Re:praps after the shell is removed and it's sliced hard-boiled?
well, eggs now days are so cheap and common, we forget they were once a luxury food...
yes, you can slice them (and before those neat egg slicers, it wasn't easy!) or you can cut them in half long wise,(say for deviled eggs), or in half narrow wise, (and then deftly cut a slice of the bottom, so they will stand up like a little gold filled cup..)
when cooked to perfection, (the yolk should be just set, but still custardy) the egg cup can be set on a leaf (edible, of course) and garnished with toasted seseme seeds to make a very elegant first course for a luncheon.
i have also seen whole (hard boiled) eggs (quail, or other small bird eggs) carved to have swirls that start at the top and end at the bottom (similar spirals are sometimes cut in mushrooms caps)
one dish from tudor times involved stuffing a goose with a capon, the capon with duck, the duck with something, all the way down to a wren...
another dish would stuff a chicken with hard boiled eggs.. and carving the stuffing would be an art..
poached eggs are often trimmed to make them prettier and neater...
and different eggs are different sizes.. (already discussed on an other thread kiwi eggs, etc)
and many different eggs were served. i have only eaten chicken, duck and quail...( i passed when offered turtle eggs) but goose eggs, and pidgeon eggs were also common.
come on Juan... you started this thread... presumibly because you realize how food term (and term relating to food preparation have changed)
