(b) English Rarebit.—Toast a slice of bread on both sides, put it into a cheese plate, pour a glass of red wine over it, and put it to the fire till it soaks up the wine; then cut some cheese in very thin slices, and put it thick on the bread; put it in a tin oven before the fire, toast it till it is brown, and serve it up hot. Or this way: Toast your bread, soak it in the wine, and set it before the fire to keep hot; cut the cheese in very thin slices, rub some butter over a pewter plate, lay the cheese on it, pour in 2-3 spoonfuls white wine, set it over a chafing dish of coals, and cover it with another plate for 2-3 minutes; uncover it, and stir it till it is done and well mixed, put in a little mustard, put it on the bread, brown it with a hot iron or salamander, and send it away hot.
(c) Scotch Rarebit.—Toast a piece of bread nicely on both sides, and butter it; cut a slice of cheese nearly the size of the bread, put it in a cheese toaster, and toast one side, then put the toasted side on the bread, and toast the other side nicely.
(d) Welsh Rarebit.—Slice some rich cheese into a stewpan, pour in a very little old ale, and set over the fire to simmer. When the cheese is quite melted pour it on to some hot toast, and serve quickly. Mustard and pepper should be spread on the cheese before serving. Some use butter, but ale is far nicer.
(e) Ditto.—Take rather a thick slice of either Cheddar or Gloucester cheese, cut into small pieces, put it into a small saucepan, with 1 teaspoonful mustard, 2 tablespoonfuls ale, a very little salt, and a small piece of butter; let it get well heated, stir it up well till it becomes the consistency of thick cream. Pour the mixture on a slice of toast cut into four, dredge a little pepper on the top and serve on a table napkin, very hot.
(f) Ditto.—Use a small iron saucepan. Grease with butter all the inside; then pour 3-4 tablespoonfuls good rich milk or cream into it; then 3-4 large mustardspoonfuls of made mustard; then about ½ oz. butter in small pieces; then about a ¼ lb. good Cheddar cheese; then dust the whole over with ground black pepper, and be not afraid of putting on too much pepper. Set the saucepan aside. Place a dish before the fire which is to go to table. Take a round of a loaf of bread, cut very thick and the hard crust cut off; toast, and then butter one side only, and put it, toasted side downwards, on the dish before the fire. Now set the little saucepan on the fire, and stir its contents with an iron spoon till the cheese is melted. Immediately then pour it on the bread which is before the fire and send to table; of course, with hot plates. (L.)
(g) Ditto.—Make some slices of toast about ¼ in. thick, trim off the crusts, and spread them with butter. Slice very thinly some rich cheese (about ¼ lb.) into a stewpan, add 1 small teaspoonful flour of mustard, a little salt and cayenne, ½ oz. butter, and pour over it a very little ale or porter, let it simmer until quite hot, pour it on the toast, and serve immediately.
Eggs
Eggs (Œufs).—Few English cooks have any idea of the number of ways in which these nutritious articles may be dressed.
À la Bonne Femme.—Slice an onion, fry it in butter to a light brown, add a teaspoonful of vinegar; butter a dish, spread the onion and vinegar over it, break the eggs into it, put the dish into the oven; when the eggs are done strew fried breadcrumbs over them, and serve very hot.
À la Maître d’Hôtel.—(a) Make a sauce with boiling milk, rather highly seasoned and thickened with butter and flour and an onion chopped small; let it simmer gently for ½ hour, then add 2 oz. fresh butter and some finely chopped parsley; next lay in 4-6 hard-boiled eggs, cut in quarters or sliced, heat them through carefully, and serve very hot; squeeze in the juice of a lemon just before serving.