This reminds of Brillat-Savarin’s Varietes, ii., ‘ Phys. d. Goilt,’ p. 317,
containing an anecdote entitled ‘ Les (Eufs au Jus.’ While on a journey,
trying to obtain a breakfast at an inn, he got the gravy out of a leg of
mutton, which was being roasted for other travellers, by ‘ giving to the
forbidden leg a dozen deep stabs with a travelling knife,’ and, getting the
cook to steal the gravy, had liis poached eggs flavoured with it. ‘ While
we were regaling ourselves we Laughed like fools, because in substance we
devoured the leg of mutton, leaving to our friends the English the trouble
of chewing the residue.’
BAKED EGGS, OMEI.ETTES
593
for the browning does not, as in the case of meat, produce
any flavour. Break the eggs into the hot fat ; do not turn
them, but while they are frying keep pouring some of the
hot fat over them with a spoon. When the yolk just begins
to look white, which it will in about two minutes after the
beginning of the frying, they are sufficiently cooked ; the
white must not lose its transparency on the convex upper
side, but the yolk be seen blushing through it. A well-fried
egg should look as white and delicate as a poached one.
French cooks put some little sj^ring onions shredded, called
by them petits appetits, into the fat in which the eggs are
fried, and later on parsley and tarragon vinegar. It is
said not to be advisable to fry eggs in oil; but a typical
French dish. Fried Eggs a la Provencale, is done in oil
only.
Baked eggs are done in butter previously browned✪ Baked Eggs — (Eiifs
an Beurre Noir. This dish is excellent when so made that
the yolks are yet soft ; but when it is left in the oven until
wanted, the eggs become solid throughout, and the character
of the dish is lost. When the eggs on being done have to
be kept a short time, they should be transferred to a merely
warmed plate to arrest the access of heat from below.
When covered with cream and pellets of butter, baked eggs
are called by German cooks Setz-eier or Spiegel-eier ; French,
CEufs sur le Plat, dits an Miroir. For variation, baked
eggs may be mixed with bacon, fried, or ham, minced.
A very dainty dish is baked eggs with braised lettuces and
a little brown gravy.
A dish of well-beaten eggs fried gently in butter or lard
has received the name of omelette. It is undoubtedly of
French origin, and in ancient works is spelled aumelette ;
but its etymological derivation is uncertain.* An omelette
* VoceOmdellc. Chambers’ ‘ Etym. Diet.’ defines omelette as a pan-
cake chiefly of eygs. Its old French form is given as amelelle, which, con-
tinues the dictionary, through the form almnctta is traced to alemelle, the
old French form of French aliimelle, a thin plate, a corruption (with the
38
594
THE SPIRIT OF COOKERY
✪ Omelette
Page 374 · 3 recipe records on this page
Presented as published in 1895. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
AI-modernized reading of the original text
This reminds of Brillat-Savarin’s Varietes, ii., ‘ Phys. d. Goilt,’ p. 317, containing an anecdote entitled ‘ Les (Eufs au Jus.’ While on a journey, trying to obtain a breakfast at an inn, he got the gravy out of a leg of mutton, which was being roasted for other travellers, by ‘ giving to the forbidden leg a dozen deep stabs with a travelling knife,’ and, getting the cook to steal the gravy, had liis poached eggs flavoured with it. ‘ While we were regaling ourselves we Laughed like fools, because in substance we devoured the leg of mutton, leaving to our friends the English the trouble of chewing the residue.’
BAKED EGGS, OMEI.ETTES
for the browning does not, as in the case of meat, produce any flavour. Break the eggs into the hot fat ; do not turn them, but while they are frying keep pouring some of the hot fat over them with a spoon. When the yolk just begins to look white, which it will in about two minutes after the beginning of the frying, they are sufficiently cooked ; the white must not lose its transparency on the convex upper side, but the yolk be seen blushing through it. A well-fried egg should look as white and delicate as a poached one. French cooks put some little sj^ring onions shredded, called by them petits appetits, into the fat in which the eggs are fried, and later on parsley and tarragon vinegar. It is said not to be advisable to fry eggs in oil; but a typical French dish. Fried Eggs a la Provencale, is done in oil only.
Baked eggs are done in butter previously browned — (Eiifs an Beurre Noir. This dish is excellent when so made that the yolks are yet soft ; but when it is left in the oven until wanted, the eggs become solid throughout, and the character of the dish is lost. When the eggs on being done have to be kept a short time, they should be transferred to a merely warmed plate to arrest the access of heat from below. When covered with cream and pellets of butter, baked eggs are called by German cooks Setz-eier or Spiegel-eier ; French, CEufs sur le Plat, dits an Miroir. For variation, baked eggs may be mixed with bacon, fried, or ham, minced. A very dainty dish is baked eggs with braised lettuces and a little brown gravy.
A dish of well-beaten eggs fried gently in butter or lard has received the name of omelette. It is undoubtedly of French origin, and in ancient works is spelled aumelette ; but its etymological derivation is uncertain.* An omelette
* VoceOmdellc. Chambers’ ‘ Etym. Diet.’ defines omelette as a pancake chiefly of eygs. Its old French form is given as amelelle, which, continues the dictionary, through the form almnctta is traced to alemelle, the old French form of French aliimelle, a thin plate, a corruption (with the
Records on this page
Baked EggsBaked EggsOmelette