To poach Eggs.—(No. 546.)
The cook who wishes to display her skill in poaching, must endeavour to procure eggs that have been laid a couple of days—those that are quite 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 yelk 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[337-*] in a tea-kettle; pass as much of it through a clean cloth as will half fill a stew-pan; break the egg into a cup, and when the water boils, remove the stew-pan from the stove, and gently slip the egg into it; it must stand till the white is set; then put it over a very moderate fire, and as soon as the water boils, the egg is ready; take it up with a slice, and neatly round off the ragged edges of the white; send them up on bread toasted on one side only,[338-*] with or without butter; or without a toast, garnished with streaked bacon (Nos. [526] or [527]), nicely fried, or as done in [No. 545], or slices of broiled beef or mutton ([No. 487]), anchovies (Nos. [434] and [435]), pork sausages ([No. 87]), or spinage ([No. 122]).
Obs.—The bread should be a little larger than the egg, and about a quarter of an inch thick; only just give it a yellow colour: if you toast it brown, it will get a bitter flavour; or moisten it by pouring a little hot water upon it: some sprinkle it with a few drops of vinegar, or of essence of anchovy ([No. 433]).
To boil Eggs to eat in the Shell, or for Salads.—(No. 547.)
The fresher laid the better: put them into boiling water; if you like the white just set,[338-†] about two minutes boiling is enough; a new-laid egg will take a little more; if you wish the yelk to be set, it will take three, and to boil it hard for a salad, ten minutes. See [No. 372].
Obs.—A new-laid egg will require boiling longer than a stale one, by half a minute.
Tin machines for boiling eggs on the breakfast table are sold by the ironmongers, which perform the process very regularly: in four minutes the white is just set.
N.B. “Eggs may be preserved for twelve months, in a sweet and palatable state for eating in the shell, or using for salads, by boiling them for one minute; and when wanted for use let them be boiled in the usual manner: the white may be a little tougher than a new-laid egg, but the yelk will show no difference.”—See Hunter’s Culina, page 257.