Recipe Manuscript

Poached Eggs A La Monaco

Name: Poached Eggs A La Monaco
Prep time: PTPT20M
Cook time: PTPT30M
Yield: 4
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 4 slices white bread, about 2 cm thick; 2 large eggs (for soaking bread); 100 ml whole milk; Butter, for frying (about 40g); 8 eggs, for poaching; 200-300g cooked lobster tail (or if unavailable, substitute with cooked crayfish or crab meat); 500 ml white sauce (béchamel): made with butter, flour, and milk; 500g potatoes, peeled and boiled, for purée; 30 ml cream (to enrich the potato purée); Salt and white pepper, to taste; Chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, for garnish

"Poached Eggs A La Monaco"

1917

From the treasured pages of Megale amerikanike mageirike dia mageirous kai oikogeneias

Written by Michael Gkines

Early Modern Kitchen (1900 - 1930)American European Intermediate Breakfast Lunch Other

Original Recipe • 1917

Original Manuscript(circa Early Modern Kitchen, 1900 - 1930)

As inscribed by the original author's hand, transcribed with care by Lost Kitchen Scrolls

Poached Eggs A La Monaco

"Βάλε τὰ αὐγὰ ἐπάνω σὲ φρὲντς τόστες, γαρνίρισέ τα μὲ φέτες ἀστακοῦ, περιέχυσέ τα μὲ ἄσπρη σάλτσα καὶ στόλισέ τα μὲ πατάτες πουρὲ καὶ μαϊντανό."

English Translation

"Place the eggs on French toasts, garnish them with slices of lobster, pour white sauce over them, and decorate with mashed potatoes and parsley."

Note on the Original Text

Written in straightforward, imperative style, the original recipe offers direct prompts: 'place eggs on French toast, garnish with lobster slices, cover with white sauce, and decorate with potato purée and parsley.' Early 20th-century recipes often assumed the cook had experience with basics like poaching eggs or making French toast and béchamel, thus omitting step-by-step technicalities. Spelling and phrasing reflect the transitional Greek of diaspora communities, occasionally blending Greek and foreign culinary terms. The instructions use less precise measurements, relying instead on the cook's practiced judgment.

Modern Kitchen Interpretation

Recipe's Origin

Megale amerikanike mageirike dia mageirous kai oikogeneias - Click to view recipe in book

Title

Megale amerikanike mageirike dia mageirous kai oikogeneias (1917)

You can also click the book image above to peruse the original tome

Writer

Michael Gkines

Era

1917

Publisher

Ekdotika Katastemata

Background

A sumptuous journey through early 20th-century Greek-American kitchens, this cookbook offers practical and time-tested recipes for savory dishes and delightful sweets—each crafted to suit the American system, yet infused with Greek tradition. A perfect companion for both family cooks and aspiring chefs.

Kindly made available by

Internet Archive

Historical Background of the Recipe

Learn about old traditions

This recipe hails from a 1917 Greek-American cookbook published in New York, reflecting both the cosmopolitan flair and the comfort-driven cooking of early 20th century immigrant communities. 'Poached Eggs à la Monaco' is an elegant breakfast or brunch dish, showcasing luxury ingredients like lobster, but grounded with familiar, simple foods such as French toast and potatoes. The cookbook aimed to introduce American (and especially New York) culinary innovations to Greek-speaking cooks, melding Greek tradition with new-world abundance and technique.

Culinary Tools when the Recipe was Crafted

Tools and techniques from kitchens of old

In 1917, the dish would have been prepared with classic kitchen tools: a heavy skillet or frying pan for the French toast, a pot for boiling potatoes, a large saucepan for poaching eggs, and another saucepan for making the white sauce. To shape the potato purée attractively, a pastry bag might be used, or simply a spoon. A sharp knife for slicing lobster and a ladle for sauce would complete the toolset.

Modern Kitchen Adaptation

Ingredients and techniques for today's cooks

ounces, cups, Fahrenheit

Prep Time

20 mins

Cook Time

30 mins

Servings

We've done our best to adapt this historical recipe for modern kitchens, but some details may still need refinement. We warmly welcome feedback from fellow cooks and culinary historians — your insights support the entire community!

Ingredients

4 slices white bread, about 3/4 inch thick
2 large eggs (for soaking bread)
3.5 fl oz whole milk
Butter, for frying (about 3 tablespoons)
8 eggs, for poaching
7-10 oz cooked lobster tail (or if unavailable, substitute with cooked crayfish or crab meat)
2 cups white sauce (béchamel): made with butter, flour, and milk
1 lb 2 oz potatoes, peeled and boiled, for purée
2 tablespoons cream (to enrich the potato purée)
Salt and white pepper, to taste
Chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, for garnish

Instructions

Begin by preparing fresh French toast: soak thick slices of white bread (about 3/4 inch thick) in a mixture of milk and eggs, then fry them in butter until golden.
Lay one or two poached eggs on top of each toast.
Add thin slices of cooked lobster tail over the eggs.
Gently ladle over a generous amount of classic white sauce (béchamel).
Pipe or spoon a border of fluffy potato purée around the toast and garnish everything with freshly chopped flat-leaf parsley.
Serve immediately so that the contrasting textures and flavors—crisp toast, silky eggs, sweet lobster, creamy sauce, and pillowy potato—remain distinct and appealing.

Estimated Calories

600 per serving

Cooking Estimates

You will need about 20 minutes to prepare the ingredients, including boiling potatoes, prepping the sauce, and assembling everything. Cooking, including frying the French toast, poaching the eggs, and keeping everything warm, takes about 30 minutes. Each generous serving has about 600 calories. This recipe serves 4 people.

As noted above, we have made our best effort to translate and adapt this historical recipe for modern kitchens, taking into account ingredients nowadays, cooking techniques, measurements, and so on. However, historical recipes often contain assumptions that require interpretation.

We'd love for anyone to help improve these adaptations. Community contributions are highly welcome. If you have suggestions, corrections, or cooking tips based on your experience with this recipe, please share them below.