This section is from the book "The Professed Cook: Or, The Modern Art Of Cookery, Pastry, And Confectionary", by B. Clermont. Also available from Amazon: The professed cook.
This is the common poached Eggs, served with a Viniagrette, viz. sharpish Sauce, and minced ready-boiled Ham strewed upon the Eggs.
Oeufs a la Robert, done with Onions fried in Butter, and served with Mustard, as a Sauce Robert.
Oeufs a la Mouillette, boiled in the Shells, or prepared after this manner to serve in the Shells: Break them at one End, and only use the Yolks, which beat up a small time, with a little Cream, Salt and Pepper, if agreeable; put it back into the Shells to serve hot, either in Stands, or a Paste with holes, prepared for that purpose: Serve with bits of Bread fried in Butter. They are called the Mouillette, viz. to wet, or dip in.
Make a little Farce of what you think proper, with Cullis and Butter; put it into the bottom of the Dish on a slow Fire; break the Eggs upon it as for poaching, strew rasped Parmesan Cheese over, and give them colour with a hot Shovel; the Yolks must remain as tender as poached Eggs. - They are also done au Gratia, (viz. catching) upon a silver Dish, without any Farce under, only a little Butter, Pepper and Salt, and coloured after the same manner. - It is customary enough to pour a little burnt Butter and Vinegar upon them when done without Cheese, either whole or beat up.
Have a little Salpicon Farce or Ragout ready prepared, made with pickled Pork, Mushrooms, Onions, and proper Seasoning; rub the Table-dish with some fresh Hog's Lard, and break the Eggs upon it whole as the last, adding Pepper and Salt; bake on a slow Fire, and pour a little melted Lard over, as they are doing: When done pretty hard, pour the Fat out of the Dish, add a good Lemon Squeeze upon the Eggs, and then the Ragout, to hide them.
Break the Eggs in hot Friture, as is done in hot Water for poaching, turn them about with a Skim-mer to make them round, and fry of a fine brown colour; have some Carp-roes and Onions stewed together, and properly seasoned; put the Eggs into the middle of the Dish, and the Ragout round, pouring the Sauce equally upon the Eggs; garnish the Dish round with fried Bread.
The Eggs being fried so, are also served with fried Bacon, fried Parsley, and a sharp Sauce under; and are then called Oeufs au Lard, viz. Bacon and Eggs: The same, if done in a Frying-pan, with a bit of Butter under each Egg, as is common every where.
See Oeufs a la Mouil-lette. You also make sham Eggs, by filling the Shells with any sorts of Cream ready prepared.
Des Oeufs frits, & des Oeufs pochés, a ce que l' on veut.
Eggs for poaching ought to be very fresh, or they will never look well; put some Vinegar and a little Salt into the Water, and break the Eggs into it while it boils hard; boil the Eggs but a moment, turn them about with a Skimmer, and leave them a little while in the Water after it is taken off the Fire, and cover the Pan; pare them properly as you take them out; dip them again in the hot Water, and drain upon a Cloth: Serve upon any sort of (tewed Greens; (Sorrel or Spinach are the most in use, but may be done with Endive, or any kind of Lettuces); they are also served upon a Ragout of Minced-meat of any sort, or with a little Cullis Sauce and a little Vinegar, or a Lemon Squeeze. - Fried Eggs are used to the same purpose, either fried round in Hog's Lard Friture, or with Butter in a Frying-pan.
 
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