Forced Turkeys’ Eggs (or Swans’)

Modern cookery for private families · Acton, Eliza · 1845
Source
Modern cookery for private families
Status
success · extracted 13 days ago
Not a recipe
No
Ingredients (12)
For the filling
For serving
Alternative using swan eggs
Instructions (25)
  1. Boil gently for twenty minutes in plenty of water, that they may be entirely covered with it, five or six fresh turkeys’ eggs.
  2. Lift them into a large pan of water to cool.
  3. Change the water once or twice to cool them more rapidly.
  4. Ensure eggs are perfectly cold before use.
  5. Roll them in a cloth, pressing lightly on them to break the shells.
  6. Clear off the shells.
  7. Halve the eggs evenly lengthwise.
  8. Take out the yolks with care.
  9. Pound the yolks to a smooth paste in a mortar with butter, salt, nutmeg, cayenne, and mace (if using).
  10. Blend these ingredients thoroughly.
  11. Add one raw hen’s egg slightly whisked and the yolk of a second, or 1-2 tbsp of sweet rich cream, by degrees.
  12. Beat up the mass well and lightly until it has the consistence of a thick batter.
  13. Cut a small slice from each half of the egg white to make it stand evenly on the dish.
  14. Hollow out the inside of the egg white with the point of a sharp knife to render it of equal thickness throughout.
  15. Fill the egg whites full and high with the yolk mixture.
  16. Smooth the yolks gently with the blade of a knife.
  17. Arrange the filled egg whites on a dish.
  18. Place them in a gentle oven for a quarter of an hour.
  19. Serve directly they are taken from the oven.
Alternative preparation with buttered cups
  1. Press the same ingredients into very small buttered cups.
  2. Bake for fifteen minutes.
  3. Turn them on to a dish.
  4. Sauce with a little Espagnole, or other rich brown gravy, or serve without.
Note on swan eggs
  1. Use the whites of swans’ eggs filled with the preparation in preference to their own yolks.
  2. Note that swan egg whites will require longer baking.
Original Text
FORCED TURKEYS’ EGGS (OR SWANS’). (An Excellent Entremets.) Boil gently for twenty minutes in plenty of water, that they may be entirely covered with it, five or six fresh turkeys’ eggs, and when they are done lift them into a large pan of water to cool. By changing the water once or twice they will become cold more rapidly, and they must not be used until they are perfectly so. Roll them in a cloth, pressing lightly on them to break the shells; clear them off, and halve the eggs evenly lengthwise. Take out the yolks with care, and pound them to a smooth paste in a mortar with an ounce and a half, or two ounces at the utmost, of pure-flavoured butter to the half dozen, a small half-teaspoonful of salt, a little finely grated nutmeg, and some cayenne, also in fine powder: a little mace,—one of the most delicate of all seasonings when judiciously used—may be added with good effect. Blend these ingredients thoroughly, and then add to them by degrees one raw hen’s egg slightly whisked, and the yolk of a second, or a dessertspoonful or two of sweet rich cream. One common egg is sufficient for four of the turkey egg-yolks. Beat up the mass, which will now be of the consistence of a thick batter, well and lightly, and proceed to fill the whites with it, having first cut a small slice from each half to make it stand evenly on the dish, and hollowed the inside with the point of a sharp knife, so as to render it of equal thickness throughout. Fill them full and 448high; smooth the yolks gently with the blade of a knife, arrange the eggs on a dish, and place them in a gentle oven for a quarter of an hour. Serve them directly they are taken from it. The eggs thus dressed will afford an admirable dish for the second course, either quite simply served, or with good gravy highly flavoured with fresh mushrooms, poured under them. The same ingredients may be pressed into very small buttered cups and baked for fifteen minutes, then turned on to a dish and sauced with a little Espagnole, or other rich brown gravy, or served without. Obs.—We would recommend that the whites of swans’ eggs, which as we have said are extremely beautiful, should be filled with the above preparation in preference to their own yolks: they will of course, require longer baking.
Notes
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