Page:Mrs Beeton's Book of Household Management.djvu/1470

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Method.—Eggs for boiling cannot be too fresh, but a longer time should be allowed for boiling a new-laid egg than one that is 3 or 4 days old. Have ready a saucepan of boiling water, put the eggs into it gently with a spoon, letting the spoon touch the bottom of the saucepan before it is withdrawn, to avoid cracking the shell. For those who like eggs lightly boiled, 3 to 3½ minutes will be found sufficient, 4 minutes' gentle boiling will lightly coagulate the white, and 5 minutes will set it firmly. Eggs for salads and sandwiches should be allowed to boil for 10 minutes. Cracking the shell and allowing the egg to remain in water until cold prevents a dark rim forming round the yolk.

Ingredients.—2 eggs, 1 oz. of butter, salt and pepper, buttered toast.

Method.—Melt the butter, but do not allow it to get hot. Break the eggs into a basin, add seasoning to taste, beat slightly, then pour into the stewpan containing the butter. Stir them briskly over a moderate heat until quite thick, then pour over the prepared toast, and serve at once.

Time.—5 minutes. Average Cost, 6d. Sufficient for 2 persons.

Ducks' eggs are more strongly flavoured than those of fowls, and when plainly boiled, are not generally liked. They may be used with advantage in all culinary preparations, 1 duck's egg being equal to 2 small hens' eggs.

Ingredients.—4 hard-boiled eggs, ½ an oz. of butter, ½ an oz. of flour, ⅛ of a pint of milk, yolk of 1 egg, 1 oz. of finely chopped ham or tongue, 4 oz. of finely chopped chicken or veal, 1 teaspoonful of finely chopped parsley, 1 small shallot chopped and fried in butter, lemon-juice, salt, pepper, egg and breadcrumbs, frying fat and parsley.

Method.—Halve the eggs lengthwise, and remove the yolks, melt the butter in a stewpan, stir in the flour, add the milk, boil gently for 2 or 3 minutes, then put in the yolk of egg. Add the chopped ham and chicken or veal, parsley, shallot, yolks of the hard boiled eggs, a