This dish is exceedingly nice for a child or an invalid. Separate one egg, beat the white to a stiff froth, add the yolk and beat again. Heap this in a pretty saucer, dust lightly with powdered sugar, put in the center a teaspoonful of brandy, and serve at once. Sherry or Madeira may be substituted for the brandy.
A plain French omelet is, perhaps, one of the most difficult of all things to make; that is, it is the most difficult to have well made in the ordinary private house. Failures come from beating the eggs until they are too light, or having the butter too hot, or cooking the omelet too long before serving.
In large families, where it is necessary to use a dozen eggs, two omelets will be better than one. A six-egg omelet is quite easily handled. Do not use milk; it toughens the eggs and gives an unpleasant flavor to the omelet. An "omelet pan," a shallow frying pan, should be kept especially for omelets. Each time it is used rub until dry, but do not wash. Dust it with salt and rub it with brown paper until perfectly clean.
To make an omelet: First, put a tablespoonful of butter in the middle of the pan. Let it heat slowly. Break the eggs in a bowl, add a tablespoonful of water to each egg and give twelve good, vigorous beats. To each six eggs allow a saltspoonful of pepper, and, if you like, a tablespoonful of finely chopped parsley. Take the eggs, a limber knife and the salt to the stove. Draw the pan over the hottest part of the fire, turn in the eggs, and dust over a half teaspoonful of salt. Shake the pan so that the omelet moves and folds itself over each time you draw the pan towards you. Lift the edge of the omelet, allowing the thin, uncooked portion of the egg to run underneath. Shake again, until the omelet is "set." Have ready heated a platter, fold over the omelet and turn it out. Garnish with parsley, and send to the table.
If one can make a plain French omelet, it may be converted into many, many kinds.
Make a plain omelet from six eggs, have ready a half pint of cream sauce, and either a can or a bundle of cooked asparagus. Cut off the tips, preserving the lower portions for another dish. When the omelet is turned onto the heated platter, put the asparagus tips at the ends, cover them with cream sauce, pour the rest of the cream sauce in the platter, not over the omelet.
Make a six-egg omelet. Have ready one pint of cooked peas, or a can of peas, seasoned with salt, pepper and butter. Just before folding the omelet put a tablespoonful of peas in the center, fold, and turn out on a heated platter. Pour the remaining quantity of peas around the omelet, and send at once to the table. If you like, you may pour over, also, a half pint of cream sauce.
Put two tablespoonfuls of butter and two chopped onions over hot water until the onion is soft and thoroughly cooked. Peel four tomatoes, cut them into halves and press out the seeds. Then cut each half into quarters, add four Spanish peppers cut in strips, a level teaspoonful of salt and a dash of red pepper. Cook until the tomato is soft. Make a six-egg omelet. Turn it onto a heated platter, put the tomato mixture at the ends, and send at once to the table.
Make a plain omelet with six eggs. Pour over a half pint of tomato sauce, and send to the table.
Drain, wash, and drain again twenty-five oysters. Throw them into a hot saucepan and shake until the gills curl. Rub together two level tablespoonfuls of flour and two of butter. Drain the oysters, put the liquor into a half-pint cup, add sufficient milk to fill the cup. Add this to the butter and flour. When boiling, add the oysters, a level teaspoonful of salt and a dash of red pepper. Make a six-egg omelet, turn it onto a heated dish, arrange the oysters around the omelet, pour over the cream sauce, and send to the table.
This is a very good way to make sweetbreads do double duty. Boil a pair of sweetbreads until they are tender. Remove the membrane, cut them into slices; make a cream sauce. Add the sweetbreads, and, if you like, a half can of chopped mushrooms. Make a six-egg omelet, arrange the slices of sweetbread around the omelet and pour over the cream sauce.
Beat six eggs. Add a half pint of rather thick stewed tomatoes, a level teaspoonful of salt and a saltspoonful of pepper. Beat the eggs and tomatoes together, and make precisely the same as a plain omelet. Do not, however, add water, as the tomatoes answer the purpose.
Mix a half cup of chopped ham with the eggs after they have been beaten with the water, and finish the same as a plain omelet.
Beat six eggs until they are thoroughly mixed. Add a half cupful of thick cream, four tablespoonfuls of grated cheese, a saltspoonful of black pepper and a half teaspoonful of salt. Mix and finish the same as plain omelet.
Beat six eggs until thoroughly mixed. Add a half cupful of cream, a tablespoonful of finely chopped parsley, a saltspoonful of pepper and a half teaspoonful of salt. Finish the same as a plain omelet. Serve on a heated platter and put over a little thin Spanish sauce.
Beat six eggs. Add six tablespoonfuls of water. Add a saltspoonful of pepper, a tablespoonful of finely chopped parsley, a teaspoonful of onion juice. Put six thin slices of bacon in the omelet pan. Cook slowly until all the fat is tried out. Remove the bacon, add a tablespoonful of chopped onion. Cook until the onion is slightly brown, turn in the eggs and finish the same as a plain omelet. Turn onto a heated platter, garnish with red and green peppers, and, if you like, put two tablespoonfuls of stewed tomatoes at each end of the omelet.
Chop sufficient chives to make a tablespoonful. Add a tablespoonful of parsley, a tablespoonful of finely chopped onion, and, if you have it, a little of the green tops of celery. Mix this with six eggs, add six tablespoonfuls of water and beat. Make the same as a plain omelet.
This is one of the most delicious of all the luncheon dishes. Put two tablespoonfuls of butter, a pound of mushrooms, sliced, a half cup of milk and a teaspoonful of salt into a saucepan. Cover and cook slowly for twenty minutes. Make two six-egg omelets. Turn them, side by side, on a large heated platter, pour over the fresh mushrooms and serve at once.
Put two tablespoonfuls of butter in a saucepan with four tablespoonfuls of chopped onion. Cook until the onion is tender. Then add four chopped Spanish peppers, two tablespoonfuls of thick tomato, or one whole raw tomato cut into bits, four sliced cooked okra, a teaspoonful of salt, a dash of pepper. Let these cook twenty minutes. Make a six-egg plain omelet, using bacon fat instead of butter for the cooking. Remove the slices of bacon before they are too hard, as they must be used for a garnish. Turn the omelet onto a heated platter, pour around it the pepper mixture, garnish with the bacon, and send to the table. Canned mushrooms may be added, if desired.
4 eggs1 cupful of mashed potatoes2 level tablespoonfuls of butter1 tablespoonful of chopped parsley1 level teaspoonful of salt1 saltspoonful of pepper
Beat the eggs, without separating, until thoroughly mixed; add them gradually to the mashed potato, beating all the while; add the salt and pepper. Put the butter into a good-sized saute or omelet pan; when hot, turn the ingredients into the pan, and smooth it down with a pallet knife. Let this cook slowly until nicely browned; fold it over as you would a plain omelet, and turn onto a heated dish. The parsley may be sprinkled over the top, or added to the mixture.
Put three eggs into a bowl, and three into another bowl. Add three tablespoonfuls of water to each, and beat. Have two omelet pans, in which you have melted butter. Grate an apple into one bowl, and into the other put a little salt and pepper. Stand two tablespoonfuls of jelly in a dish over hot water while you cook the omelets. Proceed as for plain omelet. The one to which you have added the apple, turn out on a plate. Before folding the other, put in the center the softened currant jelly, then fold it and turn it out by the side of the other omelet. Dust both with powdered sugar, and send at once to the table. Serve a portion of each.
Make a plain omelet with six eggs, turn it on a heated platter. Dust it with powdered sugar, and score it across the top with a red-hot poker. Dip four lumps of sugar into Jamaica rum and put them on the platter. Put over the omelet four tablespoonfuls of rum; touch a lighted match to the rum, and carry the omelet to the table, burning. Baste it with the burning rum until the alcohol is entirely burned off.
Allow one egg to each person. Have everything in readiness. The maraschino cherries must be drained free from the liquor. Separate the eggs. Beat the whites until they are stiff. Add a level tablespoonful of powdered sugar to each white, and beat until dry and glossy. Add the yolks of three eggs. Mix quickly. Add the grated rind of one lemon and a tablespoonful of lemon juice. Heap this into individual dishes. Make a tiny little hole in the center and put in a maraschino cherry, leaving the hole large enough to hold a tablespoonful of the liquor when the omelet is ready to serve; dust it with powdered sugar, bake in a quick oven about three minutes, take it from the oven, pour in the maraschino juice and sendat onceto the table. These will fall if baked too much, but when well made and served quickly, is one of the daintiest of desserts.
This is a sweet baked omelet, and is served the same as one would serve an omelet souffle.
6 eggs1/2 cupful of water1/2 a lemon's yellow rind, grated1/2 cupful of thick cream1/2 cupful of granulated sugar1 teaspoonful of vanilla or orange flower water1 small bit of cinnamon
Put the sugar, water, cinnamon and lemon rind over the fire, boil until it spins a thread and stand aside to cool. Separate the eggs; beat the yolks until creamy, and add the cream, then the strained syrup. Add the vanilla, and when cool fold in the well-beaten whites. Turn at once into a shallow silver or granite dish, dust thickly with powdered sugar and bake in a quick oven until brown.
This is, perhaps, one of the most difficult of all dishes to make. When, however, you have accomplished the art, you have one of the most satisfactory desserts. Like the preceding recipe, it must be made at the last moment and sent from the oven directly to the table. The eggs must be beaten to just the right point and the oven must be very hot. Get everything in readiness before beginning to make the souffle.
Select a bowl, perfectly clean, and arrange the star tube and pastry bag, if you are going to use one. If not, get out a baking dish. Sift six tablespoonfuls of powdered sugar. Separate six eggs. Put three of the yolks aside (as you will only use three), and beat the other three until creamy. Beat the whites until they are very stiff but not dry or broken. Now add three tablespoonfuls of the sifted powdered sugar. Beat for fully ten minutes. Then add the beaten yolks, the grated rind of a lemon and at the last a tablespoonful of lemon juice. Mix carefully and quickly, but thoroughly. Put four or five tablespoonfuls of this in the bottom of a platter, or baking dish. Put the remaining quantity quickly in the pastry bag, and press it out into roses. It is easier to make it in small rosettes all over the foundation. Dust quickly with the remaining three tablespoonfuls of sugar. Bake in a quick oven until golden brown. This will take about five minutes. Serve immediately. To be just right, this must be hot to the very center, crisp on top, moist underneath. If baked too long, the moment the top is touched it will fall, becoming stringy and unpalatable.
Omelet souffles are frequently flavored with rum, which must be mixed with the sugar. Sometimes they are sprayed with sherry just as they are taken from the oven. They may be built up into different forms, and garnished with candied or maraschino cherries, or chopped nuts.
End of Project Gutenberg's Many Ways for Cooking Eggs, by Mrs. S.T. Rorer