A second Dudley book of cookery and other recipes

MAKE a creamy Bechamel sauce in this way : — Cut into small pieces a little carrot, onion, celery, a sprig of parsley, a very little thyme and bay leaf, and a few grains of whole pepper. Put all these ingredients into the saucepan with a piece of butter and allow them to colour during a few minutes. Take a large spoonful of flour and wet this plentifully with milk and a little cream ; season well, and allow the Bechamel to reduce slowly over a small fire, for at least an hour, and then pass. Cut into small dice five or six eggs which have been boiled for ten minutes ; put this into a dish with a little chopped parsley. Pour over sufficient of the sauce to obtain a compact mixture. Mould this at once into little well-buttered moulds, and place upon ice until firm ; then remove from the moulds. Yellow them with egg and fry quickly a nice colour ; serve on a dish with fried parsley, and very hot. CREAMED EGGS FOR BREAKFAST BREAK into a saute pan two whole eggs, half a gill of good cream, salt and pepper ; work well with a wooden spoon over the fire until thickened. Serve on rounds of buttered toast. The mixture should be carefully stirred whilst cooking to prevent it becoming lumpy. CREAMED EGGS WITH ASPARAGUS SIX eggs, one gill of asparagus tips, two ounces of butter, one tablespoonful of cream, seasoning of salt, pepper and a very little nutmeg. Boil the asparagus tips in salted water until tender ; drain well ; place in a saute pan with one ounce of melted butter and saute them over the fire for five minutes. Break the eggs in a basin ; add the cream ; season with a little salt, a pinch of pepper and a grate of nutmeg. Beat up well and place all in a saucepan with the remaining ounce of butter ; stir over the fire for a few minutes with a wooden spoon ; add the asparagus tips ; stir again until the eggs begin to set lightly. Dish up on a hot dish, and serve with fried parsley as a garnish. Care must be taken to cook the eggs gradually, so as to make them smooth and creamy, and not to allow lumps to form. CREAMED EGGS WITH HAM FOUR or five eggs, cream and seasoning. Break the eggs into a basin ; add half the butter, cream and seasoning ; beat up well and place in a saucepan with the other half of the butter. Stir over the fire for a few minutes, then add the ham, which should be very finely minced and shredded. Stir again, until the eggs begin to set lightly. Dish up on a hot dish. This dish is good for either breakfast or luncheon. % (EUFS A L’ORLEANS MAKE some tartlets of short light-crust pastry. Bake a nice light colour and fill with a good puree of chicken. Break into a buttered pan as many eggs as you have tartlets, and put them in the oven to set lightly ; then trim them neatly and place one egg in each tartlet. Serve with fried parsley for garnish. No sauce is needed, as the minced chicken will be rather soft. FRIED EGGS ANY fat, provided it is well purified, can be used for frying eggs, but pure olive oil is the best. Also to do these eggs properly, they should be done one at a time.