Scrambled Eggs
5 eggs 1/2 cup milk 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/8 teaspoon pepper 2 tablespoons butter Beat eggs slightly with silver fork; add salt, pepper, and milk. Heat omelet pan, put in butter, and when melted, turn in the mixture. Cook until of creamy consistency, stirring and scraping from bottom of the pan.
A straightforward five-egg scramble that depends almost entirely on heat control. The proportions still work; the technique needs only a lighter hand than most period ranges encouraged.
- HeatKeep the pan at medium-low or lower. "Creamy consistency" is the whole instruction here, and it is only achievable if the eggs set slowly; a hot pan gives you dry curds in under a minute.
- The omelet panPeriod omelet pans were typically heavy iron or steel with sloping sides, and were generally kept seasoned rather than scoured. Any well-seasoned or nonstick 8- to 10-inch skillet does the same job, and the sloping sides genuinely help with the scraping.
- Silver forkSilver was probably specified because ordinary steel cutlery of the day was thought to discolour eggs and leave a metallic taint, though period books rarely spell the reason out. Any modern fork or a small whisk is fine, but beat only "slightly" as directed, so streaks of white remain.
- The milkHalf a cup to five eggs is generous and gives a soft, loose result. It also makes the eggs more prone to weeping if overcooked, so pull them from the heat while still visibly moist.
- DonenessTake the pan off the burner when the eggs look slightly underdone. Residual heat in a cast-iron or heavy pan will carry them further in the half-minute before serving.
- YieldServes two generously, or three as part of a larger breakfast.