Try the freshness of eggs by putting them into cold water; those that sink the soonest are the freshest.
Never attempt to boil an egg without watching the time-piece. Put the eggs in boiling water. In three minutes eggs will be boiled soft; in four minutes the white part will be cooked; in ten minutes they will be hard enough for salad.
Half a gallon of fresh lime to five gallons of water added by degrees, two and one half gallons the first day, the rest next, then add one half gallon coarse salt, stir two or three times a day for three days, after this drop in four eggs gently. To test the strength of the lime-water drop in an egg that you know to be fresh, and if it floats the lime is too strong, add another gallon or more of water until you find the egg dropping to the bottom.
Boil six eggs quite hard, then shell and cut them in half; have drawn butter not too thick, flavor with curée powder. Place your eggs on a side dish, pour your curée round and finish with parsley: makes a pretty lunch dish.
Have nicely cut hot buttered toast, with a little anchovy paste. After poaching your eggs, put them on the toast and sprinkle finely chopped parsley over them. Garnish the dish with parsley.
Boil three eggs hard, turn in the water for the first two minutes. Let boil for one hour; cut in two, remove the yolks and leave the whites in cold water not to discolor. Pound three anchovies in a mortar with one tablespoon butter, small pinch of pepper, one shake cayenne, one half teaspoon lemon juice and the yolks of the eggs. When pounded smooth put back into the eggs. Sardines can be used instead of the anchovies.
Three eggs, one teaspoon of butter, one teaspoon of parsley, two tablespoons minced ham. Boil the eggs for ten minutes; take off the shells, cut lengthwise, take out the yolks, mash them in a basin, add the butter melted, the minced ham and the parsley. Put the mixture into the whites of the eggs. Put the two halves together. Serve on shallow dish with the following white sauce: one tablespoon each of butter, flour, and salt, one cup milk, one saltspoon pepper. Melt the butter add the flour, then the milk (gradually) and pepper and salt.
One cupful boiling milk, beat the yolks of four eggs, add hot milk, and a tablespoonful melted butter, wet three teaspoonfuls flour in a little cold milk add the beaten whites and beat all, salt and pepper to taste. Bake twenty minutes.