CHAPTER VI.

EUFS (EGGS).

It is well known that eggs to be good ought to be newly laid, but the way to ascertain whether they are fresh or not is not so generally known, and for this reason I shall give a rule here. In putting the hands round the egg and presenting to the light the end which is not covered, it should be transparent; if you can detect some tiny spots it is not newly laid, but may be very good for all ordinary uses, except boiling soft. If you see a large spot near the shell it is bad, and should not be used on any account.

The white of a newly-laid egg boiled soft is like milk; that of an egg a day old is like rice boiled in milk; and that of an old egg compact, tough, and difficult to digest. A cook ought not to give eggs two or three days old to people who really care for fresh eggs, under the delusion that they will not find any difference, for an amateur will find it out in a moment, not only by the appearance but also by the taste.

77. Eufs à la coque (Eggs boiled soft).

When the water is boiling put the eggs into it, cover them and let them boil for two minutes and a half,

if they are still warm; two minutes if they have been laid two or three hours, and one minute and a half will be sufficient for eggs two or three days old. Take them out of the pan and serve them in a folded napkin to keep them warm.

78. Eufs sur le plat.

Put four ounces of butter in a copper or silver dish (for the eggs are to be served in it), when melted, break carefully your eggs into it, so as to keep them whole; salt and pepper them; add, if you like, two spoonfuls of thick cream.

Instead of pepper and salt you can put pounded sugar, and the eggs will be more delicate.

79. Eufs brouillés aux asperges (Eggs with
asparagus).

Put some fresh butter into a pan; set it on a slow fire and break some eggs into it; then with a fork mix them together, and add some asparagus previously boiled and cut in small bits; when ready, add a liaison (see Liaison, No. 66, page 32).

80. Eufs brouillés au naturel,

Proceed as above, only use a spoonful of tomato sauce, the juice of a lemon, or half a spoonful of white vinegar instead of asparagus, and no liaison.

81. Eufs frits (Fried eggs).

Put a pint of olive-oil, or a pound of lard, in a frying-pan; when very hot break the eggs into it, and

when you think them sufficiently done on one side, turn them on the other; take them out, drain them in a sieve, salt and pepper them, and serve upon fresh parsley.

82. Eufs au vin (Eggs with wine).

Make a roux (see Roux, No. 39, page 23), add half a pint of broth and half a tumbler of red Burgundy wine, a large onion, two cloves, a bunch of parsley, a little bay-leaf and thyme, salt and pepper. Let it boil gently for half an hour, then break the eggs into it and let them simmer for five minutes: serve upon toasts.

83. Eufs en salade (Salad of eggs).

Boil the eggs hard; they require ten minutes' boiling. Put them into cold water; take off the shells. Cut the eggs in slices; add some chopped chervil and tarragon, a little salt and pepper, half a spoonful of vinegar, two spoonfuls of olive-oil; turn the eggs repeatedly in the sauce and serve.

84. Eufs à la poulette.

Boil the eggs hard. Put a quarter of a pound of butter into a pan on a moderate fire; when melted, put the eggs into it with a little chopped parsley, salt and pepper; let them simmer slowly for ten minutes; add a liaison and a little scraped nutmeg.

85. Eufs farcis.

Boil the eggs hard. Divide them by the middle lengthwise; take out the yolks which are to be

chopped with three ounces of bacon, a little parsley and chives, then added to and mixed with three ounces of bread, dipped in boiling milk. Take a little of this stuffing to fill up all the whites, and with the rest make a thick layer at the bottom of a pie-dish; put the whites upon it with the large part uppermost ; salt moderately because of the bacon, pepper and put the dish in the oven. When the eggs are of a golden colour take them out of the oven and pour under them a wine-glass of milk or broth to moisten the stuffing.

86. Eufs pochés (Poached eggs).

Have some boiling water in a pan as flat as possible, put into it a spoonful of vinegar and a tea-spoonful of salt. Break the shells carefully, put the eggs into the water and prevent them from boiling fast, which would spoil their appearance. When the white film is formed upon the yolks, remove them out of the pan with a skimming spoon, through which you let the water run; then serve, either upon buttered toasts or any sauce or purée you choose.

The eggs should be soft and tremble when moved. The skimming-spoon used for poaching eggs is a porcelain spoon, for the eggs would adhere to metal.

87. Eufs à la neige (Entremets).

Take eight fresh eggs, separate the whites from the yolks and whip them until they are very firm. Boil a quart of new milk with six ounces of pounded sugar and a small bit of vanilla, or a spoonful of orange

flower water. When the milk is boiling, fill up a large spoon with the whites and put the spoon gently upon the milk, allowing a few drops to run into it under the whites, so as to lift them off the spoon; let them boil for two minutes, and, with a skimming-spoon, turn them on the other side. When done, take them out of the pan and lay them upon a dish. Do exactly the same until you have used all the whites, then break the yolks and mix them with a spoonful of cold milk. Take the pan off the fire and pour the yolks into the milk, slowly, and stirring it all the time with a wooden. or a silver spoon; when well mixed, set the pan on a very slow fire and continue to stir the milk until it is of a proper thickness; pass it through a fine sieve and pour it dexterously under the whites, which must have a nice shape and float upon a thick custard. To be served cold.

To succeed in this dish the whites should not be whipped in a hot kitchen, but in the coolest possible place; moreover, I have known women altogether incapable of whipping eggs to snow; the failure is generally caused by unhealthy breathing, still a very healthy person would be incapable of whipping old eggs to snow.

88. Omelette au naturel.

It is difficult to make a good omelette with more than a dozen eggs, indeed I should recommend never to employ more than eight; if the family is large, it is better to make two omelettes than a very large one, which will never be delicate.