An egg should be broken into each cup, and the machine then
placed in a stewpan of boiling water, which has been previously
strained. When the whites of the eggs appear set they are done,
and should then be carefully slipped on to the toast or spinach, or
with whatever they are served. In poaching eggs in a frying-pan
never do more than four at a time ; and when a little vinegar is
liked mixed with the water in which the eggs are done, use one table-
spoonful to every pint of water.
To Boil Eggs for Breakfast, Salads, etc. — 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 saucepan of boil-
ing water; put the eggs into it gently with a spoon, letting the spoon
touch the bottom of the saucepan before it is withdrawn, that the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 to seven minutes will not be found too long.
470 THE hearthstone; or, life at home.
Should the eggs be unusually large, as those of black Spanish fowl
sometimes are, allow an extra one-half minute for them. Eggs for
salad should be boiled from ten minutes to one-quarter hour, and
should be placed in a basin of cold water for a few minutes; they
should then be rolled on the table with the hand, and the shell will
peel off easily. To boil eggs lightly, for invalids or children, keep
them on three minutes ; to boil eggs to suit the generality of tastes,
three and three-quarters to four minutes; to boil eggs hard, six to
seven minutes; for salads, ten to fifteen minutes.
Scrambled Eggs. — Have a spider hot and buttered ; break the
eggs into a dish, being careful not to break the yolks ; slip them into
the spider, add a very little salt, with butter the size of a nutmeg for
a half dozen of eggs, or three tablespoonfuls of rich cream. When
the eggs begin to whiten, stir carefully from the bottom until cooked
to suit.
Fried Eggs. — Four eggs, a quarter pound of lard, butter or clari-
fied dripping. Place a delicately clean frying-pan over a gentle fire ;
put in the fat, and allow it to come to the boiling-point. Break the
eggs into cups, slip them into the boiling fat, and let them remain
until the whites are delicately set, and, whilst they are frying, ladle a
little of the fat over them. Take them up with a slice, drain them a
minute from their greasy moisture, trim them neatly, and serve on
slices of fried bacon or ham, or the eggs may be placed in the middle
of the dish, with the bacon put round as a garnish. ✪ Poached Eggs
Page 301 · 3 recipe records on this page
Presented as published in 1883. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
AI-modernized reading of the original text
An egg should be broken into each cup, and the machine then placed in a stewpan of boiling water, which has been previously strained. When the whites of the eggs appear set they are done, and should then be carefully slipped on to the toast or spinach, or with whatever they are served. In poaching eggs in a frying-pan never do more than four at a time ; and when a little vinegar is liked mixed with the water in which the eggs are done, use one tablespoonful to every pint of water.
To Boil Eggs for Breakfast, Salads, etc. — 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 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, that the egg may not fall, and consequently crack. For those who like eggs lightly boiled, three minutes will be found sufficient; three and threequarters to four minutes will be ample time to set the white nicely; and if liked hard, six to seven minutes will not be found too long.
470 THE hearthstone; or, life at home.
Should the eggs be unusually large, as those of black Spanish fowl sometimes are, allow an extra one-half minute for them. Eggs for salad should be boiled from ten minutes to one-quarter hour, and should be placed in a basin of cold water for a few minutes; they should then be rolled on the table with the hand, and the shell will peel off easily. To boil eggs lightly, for invalids or children, keep them on three minutes ; to boil eggs to suit the generality of tastes, three and three-quarters to four minutes; to boil eggs hard, six to seven minutes; for salads, ten to fifteen minutes.
Scrambled Eggs. — Have a spider hot and buttered ; break the eggs into a dish, being careful not to break the yolks ; slip them into the spider, add a very little salt, with butter the size of a nutmeg for a half dozen of eggs, or three tablespoonfuls of rich cream. When the eggs begin to whiten, stir carefully from the bottom until cooked to suit.
Fried Eggs. — Four eggs, a quarter pound of lard, butter or clarified dripping. Place a delicately clean frying-pan over a gentle fire ; put in the fat, and allow it to come to the boiling-point. Break the eggs into cups, slip them into the boiling fat, and let them remain until the whites are delicately set, and, whilst they are frying, ladle a little of the fat over them. Take them up with a slice, drain them a minute from their greasy moisture, trim them neatly, and serve on slices of fried bacon or ham, or the eggs may be placed in the middle of the dish, with the bacon put round as a garnish.
Records on this page
Poached EggsScrambled EggsFried Eggs