Eggs Connaught

Ingredients

• 6 hard-boiled eggs
• ½ cup milk
• 1 slice onion
• 1 blade mace
• 6 peppercorns
• 3½ oz butter
• 1 tablespoon flour
• to taste salt
• to taste pepper
• 1 packet demi-sel cheese
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 4 oz shrimp, shelled
• ½ bunch watercress

Steps

1. Scald the milk with the onion, mace, and peppercorns.
2. Tip into a jug.
3. Cover the jug.
4. Leave to infuse.
5. Rinse the pan with cold water.
6. Add ½ oz (about 30 g) butter.
7. Heat gently.
8. Blend in the flour.
9. Strain in the milk.
10. Add salt to taste.
11. Stirring continuously, bring the milk to the boil.
12. Then cook for 1 minute.
13. Turn the sauce onto a plate.
14. Cover with buttered paper to prevent a skin forming.
15. Leave until cold.
16. Cream the remaining butter until soft.
17. Split the hard boiled eggs in two.
18. Scoop out the yolks.
19. Rub them through a wire strainer.
20. Keep the whites in a bowl of water as they will soon get hard if exposed to the air.
21. Work the yolks with the creamed butter, cheese, paprika, and cold sauce.
22. Chop half the prawns finely.
23. Add them to the mixture.
24. Season to taste.
25. Drain the dry egg whites.
26. Have ready a round serving dish or use a cake platter.
27. Spoon a drop of filling onto the dish to hold each egg white in position.
28. Arrange them in a circle.
29. Then fill each with the mixture—you can use a piping bag with a ½-inch (about 1.25 cm) plain nozzle.
30. Scatter over the remaining prawns (split in half if large).
31. Dust with paprika.
32. Place the watercress in the middle.
33. Serve brown bread and butter separately.