Venetian Eggs

A stovetop cheese-and-tomato scramble in the style of a rarebit, from an era when "casserole" meant the earthenware pot itself rather than anything baked in it. The ingredient list omits the eggs, so the quantity is up to you.

• Missing eggsThe list gives tomato juice, butter, cheese and seasoning but no egg count, though the method calls for them beaten. For a cup each of juice and cheese, four to six eggs gives a mixture that sets rather than floods.
• The casseroleButter is melted in it directly over heat, so the pot here is flameproof earthenware rather than a baking dish. A heavy saucepan or enamelled cast-iron pan does the same job; thin steel will scorch the cheese before the eggs set.
• Low heat is the hingeCheese, acid and egg together curdle and turn stringy if pushed. Keep the pan over gentle heat throughout and stir constantly once the eggs go in; take it off while the mixture still looks a little loose.
• Measures"1/2 pint (1 cup)" is the author's own equivalence, so read the cups as ordinary 8 oz cups. A cup of grated cheese is roughly 3 to 4 oz depending on how coarsely it is grated; the butter is given as 1 oz, about 2 tablespoons.
• Cheese choiceA firm, dry cheese behaves best here. A well-aged cheddar or a hard grating cheese melts smoothly; young pre-shredded cheese, coated in anti-caking starch, tends to go grainy in the acidic tomato.
• Tomato juiceThe recipe specifies strained juice, which at this date generally meant prepared at home. Much modern bottled juice is salted, so season at the end and taste before adding more salt.
• Serving"Hot toasted crackers" means plain soda or water crackers warmed in the oven; buttered toast works as well. The quantities serve two generously, or three as a light course, and the dish will not hold — take it to the table immediately.