Eggs a la Switz

While reading through many old cookbooks to select recipes for the many different breakfast histories I stumble across an occasional recipe which doesn’t have a place in this history, but fascinating enough to be worth sharing.

This is one of those intriguing recipes. I don’t know if it has a history. I don’t know that it has been in the kitchen for the past couple of centuries. But, it might strike a chord with you; it might be a recipe which some adventurous day I may want to try in my home. I am guessing this recipe may have been one familiar to cooks in Switzerland. It has the usual sugars and spices of its era, as well as using orange juice for flavoring.

[1730] Eggs a la Switz

TAKE the Yolks of a Dozen Eggs whole from the Whites, poach them in white Wine and Salt; then have ſcalded Spinach minc’d, and toſs it up with a little Cream and thick Butter, and the Yolk of an Egg or two to bind it a little: ſeaſon it with Pepper, Salt, and Nutmeg, and ſqueeze in the Juice of an Orange; lay it hot in your Diſh; lay the Yolks of Eggs over it, and waſh them over with the Yolk of an Egg and thick butter beat together, and dredge them over with the Raſpings of a French Manchet, and give it a Brown over with an hot Iron, and ſtick fry’d Toaſts between the Eggs: Garniſh with Orange or Lemon. [Carter, Charles, “Complete Practical Cook”, p82 (Printed for W Meadows::London)]

Progress is continuing with my Breakfast recipes, a lot of cleanup, most of the needed research completed – just a bit left to finish. Still looking for a publisher.