Eggs In Cream

Put a half cupful or more of cream into a shallow earthen dish, and place the dish in a kettle or pan of boiling water. When the cream is hot, break in as many eggs as the bottom of the dish will hold, and cook until well set, basting them occasionally over the top with the hot cream. Or, put a spoonful or two of cream into individual egg or vegetable dishes, break a fresh egg into each, and cook in the oven or in a steamer over a kettle of boiling water until the white of the egg is well set.

Poached Or Dropped Eggs

Break each egg into a saucer by itself. Have a shallow pan half filled with scalding, not boiling, water on the stove. If desired, a little salt and a tablespoonful of lemon juice may be added. Slip the eggs gently from the saucer upon the top of the water, holding the edge of the saucer under water to prevent the eggs from scattering; dip the water over them with a spoon and let them stand five minutes, or until the yolk is covered with a film, and the white is firm but not hardened; keep the water just below the boiling point. Take out the eggs one by one on a skimmer, and serve in egg saucers or on slices of nicely browned toast moistened with a little sweet cream, or on granose biscuit (see page 143) which have been rendered crisp by five minutes' heating in the oven, as preferred. Poached eggs are excellent served with tomato sauce prepared as directed on page 33. If one is especially particular to keep the shape of the eggs, an egg-poacher should be used, or a set of muffin-rings may be laid in the bottom of the pan, and the eggs turned into the rings.

Poached Eggs With Cream Sauce

Poach eggs as in the foregoing recipe, and pour over them a sauce made according to directions on page 122.

Quickly Prepared Eggs

A good way to cook quickly a large number of eggs is to use a large-bottomed earthen dish, which will stand the heat and in which eggs may be served. Oil it well; break the requisite number of eggs separately, and turn each carefully into the dish; sprinkle lightly with salt; set the dish in the oven or in a steamer over a kettle of boiling water for a few minutes until the eggs are set, then serve.

Scrambled Eggs

Beat four eggs lightly, add a little salt if desired, and half a cup of milk or cream. Have ready a hot, oiled saucepan; turn the eggs in and cook quickly, stirring constantly until firm but soft.

Steamed Eggs

Break eggs into egg or vegetable dishes or patty-pans, salt very lightly, and set in a steamer over a kettle of boiling water until the whites are set, and a film has formed over the yolk. Serve the same as poached eggs, with or without toast.

Scrambled Egg With Tomato

Heat a half pint of strained Stewed tomatoes to boiling, salt to taste, and stir in six slightly beaten eggs. Stir constantly until well scrambled. A table-spoonful of minced celery may be added.

Plain Omelet

Beat the yolks of three eggs to a cream and beat the whites to a stiff froth. Add to the yolks three table-spoonfuls of milk or cream, one tablespoonful of finely grated bread crumbs, and season slightly with salt; lastly, fold, not stir, the whites lightly in. An omelet-pan is the best utensil for cooking; but if that is not to be had, an earthenware pudding-dish which will stand the heat is good; an iron spider will do, but a larger omelet would need to be prepared. A tin saucepan is apt to cook the omelet so rapidly as to burn it in spots. Whatever the utensil used, it should be hot, the fire clear and steady, and all in readiness by the time the eggs are beaten.

Oil the dish well and gently pour in the omelet mixture; cover, and place the pan on the range where the heat will be continuous. Do not stir, but carefully, as the egg sets, lift the omelet occasionally by slipping a broad-bladed knife under it, or with a fork by dipping in here and there. It should cook quickly, but not so quickly as to burn. From three to five minutes will generally be ample time. When the middle of the omelet is set, it may be put into a hot oven to dry the top. As soon as the center is dry, it should be removed immediately, as it will be hard and indigestible if overdone. To dish, loosen from the pan by running a knife under it, lay a hot platter, bottom upward, over the pan, and invert the latter so as to shake out the omelet gently, browned side uppermost; or if preferred, double one part over the other before dishing. Serve at once, or it will fall.

An omelet of three eggs is sufficient for two or three persons; if more is desired, a second omelet of three eggs may be made. Larger ones are not so light, nor so easily prepared. The dish used should be reserved for that purpose alone, and should be kept as smooth and dry as possible. It is better to keep it clean by wiping with a coarse towel than by washing, if the omelet comes from the pan perfectly whole, leaving no fragments behind.