English and French cookery

Omelette, Sweet (1). — To 6 well-whisked eggs add 1?. teaspoonfuls of milk, a teaspoonful of sugar, a pinch of salt, and beat well together ; put some butter into a frying-pan ; when hot, pour in the omelette mixture and fry carefully. When done, put in the middle any of Southwell’s preserves made hot, double over on a plate, and serve up with sifted sugar over. Omelette, Sweet (3).— Whisk 4 eggs, and mix with them 1 teaspoonful of moist sugar, a pinch of salt, and 1 tablespoonful of milk. Make an omelette-pan quite hot — see Soyer on cooking an omelette, p. 94 — put into it 2 ounces of fat or oil ; and when it begins to bubble, pour in the eggs, etc., and keep stirring until lightly set. Brown slightly on one side, then turn out on a hot dish, spread a little hot jam in the middle, fold the edges over on each side, sift sugar over, and serve instantly. Time, 5 or 6 minutes to fry. Probable cost, 8d. Sufficient for 3 persons. Omelette au Rhum. — To 4 whole eggs add a large tablespoonful of cream, or half the quantity of condensed milk, a little rind of lemon grated, a teaspoonful of Liquid Sunshine rum, and a very small pinch of salt. Whisk the eggs well, and, having melted 1 ounce of fresh butter in an omelette-pan, pour in the eggs, stirring continuously with a wooden spoon until they begin to set. Turn back the sides of the omelette towards the centre, and place on a hot dish. Dust some powdered sugar over it, and, with an iron skewer made red-hot, touch it lightly and quickly, so as to form stripes or other fanciful patterns. Pour over it a wineglassful of Liquid Sunshine rum, and ignite before sending to table. Pancakes.— Beat 3 eggs, and stir them into 1 pint of milk ; add a pinch of salt, and sufficient flour to make into a thick, smooth batter, about the consistency of thick custard. Put aside for an hour or two in a cool place. Pour into a frying-pan containing boiling butter or fat, roll the pancakes over on each side, drain and serve very hot, with lemon and sugar. Compote of Prunes. — Wash the fruit in warm water. To 1 pound of prunes put \ pound of sugar, a pint of cold water, with the thin rind and juice of a lemon. Let them simmer for an hour, or until they will mash when pressed. Strain the fruit and set it aside. Boil the syrup until it is very thick and on the point of returning to sugar ; then pour it over the prunes, turn them about gently, so that they become well coated ; let them lie for 12 hours before serving. Red-Currant Jelly. — Strip the currants, and bake in jars or pans ; strain off the juice through a sieve. Having loaf sugar pounded and dried, in the proportion of 1 pound to 1 pint of juice, set the juice over the fire, and, when boiling, throw in the sugar gradually, stirring the whole time ; this must be done quickly, for by the time all the sugar is stirred in, the juice will be ready to jelly ; and if left too long over the fire will become candied. Pour into small-sized jars. By this method the jelly will be perfectly clear without skimming, which saves waste and trouble. Much time, and, as a rule, more satisfaction is obtained, by buying the ready-made article ; Messrs. Southwell and Co., for example, manufacture a very excellent jelly, which is sold by grocers at 9d. or lOd. per 1 pound jar — a price at which it can hardly be made at home.