TAKE six large young cucumbers, pare, quarter, and cut them into squares, about the size of a dice, put them into boiling water, let them boil up, and take them out of the water, and put them into a stew pan, with an onion stuck with cloves, a good slice of ham, a quartern of butter, and a little salt, set it over the fire a quarter of an hour, keep it close covered, scum it well, and shake it often, as it is apt to burn; then dredge in a little flour over them, and put in as much veal gravy as will just cover the cucumbers, and stir it well together, and keep a gentle fire under it till no scum will rise; then take out the ham and onion, and put in the yolks of two eggs beat up with a tea-cupful of good cream, stir it well for a minute, then take it off the fire, and just before you put it in the dish squeeze in a little lemon juice: have ready five or six poached eggs to lay on the top.