Shallot (Francatelli’s recipe).—Break 3 eggs into a basin, add 1 spoonful cream, a small pat of butter, broken into pieces, a little chopped parsley, and the shallots, well chopped, some pepper and salt; then put 2 oz. butter into the omelet pan. While the butter is melting, whip the eggs and other ingredients well together until they become frothy. As soon as the butter begins to fritter, pour the eggs into the pan, and stir the omelet; as the eggs appear to set, roll the omelet into the form of an oval cushion. Allow it to acquire a golden-brown colour on one side over the fire, and then turn it out on its dish. Pour a thin sauce, or gravy, or half glaze under it, and serve.
Soufflé.—Break carefully 6 eggs, separating the yolks and whites. Strain the yolks and add to them 2 tablespoonfuls powdered sugar and a little lemon juice or orange-flower water, stir well together. Whip the whites into a stiff froth, and then mix lightly with the rest. Heat some fresh butter in the pan, pour in the mixture, when ready sprinkle it over with sugar, and either put it into the oven for a few minutes to rise, or else hold a salamander over it. (Eliot James.)
Spinach.—Chop up all together ¼ lb. spinach (it should be young and tender), ¼ lb. beets, ½ oz. parsley, and ½ oz. leeks and lemon-thyme mixed. Season the mixture with salt and pepper, then add by degrees, a heaped-up tablespoonful of well-dried flour, 4 spoonfuls milk, 4 eggs well beaten, and 2 oz. butter melted; mix the whole well together, put into a pan, and bake 20 minutes in the oven. This is rather more solid food than the ordinary fried omelet, but, when well made, an appetising dish. If beet is not liked, sprouts can be used instead.
Sweet.—(a) Beat up the whites of 4 and the yolks of 6 eggs, with a very small pinch of salt. Put a piece of fresh butter in the omelet pan, and directly it is melted pour in the eggs. As soon as they are set fold up the omelet, inserting within the fold as much apricot jam as will lie in it. Turn out the omelet neatly on its dish, cover it with powdered sugar, and glaze it with a red-hot salamander.
(b) Beat up the eggs as in (a), with the addition of a large pinch of powdered cinnamon, and 2 tablespoonfuls powdered loaf sugar. When cooked glaze with sugar and serve.
Swiss.—Made with grated cheese in the following manner: Grate 2 oz. Parmesan cheese, melt 2 oz. butter, and add to the cheese also ½ oz. finely chopped parsley, 1 oz. breadcrumbs, finely grated, ¼ pint new milk, and 4 eggs well beaten; fry in the usual way, with a little butter in the pan, which must be properly heated before the mixture is put in.
Tomato.—Scald 6 ripe tomatoes, pare them and remove the ends and seeds. Stew them until tender, then mash them and rub through a sieve; add 2 oz. finely grated breadcrumbs, 4 well-beaten eggs, 4 tablespoonfuls milk, and salt and pepper to taste. Mix all thoroughly, pour into a buttered dish and bake in a moderately hot oven. Serve with vinegar or brown sauce, not made with stock, as is ordinary brown sauce, but merely browned butter thickening thinned with vinegar.
Poached.—(a) To be covered with the white, they should be broken into a saucepan with plenty of boiling water, enough to cover them.
(b) Stir the water round very fast, then drop the egg in the middle of the whirlpool, and keep stirring the same way till it is set.
(c) Fill a shallow sauté pan with water and sufficient salt; add a little vinegar, a few peppercorns, and some leaves of parsley. When the water is on the point of boiling (it should never be allowed to boil) break 2 or more eggs into it (according to the size of the pan), and put on the cover. When done, take them out carefully, brush them clean on both sides with a paste brush, and cut each egg with a round fluted paste cutter, so as to get them of a uniform shape. Serve on a purée made as follows: Pick and wash perfectly clean 2-3 lb. spinach, put it into a saucepan with a little water, and let it boil till quite done, turn it out on a hair sieve to drain, squeeze the water out, and pass the spinach through the sieve. Put a good lump of butter into a saucepan, fry it a light brown, add a pinch of flour, mix well, put in the spinach, pepper and salt to taste, and a little milk, stir well, dispose the spinach on a dish, laying the poached eggs on the top of it, and a border of fried sippets round it.