The bachelor and the chafing dish

Omelette au Rhum. — After preparing as above, dust sugar over it, and then singe the sugar in stripes with a red-hot iron. Pour a wineglass of warm Jamaica rum over it, which set fire to. Then with a spoon dash the rum over the omelette, and serve. Omelette Souffle. — In preparing an omelette, beat the whites of four eggs separately from the yolks of two, then put together ; add a tablespoonful of sugar and a few drops of vanilla; then bake ten minutes or so. Omelette with Chestnuts. — All sorts of things may be introduced into a plain omelette — jelly, mushrooms, etc. A particularly tasty omelette, that was suggested to me by “ Her,” was The Autocrat and the Chafing-dish. 113 stuffed with boiled (then mashed) French chestnuts. The Cure’s Omelette a la Savarin. — Hash up together the roes of two carp, carefully bleached, a piece of fresh tunny, and a little minced shallot. When well mixed throw the whole into a saucepan with a lump of the best butter, and whip it up till the butter is melted. Then in an oval dish mix separately a lump of butter with parsley and chives, and squeezing over it the juice of a lemon, place it over hot embers in readiness. Next, complete the omelette by beating up twelve eggs, pouring in the roes and tunny, stirring till all is well mixed ; then, when properly finished, and of the proper form and consistence, spread it out skilfully on the oval dish, and serve up to be eaten at once. This dish should be reserved for breakfasts of refinement, for connoisseurs in gastronomic art — those who understand eating with judgment ; but, especially, let it be washed down with some good old wine, and you will see wonders. Eggs in Marinade. — Put four dessertspoonfuls of water in the stewpan, a tablespoon of vinegar, and two of veal gravy with seasoning of pepper £nd salt. Beat well yolks of two eggs and stir in 1 14 The Bachelor and the Chafing-dish. gradually ; then light your lamp and heat just until it thickens — not boiling. Pour this sauce over poached eggs. Eggs a la Powerscourt. — Five eggs, a few anchovies or sardines, hot toasted bread, anchovy paste, Cayenne. Poach the eggs and put them on round pieces of toast, size of the egg, nicely buttered, first covering the toast with anchovy paste and a little Cayenne ; cut some sardines or anchovies into slips, and lay them transversely across the eggs. Eggs with Ham. — Cut ham thin and keep in hot water for half an hour ; wipe the slices dry, dip into beaten eggs, and then bread-crumbs. Then fry lightly in oil and cover with poached eggs. Stewed Codfish. — This is a good breakfast or luncheon dish. Picked cod comes prepared. Put half a pound of it in the stewpan, with a tablespoonful of butter, worked into the same of flour, and enough milk to moisten it. Stew gently for ten minutes, add pepper, and serve hot, covering with sliced hard-boiled eggs. Chestnuts and Oysters. — This is an elaborate dish, but worth the while for an occasion. As many oysters as chestnuts, yolks of four eggs, half The Autocrat and the Chafing-dish. 115