeat, in which let ham or finely chopped anchovy bear due proportion. Fry of a gold colour, and serve with good gravy in the dish.

_Scrambled._--(_a_) Break 4 eggs into a clean stewpan with 1 oz. butter, and a little salt and pepper; beat it all up until the yolks and whites are well mixed, then stir it over the fire with a wooden spoon till cooked; it should never be clotted or hard. A spoonful of stock, or any sauce, is a great improvement. Mushrooms minced and tossed in a little butter, cold asparagus cut into nice pieces, or even sliced cucumber placed in with the eggs 1-2 minutes before serving, make pleasant varieties of this little dish.

(_b_) Put in a saucepan 2 tablespoonfuls cream and a piece of butter the size of a walnut, well beat up 4 eggs, and when the butter is melted and quite hot pour in the eggs, and stir over the fire for a few minutes.

(_c_) Beat up 3 eggs well, add ½ teacupful cream or milk, salt to taste, and a small pat of butter; pour into a shallow stewpan, stir over a clear fire until the mixture grows quite thick; have ready a buttered slice of toast on a hot dish, turn the eggs out on to the toast, and serve with a sprinkling of pepper.

(_d_) Take a piece of butter about the size of a walnut, put it into a saucepan to melt. Take 3 eggs, break them, and put them into the saucepan with a little salt. Put the saucepan on the fire, stir the eggs quickly till they begin to set, then serve on a piece of dried toast. Take care to stir the eggs quickly, and take them out of the saucepan as soon as they begin to set, or they become hard.

(_e_) Beat up some eggs in a basin with pepper, salt, and a small quantity of French tomato sauce; melt some butter in a saucepan; add the eggs, and stir with a spoon until nearly set. Serve on toast, or in a very hot dish. If no tomato sauce is added to the eggs, a little chopped parsley should be sprinkled over them just before serving.

(_f_) Peel a large tomato, free it from pips, and chop it up small, also chop 2 slices Spanish onion; put both into a saucepan with plenty of butter, and pepper and salt to taste; stir on the fire till the onion is quite cooked, but not coloured; then throw in 4 eggs beaten up, and keep on stirring the whole till the eggs are nearly set; serve at once within a circle of bread sippets fried in butter.

_Snow._--Whisk the whites of 6 eggs with a little powdered lump sugar into a stiff froth; set 1 qt. milk, sweetened to taste, to boil; drop the egg froth in it by tablespoonfuls; a few seconds will cook them; take them out, and put them on a sieve to drain. When all the egg froth is cooked, strain what is left of the milk; let it get cold, and mix gradually with it the yolks of the eggs with any flavouring you like. Put the vessel containing this into a saucepanful of water, and keep stirring on the fire until the custard thickens. To serve, pile up the whites on the dish, pour the custard round them, and sprinkle the top with “hundreds and thousands.”

_Stewed._--Mince an onion very small, and fry it in good butter till well coloured, stir in some good stock, well seasoned with pepper and salt, and a very little flour; let it stew till the onion is quite soft, the flour thoroughly cooked, and the sauce rather thick. Lay in as many hard-boiled eggs as you please, cut in quarters or slices, and stir them very gently (lest the yolk should break from the white) till quite hot, when they should be served at once.