CHICKENS AND EGGS.

Globe, Volume XXII, Issue 1903, 31 March 1880, Page 3

CHICKENS AND EGGS.

[From the " Prairie Parmer."] There never was a more vexatious and delusive problem than that purely domestic one, " what shall we have for dinner." Solved today only to be resurrected to-morrow ; no wonder that the query sometimes grows monotonous and difficult. Skill and economy in the kitchen are the foundation stones of fi\mily health and welfare, requiring the conscientious housewife's most careful consideration and personal attention. Year in and year out, the family bill of fare is to be planned, and faithful Martha studies to avoid the feast of extravagance, or the famine of penuriousness ; has an eye to the fragments, and another to family tastes and appetites ; sighs occasionally at the monotony of tiresome dilemmas and annoying perplexities, and the daily consideration of ways and means, and wonders what new under the rolling sun a body can get to eat. The design of this department being to assist housekeepers, enlightening suggestions as to their wishes and needs are always in order. Funny Field has the writer's thanks for timely hints, which shall be profited by without delay. We all know that she understands what she is talking about, and now that she has been " taking notes," and Bays farmer's families eat too muoh pork to the exexclusion of fowls and eggs, we are bound to bolieve it; which reminds me, that some genius has discovered the mysteries of necromancy, and writes to an exchange telling " how to make a chicken pie out of pork." Just think what a swindle. Let us protest. "What's in a name?" That which we call pork, by any other name would still be pork, and answers very well for those who like it. In the meantime; if any one prefers chicken, it is downright imposition to aggravate him with a masquerading pig. Eggs. Well! the least said about city eggs at this season of the year the better. Perhaps in some happier clime hens are not altogether demoralised, and given to loafing and repudiating their natural obligations. Then the feathery omelet, the delicate poach, the delicious cake and the delectable meringue need not become mockeries, as when store eggs are the sole and unreliable dependance. Taking it for granted that chickendom has not gone altogether wrong, that egg-laying is not among the loßt arts, and fresh eggs are still to be had, the following recipes are excellent. • FBENCH OMELET. Melt a heaping teaspoonful of butter in half a cup of hot milk and turn it over half a cup of very light bread crumbs—baker's bread is best—add salt, pepper, and the yolks of three eggs beaten to a foam. Cut the whites of the three eggs to a stiff froth, lay them over the yolks and mix lightly together. Melt two teaspoonfuls of butter in a smooth hot frying pan—and be careful not to burn it; put in the omelet, as soon as it is ready, and cook until well done (but not until tough and leathery) then turn it together in the shape of a half moon, and slip or toss it on to a platter. A very nice variety may be made by omitting the bread crumbs, milk and butter, and simply beating the eggs separately as before directed. In both these preparations the whites may be put over the yolks and mixed only lightly together, and the omelet must be cooked in a hot spider as soon as ready, with butter enough to prevent sticking. PIAIN OMELET. Put the frying-pan on the fire to heat. Break six eggs into a pan ; season with pepper and salt then beat them briskly until the yolks are well broken, but not until they are frothy. Put a small table-spoonful of butter into the hot frying-pan and as Boon as it is boiling pour in the eggs. Shake the frying-pan gently with the left hand, and use a knife in the right to loosen the edges of the omelet so that all the eggs may be cooked to a creamy consistency without any being overdone, then tip the pan a little, turn one -half over the other and loosen the bottom by shaking gently j let stand for a moment longer and toss it over on a hot platter or slip it out with a pancake turner. SHIBBED EGGS. Butter a neat baking dish, and break six eggs into it ; place in a hot oven and when the eggs are well set, season with salt, pepper and a little butter, and serve immediately. It ia better to have the smallest size of bakhjg dishes, and placing two eggs in each, servo them individually, The eggs should be quite soft in the centre when taken from the oven and stirred together before eating. POACHED EGOS. Put a large sized pan on the stove with plenty of water, Blightly salted, and in it put as many muffin rings as there are eggs to be poached. Make ready sorre thin slices of buttered toast cut into uniform squares, and arrange Jthem on a hot platter. When the water is simmering, drop the eggs -from a cup into the rings, and aa soon as they are cooked (not too hard) take up both muffin ring and egg with the skimmer, and slip it on to a piece of toast, when the ring may be removed, leaving the egg in a nice even shape. Sprinkle very lightly with salt and pepper, first basting each egg with a little melted butter if desired. An epicure would garnish poached eggs with sorrel. TBICAsBEED EGGS. Boil six eggs for fifteen minutes, then lay them in cold water for ;half an hour. Put a tablespoonful of butter in a saucepan, and, when melted, add half a teaspoon of chopped onion. Lot this cook until lightly browned, then put in a tablespoonful of flour, which must be mashed and stirred until smooth and free from lumps (do not lot it brown), then add a gill of water and enough sweet milk to make it the consistency of rich cream. Let the sauce boil up once, add the eggs cut in quarters, lengthways. Season to taste with salt and popper; put in a little chopped parsloy, and serve on a hot platter. CHICKEN PIE. Fry a couple of slices of salt pork, and when turning brown lay on them a chicken out in pieces. Cover with water and stew slowly until tender Keep the kettle covered so that there wih tc yjffieient water left to make the gravy without'adding more. It will require almost a pint. Mix atablespoonfnl of butter with an equal quantity of corn starch and stir it into the broth, first removing the chicken. Beat the yolk of two eggs with a pint of milk and add it also. Season to taste with pepper, salt, and celery, salt and pour the gravy over the chicken. Mike a crust of two cupsof flower, two teaspooneof baking powder, a tablespoon of shortening, a little salt, and a pint of milk. Roll out the crust and cut the cover for the pie, using the dish in which it is to be baked as a guide. Wet the edges of the pudding dißh and line the sides with the remnants of the crust. Do not roll it out again as further handling will only injure its lightness. Put in the chicken with the gravy, of which there should be plenty, and add a pint of oysters if you choose. Wet the edges of the crust and fit on the cover. Cut, it in a cross on the top and glaze with the beaten white and a little of the yolk of an eeg. Put it into a very hot oven which should be allowed to cool to a moderate heat after the firßt ten minutes, when the crust will be light ar.d will require slower baking to cook it properly. Cover the pie with paper it necessary to prevent too rapid browning, and bako for threo-quarters of an hour or even a few minutes longer. EBIED CHICKEN AND CBEAiI GBAVY. Cut a tender chioken into pieces, rinse it quickly in cold water, then dip it in plenty of (lour, and season with pepper and salt. Fry three slices of salt pork, and remove them, leaving the drippings in the frying pan. To this add a spoonful of butter, and when very hot put in the chicken ; cover the pan closely and watch that it does not burn. When nicely browned on both sides pu3h to the back of the stove, still leaving it covered, and cook slowly for a few minutes longer to insure its being well done, when the chicken must be placed on a hot platter, and ktpt warm until the eravy is made. Tbero should bo about, two teaspoonfuls of dripping left in the spider. To this add two teaspoonfuls of flour or cornstarch, mixed smooth with a pint of sweet milk. Season to taste with salt and pepper; let boil up once, and turn through the gravy strainer over the chicken. Garnish the edge of the dish with rice, which should be boiled, and when cold, make into little round oakeß, and fried in butter. SMOTHEBED CIIICKBN. Cut a nice plump chicken down the back and break the breast bone so that it will lay flat. Place the chicken in a dripping pan, lay

a couple of slices of salt pork over it, and put half a cup of boiling water in tho pan. Coyer with another pan, and steam in a hot over for half an hour, after which remove the cover, and brown the chicken, basting it frequently with the drippings, and lastly with a little melted butter. When done, remove to a hot platter, and place the pan on top of tho stove, adding more water if necessary, to make the gravy. Thicken with corn - starch mixed smooth in a little water; let boil up once, then pour through the gravy Btrainer over the chicken, and garnish with curled parßley.