What is breakfast cookery?

Answer 1

To beat well, eggs should be cold and fresh. A few grains of salt added to the whites may hasten the process. In preparing egg-white for beating, one should be careful to have it free from every particle of yolk. If a close texture is desired, the Dover egg-beater should be used; it should rest lightly on the bottom of the bowl and the beating should be slow at first. If a loose texture is desired, a confectioner's whisk should be used; or, for a still looser texture, a flat egg-beater. Egg-whites are beaten stiff when the impression made by the beater is retained; they are beaten dry when the gloss has disappeared and flaky bits fly off as the egg is beaten.

For thickening.-When eggs are added to thicken a mixture, they should be beaten only until the whites and the yolks are well mixed, or until a spoonful of the mixture can be taken up and held in the spoon.

For leavening.-When eggs are added to insure lightness, the yolks and whites should be beaten separately; the yolks until thick and lemon colored, and the whites until stiff, that is, until the dish containing the beaten egg can be tipped upside down without losing the egg white.

Eggs Cooked In The Shell(1) Cover the eggs with boiling water, and cover the kettle; (2) remove the kettle from direct heat; (3) for a soft-cooked egg, allow the egg to stand in the hot water for 4 to 7 minutes; for a medium-cooked egg, 7 to 10 minutes; for a hard-cooked egg, from 45 to 50 minutes. Poached EggsMethod I: (1) Place in a shallow pan as many muffin rings as there are eggs to poach; (2) turn in enough boiling water to cover the rings; (3) when the water boils break an egg into each ring; (4) remove the pan from direct heat, and let the eggs remain in the water until the whites are jelly-like and translucent (from 10 to 15 minutes); (5) remove the eggs in the rings to a serving dish, with a skimmer or pancake turner; (6) remove the muffin rings; (7) season the eggs with salt and pepper; (8) garnish them with parsley, if desired.

Method II: (1) Add a dash of salt to the white of an egg; (2) beat the white to a froth; (3) put it in a shallow dish or in a glass; (4) drop the unbroken yolk in the center; (5) set the dish in a pan of boiling water; (6) cover the dish, and let the egg cook for 2 minutes.

Method III (French poached eggs, used for garnishes): (1) Fill a deep saucepan nearly full of water; (2) add 1 teaspoon of salt and 1 tablespoon of vinegar to 1 quart of water; (3) when the water is boiling violently, crack the shell of the egg, and holding it close to the water, drop the contents quickly where the water is boiling hardest; (4) when the egg is firm, remove it with a skimmer, draining off the water.

Shirred Eggs(1) Butter individual baking dishes; (2) break an egg into each dish; (3) sprinkle salt on the whites but not on the yolks; (4) place the dishes in a shallow pan of hot water, and place the pan on the shelf in a slow oven;

(5) baste the yolks with a little melted butter, while they are cooking;

(6) cook the eggs until the white is set.

Variations: (1) Place chopped chicken, ham, mushrooms, or tomato puree in the bottom of the dish, before the egg is added; (2) serve the eggs on toast, broiled ham, minced meat, or stewed kidneys; (3) pour over the top cream, Bechamel or tomato sauce. (See Sauces, page 552).

Fried Eggs(1) Place a little fat in a very clean frying pan; (2) when it bubbles, crack the shells, and drop in the eggs; (3) cook the eggs at a moderate temperature until the white is set. If hard-cooked eggs are desired, turn them and cook them on the other side. Scrambled Eggs(1) Beat the eggs lightly with a fork, just enough to break them; (2) to 4 eggs, add 2 tablespoons of milk, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and a dash of pepper; (3) put 1/2 tablespoon of fat in the top of a double boiler; (4) turn in the eggs; (5) cook them, over hot water, stirring them constantly until they begin to thicken; (6) remove the double boiler from the fire, and continue to stir the eggs until they are of the proper consistency.

Variations: (1) When the double boiler is removed from the fire, add a teaspoon of chopped parsley, or a little tomato sauce or pulp, or minced chicken, ham, bacon, or mushrooms; (2) garnish the eggs with croutons or parsley.