Obs. All eggs may be poached without boiling if kept just at simmering point, but one boil quite at last will assist to detach them from the stewpan, from which they should always be very carefully lifted on what is called a fish or egg slice. There are pans made on purpose for poaching and frying them in good form; but they do not, we believe, answer particularly well. If broken into cups slightly rubbed with butter and simmered in them, their roundness of shape will be well preserved.—Eliza Acton.
Egg, Elas′tic. Take a good and sound egg, place it in strong vinegar, and allow it to remain for 12 hours; it will then become quite soft and elastic. In this state it can be squeezed into a tolerably wide-mouthed bottle; when in, it must be covered with water having a little soda dissolved in it. In a few hours the egg will be restored to nearly its original solidity; after which the liquid may be poured off and the bottle dried, the whole being kept as a curiosity to puzzle one’s friends for an explanation how the egg got there. (‘Parlour Pastime.’)
Egg Flip. Prep. 1. Beer, 1 pint; eggs, 3 in no.; sugar, 2 oz.; nutmeg and ginger, q. s. to flavour; the eggs are broken into one half of the beer, the sugar added, and the whole beaten well together; the mixture is then placed in a clean warmer, and heated over the fire to nearly the boiling-point, and stirred one way all the time, care being taken not to let it either boil or curdle; the other portion of the beer and the spices are then added, and the whole mixed well together.
2. As above, but adding a glass of spirit. Some persons also add a little lemon peel.
Eggs, Packing, for Shipboard. The following plan is now adopted by many firms shipping eggs:—“In the bottom of the box may be placed bran, cut hay, and sawdust. Tear up old newspapers to about 8 or 10 inches square. The paper should be about medium—that is, not too stiff nor too soft. Place one of these pieces of paper on the hand, and on this an egg, on one end; close the lower hand so as to bring the paper up all round the egg; with the other hand crumple the loose corners and edges of the paper down over the other end of the egg; lay another piece of paper on the hand, on which place the same egg, but the other end up; bring up the new paper and crumple down as before. This gives a good cushion to both ends, and a fair one over the centre. Repeat this till you have six thicknesses of paper, reversing the egg each time, and always keeping it on the end. This gives you a ball about 3 to 31⁄2 in. thick by 31⁄2 to 4 in. long. Care should be taken not to press the paper too closely to the egg while covering. Place on one end in the box or basket; place alongside and press them together close enough to prevent their becoming loose in the box, fillings at the ends and on top with crumpled paper.”—J. P.
Egg, Glaire of. Prep. Separate the whites from the yolks, and whisk them to a froth, let them stand 24 hours, and strain them through muslin. Used as a glaze or varnish by bookbinders and others.
Egg, Liquid. Prep. (Jayne.) From lime, 1 bushel (slaked with water); common salt, 2 or 3 lbs.; cream of tartar, 1⁄2 lb.; water, q. s. to form a mixture strong enough to float an egg. Used to preserve eggs, which it is stated it will do for two years, by simply keeping them in it. Simple milk of lime answers quite as well.
Egg Wine. As egg flip, but using equal parts of white wine and water, instead of beer.
ELA′IDINE. A fatty compound of elaïdic acid and glycerin, formed by the action of nitrous acid or nitrate of mercury on olive oil. It is neutral; melts at 90° Fahr.; and is very soluble in ether, scarcely so in alcohol. It is one of the components of CITRINE OINTMENT.
By saponification it is resolved into its two constituents.