The American Pictorial Home Book
or Housekeeper's Encyclopedia - online book

A reference manual of household management in Victorian times.

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OYSTERS.                                            73
ened cream prepared according to the foregoing receipt, and having taken out the stale bread (put there to keep the top crust in shape,) fill the pie with the oyster cream, replace the cover and set in the oven a few minutes or until hot, and serve. This is a nice luncheon dish and not amiss for supper.
Oysters Escoloped.—Put 24 oysters in a stew pan with their liquor, set on the stove ; when a little firm put them to drain upon a sieve, catching the liquor in another stew pan. Remove the beards from the oysters and throw them again into their liquor; add one half blade of mace, place again upon the fire, and when boiling add a piece of butter the size of a walnut with which you have mixed a teaspoonful of flour; shake over the fire until it becomes thick, season with a little cayenne and a pinch of salt, if liked, have an escalop shell well buttered and bread-crumbed, place the oysters in, sprinkle over bread crumbs or cracker powder, set in the stove 1-4 hour, pass the salamander over and serve. The yolks of eggs may be added and less flour.
To Stkw Oysters (A Maryland receipt.)—Use no water, but cook gently ; stew in their own juice in a sauce pan. Allow apiece of butter the size of a walnut to every dozen oysters, pepper and salt, 2 bay leaves, a blade or more of mace ; simmer for five min­utes, add a gill of cream, shake them well together, turn them out, and as they lie in the saucer grate a little nutmeg on each oyster.
Stewed Oysters—(Mrs. Andrews.)—Mix 1-2 cup of butter and 1 tablespoonful of corn starch, put the oysters in a porcelain kettle, stir until they boil and add 2 cups of cream or milk; salt to taste. In stewing do not use the oyster liquor.
Oyster Patties.—(Mrs. Orton.)—Stew the oysters, take the broth and allow the yolk of 1 egg to every dozen oysters, turn off the broth and add the eggs ; let it come to a boil, then turn back the oysters
Roasted Oysters—(Mexican receipt.)—Collect your oysters from the bed and roast them over a quick fire till they become dry but not parched, turn them out on a metalic plate without any liquor, use no salt, add heaped tablespoonful of butter, set the plate over a bra­zier of coals or spirit lamp. When the butter is melted add a gill of Madeira wine and pepper to taste.
Roast Lynn Haven Oysters.—While alive place the oysters in a shell upon a good fire (of coals is the best) let them remain till the shells begin to open, then take them off, open them on a plate. For seasoning use only pepper and salt. Prepared thus they are ex­cellent for delicate stomachs.
Broiled Oysters.—Wipe them dry, dip each one in the beaten yolk of an egg, roll in very fine bread or cracker crumbs, first sea­soning them with salt and pepper. Have ready pieces of well but-