EGGS AND BREAKFAST MEATS
The Egg
Samuel Butler once said that a chicken was only an egg’s way of making another egg. Which came first in the order of creation is not important here. What concerns us is that the egg usually comes first in the day’s schedule, and also first in the beginning attempts to cook. It takes a rough beating in the process.
You have only to look at an egg to realize it is a delicate thing and must be treated with care. It figures more prominently in our diet than almost any other single food. It is eaten in various ways at breakfast, makes many a fine luncheon dish, such as a soufflé or omelet, and goes into innumerable desserts, such as pies, cakes, puddings, sauces, and soufflés. It is used in salads, sandwiches, stuffings, batters, pancakes and breads.
During World War II when eggs were rationed in Britain, the greatest treat a guest could bring his host was a new-laid egg nestled in a padded box. If you have to do without eggs, you fully realize how important they are.
First, the selection of eggs: Fresh eggs are what you want. Cold-storage eggs simply do not taste as good. In fact, some people dislike them thoroughly. They are satisfactory for such things as cakes and puddings; but for boiled, poached, scrambled or fried eggs and for such egg dishes as omelets, you should use the freshest eggs you can get. Where do you find them? In most cities, fine food shops have eggs delivered regularly from nearby poultry farms. If you live near the countryside you can probably find a local farmer who will keep you supplied. Eggs sold in the average market, though not necessarily cold storage, may have been shipped some distance and refrigerated for some time. Eggs deteriorate in flavor easily and if not strictly fresh will be tasteless.
To test an egg for freshness: Put it in a bowl of cold water. If it sinks, it is fresh.
Grading of eggs: Eggs are graded according to size and quality, grade A being the largest and freshest. Grade B is cheaper, but you do not get as much egg.
Color in eggs: The color of the shell or the yolk has no effect on the quality of the egg.
Storing eggs: Put eggs in the refrigerator as soon as you buy them; they go stale if they stand at room temperature too long.
If you are using the whites only in a recipe, put the yolks in a shallow bowl and cover them with cold water. Store in the refrigerator. They may be added later to scrambled eggs or used in soft custards and puddings.
If you are using the yolks only, put the whites in a bowl and cover tightly with plastic or foil. These can be added to soufflés or used for meringue.
Special cooking utensils for eggs: Eggs and certain metals have a sad effect on each other. Do not boil eggs in an aluminum pan; they will darken it. Glass or enamel is best. If you are cooking an egg dish, such as a pie filling or soft custard, and the pan is aluminum and the spoon you use is metal, the egg mixture is apt to turn a peculiar shade of gray-green. This is very unappetizing. To be safe, always use a wooden spoon when you stir eggs.
General cooking suggestions for eggs: It is better to have eggs at room temperature when you cook them. If they have just come from the refrigerator, run warm water on them for a minute or so. If you have to boil eggs at refrigerator temperature, pierce the large end with a needle, and there will be no cracks in the shell when the egg is cooked (unless it was cracked to start with).
Always cook eggs slowly. High heat ruins them. This even applies to boiling eggs. Do not overcook eggs; they become tough and flavorless. A hard-cooked egg should be watched carefully or it will be tough. Do not boil sauces after egg has been added; they curdle.
Eggs should be at room temperature when they go on the stove, so take them out of the refrigerator some time in advance, or put the cold egg into warm water for a minute or so. If you must use an icy-cold egg, add ½ minute to the boiling time.
Fill a pan (not aluminum) with enough water to cover the eggs thoroughly. Bring the water to a rolling boil and lower the eggs into it gently, using a spoon. Turn the flame down so that the water is just barely bubbly. Otherwise the eggs will bang against the side of the pan and the shells may break. Eggs boiled more gently seem to taste better.
The classic 3-minute egg of forty years ago—the white coagulated but still on the soft side and the yolk runny—is now a 3½-minute egg, due to the larger size of the eggs produced today. A 4-minute egg has a firm white and runny yolk. A hard-cooked egg is boiled for 10 to 12 minutes.
Remove eggs from the water at once, or they will go on cooking. Rinse them under the cold water tap for a brief second so you can handle them. (Hold them in a spoon while you do this.) Then break them into bowls, add a good dab of butter and let each person season his own to taste. Or you can serve them English fashion in egg cups, the large end up.
If you are hard-cooking eggs, put them in cold water the minute they are cooked. Don’t put them in the refrigerator until they are cold. They will look better when opened, if given this treatment.
Poached Eggs
A friend once reported seeing the following sign in a restaurant: “We reserve the right to refuse to poach eggs for anyone”!
Many people who are experienced cooks shy away from this simple job. Their problem is usually how to keep the whites from trailing off in ragged streamers through the water. Here’s how you do it:
1 or 2 eggs per person
Water to cover
½ teaspoon of salt
½ teaspoon of vinegar or lemon juice
Use a shallow saucepan or skillet. It is easier to slip the eggs into such a pan. Put in enough water to cover the eggs, add the salt and lemon juice (or vinegar) and bring just to a boil. Meanwhile, break each egg into a saucer or soup bowl, then slip, one at a time, into the boiling water. The vinegar or lemon juice will help the whites coagulate, but the real secret of keeping the egg compact lies in the amount of “boil” in the water. Never put the eggs into rapidly boiling water. The rolling liquid will whip the white away before it can set.
There are several ways to avoid this. You can bring the water just barely to the boil and then slip the eggs in. Turn the flame down and let them simmer gently. If you wish to be safer, bring the water to a bubbling boil, then take the pan from the fire and slip each egg in as the bubbling dies down. Let them stand for 1 second, then return them to the flame and cook them very gently until done. A third method favored by some is the whirlpool method. When the water barely begins to boil, stir it with a spoon until a funnel-shaped whirlpool is formed in the center. Into this drop each egg. Lower the flame and simmer gently. I prefer either of the first two methods.
If the water doesn’t quite cover the top of the egg, spoon some of the hot liquid over it as it cooks. An egg will poach to firm white and soft yolk in about 2½ minutes, but you can readily tell by looking. When the white is all white and firm the egg is done. Remove the eggs with a slotted or perforated spoon, draining them thoroughly before you serve them on toast slices. There is nothing less appetizing than a watery poached egg on a soggy piece of toast.
To poach eggs hard, cook them for 4½ minutes. These are often served cold in aspic, or as garnish for salad platters. If you are going to use them for this purpose, trim off the ragged edges.
WAYS TO SERVE POACHED EGGS
With Corned Beef Hash: Brown corned beef hash (see pages 216–217). Top each serving of hash with one poached egg.
Eggs Benedict: Allow 1 English muffin and 2 poached eggs per serving. Toast the split muffins, top each half with a slice of sautéed or boiled ham. Then place a poached egg on top of the ham and cover with Hollandaise Sauce (pages 351–352).
Eggs Italian: For 4 servings use 2 large tomatoes and 8 poached eggs. Cut the tomatoes into 8 slices (4 from each one). Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet and add 1 minced clove of garlic. Sauté the tomato slices in the hot oil, seasoning to taste with salt, pepper and a little basil. Top each tomato slice with a hot poached egg, sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese and run under the broiler to brown.
Eggs Mornay: Allow 2 eggs per serving, and arrange the poached eggs in a baking dish. Cover with Sauce Mornay (page 350), sprinkle with grated Swiss cheese and run under the broiler to brown.
Eggs in Noodle Nests: For 4 servings, sauté ½ pound of fresh mushrooms in 4 tablespoons of butter until just done. (If the mushrooms are small, leave them whole; if large, slice them.) Boil 8 ounces of fine noodles in salted water until barely tender. Drain thoroughly, mix with the sautéed mushrooms and season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Arrange into 4 nests on serving plates and place a poached egg in the center of each nest. Sprinkle liberally with chopped parsley.
Eggs Florentine: For 4 servings, cook 1 package of frozen chopped spinach. Drain thoroughly, season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper and blend in 2 tablespoons of butter. Spread the spinach in a shallow baking dish and top it with 8 poached eggs. Cover with Sauce Mornay (page 350), sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese and run under the broiler to brown.
Fried Eggs
How often have you been served fried eggs swimming in lukewarm grease and staring up at you with glazed orange eyes? It’s a heartbreaking sight and one that can be avoided. Here’s how:
1 or 2 eggs per person
1 tablespoon of ham or bacon fat per egg (for butter, see below)
Salt and pepper to taste
You will have better luck if you use a heavy skillet. Lightweight metals get red-hot and eggs are not fond of too much heat. Melt the fat and have it hot but not bubbling. If you cook the eggs too fast the whites will be brown around the edges and tasteless. If you cook them too slowly, they will be leathery. You want moderate, even heat. Drop each egg into the fat and as it begins to set, spoon some of the hot fat over it. This will give the yolks a nice film. Baste them often until they have cooked nicely on top. When the whites are firm and the yolk has a film, season them to taste with salt and pepper and lift them out gently with a slotted spatula. Be sure to drain off the fat.
If you want your eggs “over,” turn them just before they have finished cooking on top, and give them a very brief minute on the other side.
FRIED EGGS IN BUTTER
In a heavy skillet, melt 1 tablespoon of butter for each egg. Heat it over a moderate flame until hot, but do not let the butter turn color. Drop the eggs in and proceed as above. Season to taste with salt and pepper just before they are done, and for an added touch of elegance, top each egg with a spoonful of heavy cream. Continue cooking just until the cream heats through. Do not drain these eggs. The rich buttery quality adds to their tastiness. Serve them on crisp pieces of toast with the cream and butter poured over the top.
Scrambled Eggs
The secret to perfect fluffy scrambled eggs is low heat and plenty of butter. They can be cooked in a double boiler over hot water or in a skillet. The double boiler is safer.
2 eggs per person plus 1 for the pan
1 scant tablespoon of butter for each egg
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon of water or cream for each egg
Heat water in the bottom of the double boiler until it is bubbly. Add the butter to the top section and let it melt and get hot. Break the eggs in a bowl, season to taste with salt and pepper and add 1 tablespoon of water or cream for each egg. Water will give you fluffier eggs; cream will give you richer eggs. Beat the eggs slightly (don’t whip them too thoroughly), using a fork, a wire whisk or an eggbeater. When the butter is hot, pour the eggs into the pan and let them set for a minute or two. Then start stirring, using a fork or, if you prefer, a wooden spoon. Stir the cooked eggs away from the sides and bottom of the pan toward the center. Keep stirring until the eggs are well mixed and soft but not too runny. Remove them from the fire before they are too set, for they will go on cooking with their own heat. Dish up quickly before they get hard.
If you are using a skillet, melt the butter over a medium flame. Do not let the butter burn or turn color. It should be hot, but not sizzling. Proceed as above, but watch the eggs carefully; if they seem to be cooking too fast, turn the flame down.
SCRAMBLED EGGS WITH VARIOUS SEASONINGS
Like omelets, scrambled eggs lend themselves to a variety of seasonings and sauces. Here are some suggestions:
With herbs: Always use fresh herbs with eggs if possible; they are much tastier. Chives, parsley, chervil and tarragon go best. They can be used in combination or separately.
A word of warning about herbs is necessary. Because a little adds zest do not think that a lot makes the food even better. They must be used with discretion. They range from the very bland to the very sharp. Parsley can be used by the tablespoonful; tarragon by pinches.
For 9 scrambled eggs (4 servings) you might add 4 tablespoons of parsley, 3 teaspoons of chives, 2 teaspoons of chervil and a very scant teaspoon of tarragon. If you are using the tarragon alone or in combination with only one of the other herbs you can increase the amount a little, but be sure you like the flavor of it first.
Chop the herbs very fine and add to the eggs before cooking or right after you pour the eggs into the pan. Serve herbed eggs with a sprinkling of chopped parsley on top.
With curry: Add 1 teaspoon of curry powder (or more if you’re very fond of it) to 9 eggs (4 servings) before scrambling.
With ham: For 9 eggs (4 servings) use 1 cup of chopped, ground or finely cut cooked ham. Heat the ham in the butter before you add the eggs. Pour the eggs over the ham and mix during cooking.
With mushrooms: For 9 eggs (4 servings) sauté 6 medium-sized sliced mushrooms in butter. Add the sautéed mushrooms to the egg mixture while it is cooking.
With cheese: Add grated Parmesan, cheddar, Swiss or Gruyère cheese to the scrambled eggs. The amount you use will depend on your taste for cheese, but allow at least a tablespoon per serving. If you add the cheese to the eggs before they are cooked it will be blended all through. If you add cheese while the eggs are cooking, you will have streaks of melted cheese in the egg mixture. Either way is delicious.
With onions: For 9 eggs (4 servings) chop 4 little green onions (scallions) very fine and sauté them lightly in butter. Add them to the eggs while they are scrambling.
With smoked salmon: For 9 eggs (4 servings) cut 4 thin slices of smoked salmon into tiny strips. Heat these gently in the butter in which you are going to cook the eggs. Add the eggs and scramble. Do not salt the eggs until the last minute. The salmon may provide enough. Just before you serve, add a dash of lemon juice. Dish up on toast and top with chopped parsley.
With tomato: For 9 eggs (4 servings) peel (see page 447), seed and chop 2 ripe tomatoes. Cut up 4 green onions (scallions) and sauté them gently in 2 tablespoons of butter until just soft. Do not let them brown. Add the tomatoes and 1 tablespoon of fresh chopped basil. Let this mixture cook down and blend for 4 or 5 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste. Mix 9 eggs but omit the seasonings and liquid. Pour the eggs over the tomato mixture, blend and scramble. Just before they are done add 6 finely chopped ripe olives. Serve with a sprinkling of grated Parmesan cheese.
Omelets
There are four types of omelets: plain, fluffy, French and Italian. The first two are easy to make and can be combined with a great variety of sauces and flavorings to make excellent breakfast, luncheon or supper dishes. The French omelet is probably the most elegant egg dish ever invented. It is very difficult to make and calls for a special pan and long practice. I can only say that the cook who works hard to achieve the necessary dexterity will find the results extremely satisfying. A perfect French omelet is heavenly eating. The Italian omelet, or Frittata, is open-faced, requires slow cooking, and is an extremely versatile dish.
Plain Omelet
It is possible to cook a large omelet for 2 or 3 persons, but you will find that omelets are tastier if they are cooked individually in a skillet 8 or 9 inches in diameter. The pan should have rounded sides and be heavy, made of iron, cast aluminum or tin-lined copper. If possible, never use it for any other purpose. Clean it by wiping it with a paper towel—you can rub off stubborn spots with a little salt—and never use soap and water on it. Better still, use a heavy non-stick pan.
4 teaspoons of water or milk (optional)
Scant ½ teaspoon of salt
2 tablespoons of butter
Break the eggs in a bowl, add the milk, or water if you like a softer mixture, and the salt. Beat the eggs lightly. Melt the butter in the skillet and let it get bubbly hot but not smoking or brown. Pour in the egg mixture and almost immediately start loosening the edges of the mixture with a spatula, lifting up the eggs where they have set to let the uncooked top part run underneath. When the omelet is mostly cooked but still creamy and not hard on top, slip the spatula under one edge and roll it over, folding it as you slide it out on a hot plate. Serve at once.
Omelets can be varied by adding sauces or other foods just before you fold them. Flavorings or foods are also sometimes cooked with the omelet. Here are some suggestions:
Mushroom Omelet: Fold sautéed or creamed mushrooms into the omelet.
Curried Spanish Omelet: Make a hot curry sauce (page 354) and fold it into the omelet. You can add tuna, crab, lobster, chicken or any meat you like to the sauce before you fold it in.
Omelet with Tomato Sauce: Fold a tomato sauce (page 352) into the omelet.
Cheese Omelet: Sprinkle the top of the omelet with grated Parmesan cheese, grated sharp cheddar or grated Gruyère a minute before it finishes cooking.
Chicken Omelet: Fold creamed chicken or chicken hash into the omelet.
Dried Beef Omelet: Fold creamed dried beef into the omelet.
Creamed Fish Omelet: Fold any creamed fish into the omelet.
Vegetable Omelet: Fold any buttered green vegetable—asparagus, spinach, broccoli—into the omelet.
Onion Omelet: Sauté tiny chopped green onions in plenty of butter and add them to the egg mixture before you cook the omelet.
Omelet Fines Herbes: Mix finely chopped parsley, chives and chervil with the egg mixture before you cook it.
Watercress Omelet: Mix finely chopped watercress with the egg mixture and cook it.
Country Omelet: Fry chopped bacon until crisp and add chopped cooked potato and thin onion rings. Sauté the potato and onion until done. Pour the egg mixture over this in the skillet and cook as for an omelet.
FLUFFY OMELET (Serves 4)
This omelet is cooked in a large, heavy skillet that can be transferred to the oven. It is similar to a soufflé and can be used as a dessert with a sweet sauce.
4 eggs
¾ teaspoon of salt
2 tablespoons of butter
4 teaspoons of milk
Separate the eggs. Beat the yolks with the milk and salt. Beat the whites until stiff but not dry and fold them into the yolks gently. Melt butter in the heavy skillet. Pour eggs into skillet and cook slowly over low heat for about 5 minutes, or until the omelet has puffed up and is brown on the bottom. Transfer to a 400° oven to finish browning on top and cook through. This should take only about 8 to 10 minutes. Cut in wedges and serve from the skillet. This omelet benefits by being served with a sauce, such as a tomato sauce (page 352).
VARIATIONS
Cheese Fluffy Omelet: Serve with a cheese sauce (page 350).
Dessert Fluffy Omelet: Omit the salt and add 1 tablespoon of sugar to the omelet mixture. When it is cooked, sprinkle the top with confectioner’s sugar and serve with melted jam or jelly as a sauce.
FRENCH OMELET
It is absolutely necessary to use individual heavy omelet skillets for this dish. (See Plain Omelet, page 94.) Before you tackle the job, you should practice the motions you must use, for it takes dexterity and few people can do it on the first try. Perhaps you remember the old parlor game in which you patted your head with one hand while you rubbed your stomach with the other. It is a difficult job to keep each hand doing a different motion. The trick with omelets is to keep the left hand shaking the pan gently back and forth while the right hand whirls a fork in circles. Try this over and over until you can do it easily.
3 large eggs (for each omelet)
1½ tablespoons of cold water
Pinch of salt
1 good-sized tablespoon of butter
First heat the pan over a medium flame. Break the eggs into a bowl, add the water and salt and beat them with a fork until they are thoroughly mixed. Do not use an eggbeater; it will froth the eggs too much. When the pan is hot enough to sizzle the butter without burning it, add the butter and let swirl around until melted and piping hot. Lift the pan from the heat and pour the egg mixture in quickly. Now is the time you use your exercise. Lower the pan to the heat and start shaking it back and forth with your left hand while you stir the eggs with the fork in your right hand. Stir the eggs in wide circular sweeps, and do it rather quickly. Keep this up for about a half minute. Then let the egg mixture settle quietly to set on the bottom for a brief second or so. Tilt the pan and roll the omelet out, starting it away from the edge on one side with a spatula or fork. Let it roll over itself onto a hot platter.
As with a plain omelet, the French omelet should still be moist and soft on top when you roll it out of the pan. It will finish cooking with its own heat. A true French omelet is never flat or firm but always soft.
FRITTATA (Serves 6)
The frittata is an Italian omelet that, like the Fluffy Omelet, is cooked both on top of the stove and in the oven. It lends itself to endless variations, and, served with a salad, makes a substantial luncheon or supper dish. Here is one version:
6 extra-large eggs
1 cup onions, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
⅓ cup olive
salt
Freshly ground black pepper
3 small zucchini, sliced very thin crosswise
5 tablespoons grated Parmesan
4 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley
1 large fresh basil leaf, cut in strips
Sauté the onion and garlic in the olive oil until translucent. Do not brown. Add the zucchini, and cook for about 4 minutes. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, drain off the oil, and transfer to a bowl.
Beat the eggs with ½ teaspoon of salt and ½ teaspoon of pepper, and add 4 tablespoons of the Parmesan cheese and the onion-zucchini mixture. In a heavy 10-inch skillet heat the butter until it is hot and bubbly but not browning and pour in the egg mixture. Sprinkle the chopped parsley over it, and lower the heat. Cook until the bottom has set and the top is still somewhat runny. Sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan, and run under a broiler for half a minute or so until the top has just set. Do not brown.
Loosen the edges of the frittata with a spatula or knife. Slide onto a platter. This omelet can be eaten hot, at room temperature or even cold. Cut into wedges and serve.
Breakfast Meats
Traditional breakfast meats, such as bacon or ham, are usually smoked. But a fine crisp pork chop, a tender lamb chop or a good piece of steak will seldom be refused by a hungry male. For ways to prepare these and other regular meat dishes, see the Meat chapter.
BACON
The best bacon is country-cured and bought by the slab. It may be a little extra trouble to slice it and cut off the rind, but the rind is a dividend. It can be used to flavor legumes, soups and vegetable dishes. If you can’t get slab bacon in your area, buy the leanest sliced bacon you can find. Allow 4 to 6 slices per person and put the bacon in a cold skillet over a medium flame. Pour off the fat as it accumulates, if you like your bacon very crisp. Turn often to cook evenly on both sides. When the slices are brown and crisp, remove them from the skillet and drain on absorbent paper.
FRIED HAM SLICE
If you are using a country-cured ham slice (Virginia ham, Kentucky ham), it should be cut from a ham that has already been soaked and cooked. Otherwise use a slice of tenderized ham for frying. Have it cut about ½ inch thick. Slash the fat around the sides in several places and use a bit of the fat to grease the skillet. Put the slice in the greased skillet and place it over a low flame. Cook slowly until brown on the bottom, then turn and finish cooking on the other side.
BROILED HAM SLICE
This method is more satisfactory than frying. There is less danger that the ham will dry out. Use precooked, country-cured or tenderized ham and ask the butcher to cut it 1 to 1½ inches thick. Slash the fat around the edges and arrange the slice on a greased broiling rack. Broil under a medium flame until brown and cooked on top. Turn and finish broiling on the other side.
VARIATION
Brush canned pineapple slices with a little bacon or ham fat and broil them with the ham slice. When you turn the pineapple, sprinkle a little brown sugar on the top and finish broiling and glazing. Serve with the ham. Or cook apple rings in the same way.
CANADIAN BACON
Canadian bacon is very lean and comes in a long, round roll. Buy it sliced or buy a piece and slice it yourself. Allow 4 to 6 thin slices per person. Melt a little butter in a skillet, add the slices and cook until browned on both sides.
BAKED CANADIAN BACON (Serves 6 to 10)
This is an excellent choice for a large Sunday brunch. It simplifies the cooking and a 3-pound piece of baked Canadian bacon will serve as many as 10 persons easily if you also serve eggs.
3-pound piece of Canadian bacon
Bacon slices (if necessary)
Pepper
Dry mustard
Arrange the Canadian bacon roll in a baking dish, fat side up. (If the roll does not have a good layer of fat on one side, put strips of regular bacon on the top.) Rub the top with coarsely ground black pepper and a little dry mustard. Bake in a 325° oven for about 45 minutes, or until hot and cooked through. Serve in thin slices.
LINK SAUSAGES
Allow 4 tiny sausages or 2 larger sausages per person. Puncture each one with a fork and place them in a skillet. Add water to cover and bring to a boil. Lower the flame and simmer the sausages for about 5 minutes. Then drain off the water. (This method reduces the shrinkage.) Return the skillet to the flame and cook the sausages slowly, turning them to brown evenly. Drain off the excess fat as it accumulates.
SAUSAGE MEAT PATTIES
1 pound of pork, ground
1 teaspoon of salt
1 teaspoon of pepper
1 teaspoon of thyme
½ teaspoon of basil
Sausage meat comes ready-prepared and is sold by the pound, but you will have better results if you ask your butcher to grind the fresh pork for you and then season it yourself. Order lean pork ground with 20% fat included. To one pound of ground pork add salt, coarsely ground black pepper and thyme and basil to taste (about 1 teaspoon of thyme and ½ teaspoon of basil). Blend and shape into patties. Melt a little bacon fat in a skillet, add the patties and cook slowly, turning to brown evenly on both sides. Be sure to cook them thoroughly. Pork must be well done.
ITALIAN SAUSAGES
These used to be available only in Italian shops, but most markets stock them now. They come either sweet or hot. Take your pick and cook according to directions for Link Sausages (above).
BROILED VEAL OR LAMB KIDNEYS
Broiled kidneys with bacon is special breakfast fare for guests.
For VEAL KIDNEYS, see page 242. For LAMB KIDNEYS, see page 263.
Liver and bacon make an excellent Sunday brunch. See recipe, page 240.
CORNED BEEF HASH
By far the best corned beef hash is homemade (page 216), but if you do use the canned variety, melt some butter or bacon fat in a skillet, add the hash and press it down with a spatula. Cook slowly until thoroughly heated through and crusty on the bottom. If you like the brown crust mixed through the hash, turn it occasionally.
Serve corned beef hash plain or topped with a poached or fried egg.
CORNED BEEF PATTIES
Form the corned beef hash into patties and fry in butter or bacon fat until cooked through and browned on both sides. Serve with Hashed Brown Potatoes and Scrambled Eggs.
CREAMED DRIED BEEF (Serves 4)
4 tablespoons of butter
4 tablespoons of flour
Pepper
2 cups of milk and cream, mixed
¼ pound of dried beef
Prepare a white sauce with the butter, flour and milk and cream, mixed (page 349). When it is smooth and thick, add the dried beef, pulled apart into small pieces. Blend thoroughly and serve over toast or toasted muffins. Sprinkle the top with freshly ground black pepper.