What will not luxury taste? Earth, sea, and air,
Are daily ransack'd for the bills of fare.
GAY.
Stew the oysters slowly in their own liquor for two or three minutes,
take them out with a spoon, beard them, and skim the liquor, put a bit
of butter into a stewpan; when it is melted, add as much fine
breadcrumbs as will dry it up; then put to it the oyster liquor, and
give it a boil up; put the oysters into scallop shells that you have
buttered, and strewed with breadcrumbs, then a layer of oysters, then
breadcrumbs, and then again oysters; moisten it with the oyster liquor,
cover them with breadcrumbs, put about half a dozen little bits of
butter on the top of each, and brown them in a Dutch oven.
Essence of anchovy, ketchup, cayenne, grated lemon-peel, mace, and other
spices are added by those who prefer piquance to the genuine flavor of
the oyster.