Many Ways for Cooking Eggs | Page 3

and the white clear, it is fresh. Or, if you put it in a bucket of water and it falls on its side, it is fresh. If it sort of topples in the water, standing on its end, it is fairly fresh, but, if it floats, beware of it. The shell of a fresh egg looks dull and porous. As it begins to age, the shell takes on a shiny appearance. If an egg is kept any length of time, a portion of its water evaporates, which leaves a space in the shell, and the egg will "rattle." An egg that rattles may be perfectly good, and still not absolutely fresh.
TO PRESERVE EGGS
To preserve eggs it is only necessary to close the pores of the shells. This may be done by dipping them in melted paraffine, or packing them in salt, small ends down; or pack them in a keg and cover them with brine; or pack them in a keg, small ends down and cover them with lime water; this not only protects them from the air, but acts as a germicide.
Eggs should not be packed for winter use later than the middle of May or earlier than the first of April. Where large quantities of the yolks are used, the whites may be evaporated and kept in glass bottles or jars. Spread them out on a stoneware or granite plate and allow them to evaporate at the mouth of a cool oven. When the mixture is perfectly dry, put it away. This powder is capable of taking up the same amount of water that has been evaporated from it, and may then be used the same as fresh whites.
EGGS AND CRUMBING
To do this successfully one must prepare a mixture, and not use the egg alone. If an egg mixture or a croquette is dipped in beaten egg and rolled in cracker crumbs and dropped into fat, it always has a greasy covering. This is the wrong way. To do it successfully and have the articles handsome, beat the egg until well mixed, add a teaspoonful of olive oil, a tablespoonful of water and a dash of pepper. Dip the articles into this mixture, and then drop them on quite a thick bed of either sifted dry bread crumbs or soft white bread crumbs.
I prefer sifted dry bread crumbs for croquettes, and soft white crumbs for lobster cutlets and deviled crabs.
SHIRRED EGGS
Cover the bottoms of individual dishes with a little butter and a few fresh bread crumbs; drop into each dish two fresh eggs; stand this dish in a pan of hot water and cook in the oven until the whites are "set." Put a tiny bit of butter in the middle of each, and a dusting of salt and pepper.
EGGS MEXICANA
Put two tablespoonfuls of butter in a saucepan. Add four tablespoonfuls of finely chopped onion and shake until the onion is soft, but not brown. Then add four Spanish peppers cut in strips, a dash of red pepper and a half pint of tomatoes; the tomatoes should be in rather solid pieces. Add a seasoning of pepper and salt. Let this cook slowly while you shir the desired quantity of eggs. When the eggs are ready to serve, put two tablespoonfuls of this sauce at each side of the dish, and send at once to the table.
EGGS ON A PLATE
Rub the bottom of a baking dish with butter. Dust it lightly with salt and pepper. Break in as many fresh eggs as required. Stand the dish in a basin of water and cook in the oven five minutes, or until the whites are "set." While these are cooking, put two tablespoonfuls of butter in a pan and shake over the fire until it browns. When the eggs are done, baste them with the browned butter, and send to the table.
EGGS DE LESSEPS
Shir the eggs as directed. Have ready, carefully boiled, two sets of calves' brains; cut them into slices; put two or three slices between the eggs, and then pour over browned butter sauce.
EGGS MEYERBEER
To each half dozen eggs allow three lambs' kidneys. Broil the kidneys. Shir the eggs as directed in the first recipe. When done, put half a kidney on each side of the plate and pour over sauce Perigueux.
EGGS A LA REINE
6 eggs 1/2 pint of chopped cold cooked chicken 1/2 can of mushrooms 2 tablespoonfuls of butter 2 tablespoonfuls of flour 1/2 pint of milk 1/2 teaspoonful of salt 1 saltspoonful of pepper
Use ordinary shirring dishes for the eggs; butter them, break into each one egg, stand these in a pan of boiling water and in the oven until they are "set." Rub the butter and flour together, add the milk, stir until boiling, add the salt, pepper, chopped chicken and mushrooms, and put