Imperial Scallop

I remember helping my grandmother do some “downsizing” and “uncluttering” when I was in high school, and she had a cabinet over her refrigerator full of old, old cookbooks and recipe leaflets dating from her early married years in the World War One era.  I sure wish I had been able to save them; but I am finding the internet is a bonanza of these old books.

"The Good Housekeeping Women’s Cook Book  1909" has some good recipes, you can download the free PDF at the link.  Here is one of them.  I did modify it by adding peas and a little onion for flavor, and I give a recipe for the cream sauce and bread crumbs, which the original didn’t show…you were supposed to know how to make those recipes.  They also give just wood stove baking directions; a moderate oven is usually 350°-375°.

We liked enough to make it whenever I have too many eggs or they are on a good sale, the last time I made this they were 50¢ a dozen on the best sale we had seen for several years.

Imperial Scallop

1          tablespoon chopped onion 

1          cup  ham – diced

1          cup peas, fresh or frozen

  1 ½    cups  cream sauce

  3        large  eggs -- hard cooked and sliced

     ½    cup  fresh bread crumbs

  2        teaspoons  melted butter

                             

                        Cream sauce

  1 ½    cups  milk

  3        tablespoons  butter

  3        tablespoons  flour

            Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375°.

Toss melted butter and breadcrumbs and set aside.  Grease a 1-1 ¼ quart shallow casserole.

To prepare cream sauce; melt butter, set off heat and whisk in flour until smooth, heat over medium heat one minute, stirring constantly.  Set off heat and whisk in milk slowly.  Let cook 3-4 minutes until medium thick.

Stir the ham, onion and peas into the cream sauce, put half in a baking dish, add the sliced or chopped eggs, then the rest of the ham mixture, cover with bread crumbs, and bake until a very light brown.

Bake at 375° for 20-25 minutes until bubbly and crumbs are brown.

4 servings