A guide to modern cookery

until ready to serve. 412—THE COOKING OF SOFT-BOILED EGGS These ought to be very fresh, as in the case of poached eggs. With a view to equalising their cooking, it is a good plan to put them in a colander perforated with large holes, whereby they may be plunged into and withdrawn from the water together. Keep the water boiling; plunge the eggs therein as directed; leave them to cook for six minutes from the time the water has regained the boiling-point; drain, steep for a moment in a bowl of cold water, and shell the eggs carefully. Keep them in moderately-salted hot water until ready to serve. 413—THE DISHING OF POACHED AND SOFT-BOILED EGGS There are many ways of doing this, viz.:— (1) On rusks of bread-crumb, slightly hollowed, ornamented according to taste (_i.e._, indented by means of the point of a small knife) and fried in clarified butter. Their shape is oval for poached eggs, and round for soft-boiled eggs, the latter being generally dished upright. (2) On little, oval _feuilletés_ for poached eggs, on _feuilletés_ in the shape of indented crowns, or in small patties for soft-boiled eggs. (3) In borders of forcemeat or other preparations, the kind of which is indicated by the name of the particular egg-preparation. These borders are laid on the dish by means of a piping-bag or by hand; they are either oval or round, plain or indented, poached or oven-browned, according to the nature of the preparation used. (4) On tartlet-crusts which are garnished so as to be in keeping with the method of dressing the eggs. _Remarks._—(1) Poached or soft-boiled eggs, when dished upon fried rusks, _feuilletés_, or tartlets, should, before being placed on the latter, be covered with sauce. Also before being treated with sauce they should be well drained. (2) Having given the general outlines of the procedure, I shall now pass on to the particular recipes, stating them briefly, and reminding the reader that all of them apply equally to poached and soft-boiled eggs. Thus “Poached Eggs Mireille” stands for “Poached or Soft-boiled Eggs Mireille.” 414—POACHED EGGS