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Classic
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page 200
Eggs can be kept for some time by smearing the shells with butter or lard; then
packed in plenty of bran or sawdust, the eggs not allowed to touch one another;
or coat the eggs with melted paraffine.
BOILED EGGS.
Eggs for boiling cannot be too fresh, or boiled too soon after they are laid;
but rather a longer time should be allowed for boiling a new-laid egg than for
one that is three or four days old. Have ready a sauce-pan of boiling water; put
the eggs into it gently with a spoon, letting the spoon touch the bottom of the
sauce-pan before it is withdrawn, that the egg may not fall, and consequently
crack. For those who like eggs lightly boiled, three minutes will be found
sufficient; three and three-quarters to four minutes will be ample time to set
the white nicely; and if liked hard, six or seven minutes will not be found too
long. Should the eggs be unusually large, as those of black Spanish fowls
sometimes are, allow an extra half minutes for them. Eggs for salad should be
boiled for ten or fifteen minutes, and should be placed in a basin of cold water
for a few minutes, to shrink the meat from the shell; they should then be rolled
on the table with the hand, and the shell will peel off easily.
SOFT BOILED EGGS.
When properly cooked, eggs are done evenly through, like any other food. This
result may be obtained by putting the egg into a dish with a cover, or a tin
pail, and then pouring upon them boiling water--two quarts or more to a dozen of
eggs--and cover and set them away where they will keep hot and not boil, for ten
to twelve minutes. The heat of the water cooks the eggs slowly, evenly and
sufficiently, leaving the centre, or yolk, harder than the white, and the egg
tastes as much richer and nicer as a fresh egg is nicer than a stale egg.
SCALLOPED EGGS.
Hard-boil twelve eggs; slice them thin in rings; in the bottom of a large
well-buttered baking-dish place a layer of grated bread-crumbs, then one of
eggs; cover with bits of butter, and sprinkle with pepper and salt. Continue
thus to blend these ingredients until the dish is full; be sure, though, that
the crumbs cover the eggs upon top. Over the whole pour a large teacupful of
sweet cream or milk, and brown nicely in a moderately heated oven.
SHIRRED EGGS.
Set into the oven until quite hot a common white dish, large enough to hold the
number of eggs to be cooked, allowing plenty of room for each. Melt in it a
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