A Poetical Cook-Book Part 10

Though many, I own, are the evils they've brought us, Though R**al*y's here on her very last legs; Yet who can help loving the land that has taught us Six hundred and eighty-five ways to dress _eggs_!

MOORE.

Take as many eggs as you think proper; break them into a pan, with some salt and chopped parsley; beat them well, and season them according to taste. Have ready some onion, chopped small; put some b.u.t.ter into a fryingpan, and when it is hot, put in your chopped onion, giving them two or three turns; then add your eggs to it, and fry the whole of a nice brown. You must only fry one side; serve the fried side uppermost.

TO POACH EGGS.

But, after all, what would you have me do, When, out of twenty, I can please not two?

One likes the pheasant's wing, and one the leg; The vulgar boil, the learned _poach an egg_; Hard task to hit the palate of such guests, When Oldfield loves what Dartineuf detests.

POPE.

The cook who wishes to display her skill in poaching, must endeavor to procure eggs that have been laid a couple of days; those that are new laid are so milky, that, take all the care you can, your cooking of them will seldom procure you the praise of being a prime poacher. You must have fresh eggs, or it is equally impossible. The beauty of a poached egg is for the yolk to be seen blushing through the white, which should only be just sufficiently hardened to form a transparent veil for the egg. Have some boiling water in a teakettle; pa.s.s as much of it through a clean cloth as will half fill a stewpan; break the egg into a cup, and when the water boils remove the stewpan from the stove, and gently slip the egg into it; it must stand till the white is set; then put it on a very moderate fire, and as soon as the water boils, the egg is ready.

Take it up with a slicer, and neatly place it on a piece of toast.

BOILED EGGS.

On holydays, an _egg or two_ at most; But her ambition never reached to roast.

CHAUCER.

The fresher laid the better. Put them into boiling water; if you like the white just set, about two minutes' boiling is enough. A new-laid egg will take a little more. If you wish the yolk to be set, it will take three, and to boil it hard for a salad, ten minutes. A new-laid egg will require longer boiling than a stale one by half a minute.

FRIED EGGS.

Go work, hunt, exercise (he thus begun), Then scorn a homely dinner if you can; _Fried eggs_, and herbs, and olives, still we see: This much is left of old simplicity.

POPE.

Eggs boiled hard, cut into slices, and fried, may be served as a second course dish, to eat with roast chicken.

EGGS AND BREAD.

Never go to France, Unless you know the lingo; If you do, like me, You'll repent, by jingo.

Starving like a fool, And silent as a mummy, There I stood alone, A nation with a dummy.

Signs I had to make For every little notion; Limbs all going like A telegraph in motion; If I wanted _bread_, My jaws I set a-going, And asked for _new laid eggs_ By clapping hands and crowing.

Put half a handful of breadcrumbs into a saucepan, with a small quant.i.ty of cream, sugar, and nutmeg, and let it stand till the bread has imbibed all the cream; then break ten eggs into it, and having beaten them up together, fry it like an omelet.

OMELETTE SOUFFLe.

"Where is my favorite dish?" he cried; "Let some one place it by my side!"

DONNE.

Beat up the yolks of eight eggs, and the whites of four (set aside the remaining whites), with a spoonful of water, some salt, sugar, and the juice of a lemon; fry this, and then put it on a dish. Whip the four whites which were set aside to a froth with sugar, and place it over the fried eggs; bake it for a few minutes.

DESSERTS.

PUFF PASTE.

The _puffs_ made me light, And now that's all over, I'm pretty well, thank you.

MOORE.

Weigh an equal quant.i.ty of flour and b.u.t.ter, rub rather more than half the flour into one-third of the b.u.t.ter; add as much cold water as will make it into a stiff paste; work it until the b.u.t.ter be completely mixed with the flour, make it round, beat it with the rolling-pin, dust it, as also the rolling-pin with flour, and roll it out towards the opposite side of the slab, or paste-board, making it of an equal thickness, then with the point of a knife, put little bits of b.u.t.ter all over it, dust flour over it and under it, fold in all the sides, and roll it up, dust it again with flour, beat it a little, and roll out, always rubbing the rolling-pin with flour, and throwing some underneath the paste to prevent its sticking to the board.

It should be touched as little as possible with the hands.

PYRAMID PASTE.

You that from pliant _paste_ would fabrics raise, Expecting thence to gain immortal praise, Your knuckles try, and let your sinews know Their power to knead, and give the form to dough; From thence of course the figure will arise, And elegance adorn the surface of your pies.

KING.

Make a rich puff paste, roll it out a quarter of an inch thick, cut it into five or seven pieces with scalloped tin cutters, which go one within another; leave the bottom and top piece entire, and cut a bit out of the centre of the others. Place them upon b.u.t.tered baking tins, and bake them of a light brown. Build them into a pyramid, laying a different preserved fruit upon each piece of paste, and on the top a whole apricot with a sprig of myrtle stuck in it.

FRUIT PIES.

Unless some _sweetness_ at the bottom lie, Who cares for all the crinkling of the pie!

KING.

Fruit pies for family use are generally made with common paste. Allow three quarters of a pound of b.u.t.ter to a pound and a half of flour.

Peaches and plums for pies should be cut in half, and the stones taken out. Cherries also should be stoned, and red cherries only should be used for pies. Apples should be cut into very thin slices, and are much improved by a little lemon-peel. Apples stewed previous to baking, should not be done till they break, but only till they are tender. They should then be drained in a cullender, and chopped fine with a knife or edge of a spoon. In making pies of juicy fruit, it is a good way to set a small teacup on the bottom crust, and lay the fruit round it. The juice will collect under the cup, and not run out at the edges or top of the pie. The fruit should be mixed with a sufficient quant.i.ty of sugar, and piled up in the middle, so as to make the pie highest in the centre.

The upper crust should be p.r.i.c.ked with a fork. The edges should be nicely crimped with a knife. If stewed fruit is put in warm, it will make the paste heavy. If your pies are made in the form of sh.e.l.ls, the fruit should always be stewed first, or it will not be sufficiently done, as the sh.e.l.ls (which should be made of puff paste) must not bake so long as covered pies.

Fruit pies with lids should have loaf sugar grated over them.

MINCE PIES.

When Terence spoke, oraculous and sly, He'd neither grant the question nor deny, Pleading for tarts, his thoughts were on _mince pie_.

My poor endeavors view with gracious eye, To make these lines above a _Christmas pie_.

Two pounds of boiled beef's heart or fresh tongue, or lean fresh beef chopped, when cold; two pounds of beef suet chopped fine, four pounds of pippin apples chopped, two pounds of raisins stoned and chopped, two pounds of currants picked, washed, and dried, two pounds of powdered sugar, one quart of white wine, one quart of brandy, one wine-gla.s.s of rose-water, two grated nutmegs, half an ounce of cinnamon, powdered, a quarter of an ounce of mace, powdered, a teaspoonful of salt, two large oranges, and half a pound of citron cut in slips. Pack it closely into stone jars, and tie them over with paper. When it is to be used, add a little more wine.

PLUM PUDDING.

All you who to feasting and mirth are inclined, Come, here is good news for to pleasure your mind.

Old Christmas is come, for to keep open house: He scorns to be guilty of starving a mouse.

Then come, boys, and welcome, for diet the chief,-- _Plum pudding_, goose, capon, minced pies, and roast beef.