Page:Mrs Beeton's Book of Household Management.djvu/1478

1314 carefully into each ring. Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper, cover each egg with 1 teaspoonful of new milk, and bake gently until the whites are set, but not hard.

Time.—5 to 6 minutes.

Ingredients.—6 eggs, 3 large potatoes, 1 oz. of grated cheese, ½ an oz. of butter, 1 gill of white sauce, breadcrumbs, lemon-juice, salt and pepper.

Method.—Scrub the potatoes thoroughly, bake them until done, cut them in halves, scoop out the mealy inside, and put in a little sauce. Poach the eggs in salted water flavoured with lemon-juice, and place them carefully in the halved potatoes. Mix ½ the cheese with the remaining sauce, and sprinkle it lightly over the eggs. Sprinkle first with breadcrumbs, then with cheese, put small pieces of butter on the top, and brown in a moderately hot oven.

Time.—1 hour. Average Cost, 1s. 4d. Sufficient for 6 persons.

Ingredients.—Eggs, buttered toast, salt, vinegar, or lemon-juice.

Method.—Eggs for poaching should be fresh, but not new-laid; for if poached before they have been laid 36 hours, the white is so milky that it is almost impossible to coagulate it. To prepare, boil some water in a shallow stewpan or deep fryingpan, add salt to taste, and allow to each pint of water 1 tablespoonful of vinegar, or 1 teaspoonful of lemon-juice. Break the egg into a cup, taking care to keep the yolk whole, and when the water boils, remove the pan to the side of the fire, and gently slip the egg into it. Tilt the pan, with a tablespoon gently fold the white of the egg over the yolk, so as to produce a plump appearance, and simmer gently until the white is set. Take it up carefully with a slice, trim the edges if necessary, and serve either on buttered toast, slices of ham or bacon, or spinach.

Time.—5 minutes to cook.

Ingredients.—6 eggs, 1 pint of spinach purée, either fresh or tinned, 1 oz. of butter, 1 tablespoonful of brown sauce, 1 teaspoonful of lemon-juice or vinegar, nutmeg, salt, pepper, and sippets of toasted bread.

Method.—Prepare the spinach purée (see Chapter on Vegetables), place it in a saucepan, add the butter, a good pinch of nutmeg, salt, pepper and the brown sauce, and make thoroughly hot. Meanwhile