Many Ways for Cooking Eggs Part 1

Many Ways for Cooking Eggs.

by Mrs. S.T. Rorer.

SAUCES

The philosophy of a sauce, when understood, enables even an untrained cook to make a great variety of every day sauces from materials usually found in every household; to have them uniform, however, flavorings must be correctly blended, and measurements must be rigidly observed. Two level tablespoonfuls of b.u.t.ter or other fat, two level tablespoonfuls of flour, must be used to each half pint of liquid. If the yolks of eggs are added, omit one tablespoonful of flour or the sauce will be too thick. Tomato sauce should be flavored with onion, a little mace, and a suspicion of curry. Brown sauce may be simply seasoned with salt and pepper, flavored and colored with kitchen bouquet. Spanish sauce should also be flavored with mushrooms, or if you can afford it, a truffle, a little chopped ham, a tablespoonful of chives, shallot and garlic. Water sauce, drawn b.u.t.ter and simple sauce Hollandaise, when they are served with fish, must be flavored with a dash of tarragon vinegar, salt and pepper.

ENGLISH DRAWN b.u.t.tER

3 tablespoonfuls of b.u.t.ter 1/2 pint of boiling water 2 tablespoonfuls of flour 1/2 teaspoonful of salt 1 dash of pepper

Rub two tablespoonfuls of b.u.t.ter and the flour together, add the boiling water, stir until boiling, add the salt and pepper; take from the fire, add the remaining tablespoonful of b.u.t.ter and it is ready for use. It must not be boiled after the last b.u.t.ter is added.

PLAIN SAUCE HOLLANDAISE

Make English drawn b.u.t.ter and add to it, when done, the yolks of two eggs beaten with two tablespoonfuls of water; cook until thick and jelly-like, take from the fire and add one tablespoonful of tarragon vinegar or the juice of half a lemon.

ANCHOVY SAUCE

Rub two teaspoonfuls of anchovy essence with the b.u.t.ter and flour and then finish the same as English drawn b.u.t.ter.

SAUCE BECHAMEL

2 tablespoonfuls of b.u.t.ter 1 yolk of an egg 1/2 cup of milk 1 saltspoonful of pepper 1 tablespoonful of flour 1/2 cup of stock 1/2 teaspoonful of salt

Rub the b.u.t.ter and flour together, add the stock and the milk and stir until boiling; add the salt and pepper, take from the fire and add the beaten yolk of the egg, heat for a moment over hot water, and it is ready for use.

TARRAGON SAUCE

Add two tablespoonfuls of tarragon vinegar to an English drawn b.u.t.ter.

HORSERADISH SAUCE

Make an English drawn b.u.t.ter, and, just at serving time, add a half cupful of freshly grated horseradish. If you are obliged to use that preserved in vinegar, press it perfectly dry before using it.

CREAM OR WHITE SAUCE

2 tablespoonfuls of b.u.t.ter 1/2 pint of milk 2 tablespoonfuls of flour 1/2 teaspoonful of salt 1 saltspoonful of pepper

Rub the b.u.t.ter and flour together, add the milk cold and stir until boiling; add the pepper and salt and it is ready for use.

BROWN b.u.t.tER SAUCE

6 tablespoonfuls of b.u.t.ter 1 teaspoonful of mushroom catsup 1 tablespoonful of vinegar 4 tablespoonfuls of stock

Melt the b.u.t.ter, brown it and then skim; pour it carefully into a clean saucepan, add the vinegar, catsup and stock, boil a minute, and it is ready for use.

SAUCE PERIGUEUX

4 tablespoonfuls of b.u.t.ter 1/2 pint of stock 1 gla.s.s of white wine 1/2 teaspoonful of salt 2 tablespoonfuls of flour 1 bay leaf 2 chopped truffles 1 saltspoonful of pepper 1 teaspoonful of kitchen bouquet

Chop the truffles and put them with the bay leaf and wine in a saucepan on the back of the stove. Rub half the b.u.t.ter and flour together, add the stock, stir until boiling and add one teaspoonful of kitchen bouquet, the salt and pepper, and then the truffles; cook ten minutes, add the remaining quant.i.ty of b.u.t.ter and use at once.

TOMATO SAUCE

Rub together two level tablespoonfuls of flour and two of b.u.t.ter. Add a half pint of strained tomatoes. Stir until boiling. Add a teaspoonful of onion juice, a half teaspoonful of salt and a saltspoonful of pepper. Strain and use.

PAPRIKA SAUCE

Rub together two level tablespoonfuls of flour and two of b.u.t.ter, with a tablespoonful of paprika. Add a half pint of chicken stock. Stir until boiling. Add a half teaspoonful of salt, and strain. This sauce may be used over chicken as well as eggs.

CURRY SAUCE

Chop fine one onion. Cook it with two level tablespoonfuls of b.u.t.ter until soft. Do not brown. Add two level tablespoonfuls of flour, one teaspoonful of curry powder and a half teaspoonful of salt. Mix and add a half pint of boiling water. Stir until boiling, and strain.

ITALIAN SAUCE

Chop sufficient carrot to make a tablespoonful; chop one onion. Place them in a saucepan with three level tablespoonfuls of b.u.t.ter, a bay leaf and a blade of mace. Shake the pan over the fire until the vegetables are slightly browned. Drain off the b.u.t.ter and add to it two level tablespoonfuls of flour, a half cupful of good stock, a half cupful of strained tomatoes, and bring to a boil. Add a half teaspoonful of salt and a dash of cayenne. Strain. Stir until boiling, strain again and add four tablespoonfuls of sherry.

COOKING OF EGGS

Any single food containing all the elements necessary to supply the requirements of the body is called a complete or typical food. Milk and eggs are frequently so called, because they sustain the young animals of their kind during a period of rapid growth. Nevertheless, neither of these foods forms a perfect diet for the human adult. Both are highly nutritious, but incomplete.

Served with bread or rice, they form an admirable meal and one that is nutritious and easily digested. The white of eggs, almost pure alb.u.min, is nutritious, and, when cooked in water at 170 degrees Fahrenheit, requires less time for perfect digestion than a raw egg.

The white of a hard-boiled egg is tough and quite insoluble. The yolk, however, if the boiling has been done carefully for twenty minutes, is mealy and easily digested. Fried eggs, no matter what fat is used, are hard, tough and insoluble. The yolk of an egg cooks at a lower temperature than the white, and for this reason an egg should not be boiled unless the yolk alone is to be used.

Ten eggs are supposed to weigh a pound, and, unless they are unusually large or small, this is quite correct.

Eggs contain from 72 to 84 per cent. of water, about 12 to 14 per cent. of alb.u.minoids. The yolk is quite rich in fat; the white deficient. They also contain mineral matter and extractives.