Cassell's vegetarian cookery : a manual of cheap and wholesome diet / by A.G. Payne.

  • Payne, A. G. (Arthur Gay), 1840-1894.
Date:
1905
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: Cassell's vegetarian cookery : a manual of cheap and wholesome diet / by A.G. Payne. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The University of Leeds Library. The original may be consulted at The University of Leeds Library.

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    CHAPTER IV. EGGS (SAVOURY) AND OMELETS, Eggs, Plain Boiled.—There is an old saying that there is reason in the roasting of eggs. This certainly applies equally to the more common process of boiling them. There are few breakfast delicacies more popular than a new-laid egg. There are few breakfast indelicacies more revolting than the doubtful egg which makes its appearance from time to time, and which may be classed under the general heading of “ Shop ’uns.” It is a sad and melancholy reflection that these more than doubtful “ shop ’uns ” were all once new-laid. It is impossible to draw any hard-and-fast line to say at what exact period an egg ceases to be fit for boiling. There is an old tradition, the truth of which we do not endorse, that eggs may arrive at a period when, though they are not fit to be boiled, fried, poached, or liard-boiled, they are still good enough for puddings and pastry. There is no doubt that many good puddings are spoilt because cooks imagine they can use up doubtful eggs. When eggs are more than doubtful, they are often bought \ip by the smaller pastry-cooks in cheap and poor neighbour- hoods of our large towns, such as the East-End of London. These eggs are called “ spot eggs,” and are sold at thirty and forty a shilling. They utilise them as follows : They hold the egg up in front of a bright gas-light, when the small black spot can be clearly seen. This black spot is kept at the lowest point of the egg, i.e., the egg is held so that this black spot is at the bottom. The upper part of the egg is then broken and poured oflf, the black spot being retained. The moment the smallest streak proceeds from this black spot the pouring-oflf process is stopped. Of course, the black part is all thrown away, the stench from it being almost intolerable, containing, as it does^ sulphuretted hydrogen. We mention the fact for what it is worth. It would be a bold man who tried to lay