Cheese Aigrettes

From Mrs. Beeton's household management (1907).

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A historical recipe

Mrs. Beeton's household management, by Mrs. (Isabella Mary) Beeton (1907).

Known as a British recipe, with similar versions prepared across other nations.

From an old book: a historical recipe, not current advice. Its methods, additives and storage may be unsafe by today's standards. Printed in United Kingdom: that says where the book was made, not where the dish comes from.

Ingredients 1 ingredient

a pint of water

Cook safely

Keep children and pets away from the hob and the oven, and keep oven gloves and a lid within reach.

Hot oil. Never put water on an oil fire: turn off the heat and cover the pan with a lid or a damp tea towel. Pat food dry before it goes into hot oil, and lower it in gently, away from you.
Boiling water and steam. Turn pan handles inward, away from the edge of the hob. Lift lids away from you, and pour hot water away from your body: steam burns too.

Method

Ingredients.
— 3 ozs.
of grated Parmesan cheese, 4 ozs.
of flour, a of butter, 3 yolks of eggs, £ a pint of water, cayenne, salt.
Method.
— Put the butter and water into a small stewpan;
when boiling add the previously dried and sieved flour, and stir vigorously over fire until the panada leaves the sides of the pan quite clean.
Now mix in, off the fire, the cheese, the yolks of eggs, beating each one in separately, add seasoning to taste, and lastly stir in the stiffly-whipped whites of eggs.
Turn on to a plate, and when cold drop small rough pieces of it into hot fat, but they must not fry too quickly cr the surface will become too brown before the interior is sufficiently cooked.
On the other hand, if the fat is too cold it soaks into the paste, and the aigrettes are greasy.
As the success of this dish depends chiefly on the frying, the greatest possible care should be bestowed upon it.
After being well drained the aigrettes arc usually arranged in a pyramidal form on a folded napkin or dish-paper, and sprinkled with Parmesan cheese or Krona pepper.
Time.
— i hour.
Average Cost, is.
2d.
Sufficient for 6 or 7 persons.
Seasonable at any time.

Plating

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Cookware for this recipe

Frying pan
Saucepan
Whisk
Grater
Wooden spoon
Sieve
Colander