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Modern cookery, in all its branches

1884

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Presented as published in 1884. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
high ; smooth the yolks gently with the blade of a knife, arrange the eggs on a dish, and place them in a gentle oven for a quarter of an hour. Serve them directly they are taken from it. The eggs thus dressed will afford an admirable dish for the second course, either quite simply served, or with good gravy highly fla- voured with fresh mushrooms, poured under them. The same ingredients may be pressed into very small buttered cups and baked for fifteen minutes, then turned on to a dish and sauced with a little Espagnole , or other rich brown gravy, or served without. Obs. — We would recommend that the whites of swans’ eggs, which as we have said are extremely beautiful, should be filled with the above preparation in preference to their own yolks : they will of course, require longer baking. TO BOIL A swan’s EGG HARD. Swans’ eggs are much more delicate than from their size, and from the tendency of the birds to feed on fish might be supposed ; and when boiled hard and shelled, their appearance is beautiful , the white being of remarkable purity and transparency. Take as much water as will cover the egg (or eggs) well in every part, let it boil quickly, then take it from the fire, and as soon as the water ceases to move put in the egg, and leave it by the side of the fire — without allowing it to boil — for twenty minutes, and turn it gently once or twice in the time ; then put on the cover of the stewpan and boil it gently for a quarter of an hour ; take it quite from the fire, and in five minutes put it into a basin and throw a cloth, once or twice folded, over it, and let it cool slowly It will retain the heat for a very long time, and as it should be quite cold before it is cut, it should be boiled early if wanted to serve the same day. Halve it evenly with a sharp knife lengthwise, take out the yolk with care, and prepare it for table, either by the receipt which follows, or by that for forced eggs, Chapter VI. swan’s egg, en salade. We found that the }rolk of the egg, when boiled as above, could be rendered perfectly smooth and cream-like, by mashing it on a dish * with a broad-bladed knife, and working it well with the other ingredients : the whole was easily blended into a mass of uniform colour, in which not the smallest lump of butter or egg was percepti- ble. Mix it intimately with an ounce or two of firm fresh butter, a rather high seasoning of cayenne, some salt, or a teaspoonful or two of essence of anchovies, and about as much of chili vinegar or ’We chahced, when we received our first present of swan’s eggs, to be in a house where there was t to mortar — a common deficiency in English culinary departments. CiiAP. XXii.] EGGS AND MILK* 440 lemon-juice. To these minced herbs or eschalots can be added at pleasure. Fill the whites with the mixture, and serve them in a bowl two-thirds filled with salad, sauced as usual ; or use them merely as a decoration for a lobster or German salad. TO POACH EGGS. To Poach Eggs