_Ingredients._—2 quarts of good mutton broth, 6 dozen oysters, 2 oz.
butter, 1 oz. of flour. _Mode._—Beard the oysters, and scald them in
their own liquor; then add it, well strained, to the broth; thicken
with the butter and flour, and simmer for ¼ of an hour. Put in the
oysters, stir well, but do not let it boil, and serve very hot.
_Time._—¾ hour. _Average cost_, 2_s._ per quart. _Seasonable_ from
September to April. _Sufficient_ for 8 persons.
OYSTERS, Fried.
_Ingredients._—3 dozen oysters, 2 oz. butter, 1 tablespoonful of
ketchup, a little chopped lemon-peel, ½ teaspoonful of chopped parsley.
_Mode._—Boil the oysters for 1 minute in their own liquor, and drain
them; fry them with the butter, ketchup, lemon-peel, and parsley; lay
them on a dish, and garnish with fried potatoes, toasted sippets, and
parsley. This is a delicious delicacy, and is a favourite Italian
dish. _Time._—5 minutes. _Average cost_ for this quantity, 1_s._ 9_d._
_Seasonable_ from September to April. _Sufficient_ for 4 persons.
OYSTERS Fried in Batter.
_Ingredients._—½ pint of oysters, 2 eggs, ½ pint of milk, sufficient
flour to make the batter; pepper and salt to taste; when liked, a
little nutmeg; hot lard. _Mode._—Scald the oysters in their own liquor,
beard them, and lay them on a cloth to drain thoroughly. Break the eggs
into a basin, mix the flour with them, add the milk gradually, with
nutmeg and seasoning, and put the oysters in the batter. Make some
lard hot in a deep frying-pan, put in the oysters, one at a time; when
done, take them up with a sharp-pointed skewer, and dish them on a
napkin. Fried oysters are frequently used for garnishing boiled fish,
and then a few bread-crumbs should be added to the flour. _Time._—5 or
6 minutes. _Average cost_ for this quantity, 1_s._ 10_d._ _Seasonable_
from September to April. _Sufficient_ for 8 persons.
OYSTERS, to Keep.
Put them in a tub, and cover them with salt and water. Let them remain
for 12 hours, when they are to be taken out, and allowed to stand for
another 12 hours without water. If left without water every alternate
12 hours, they will be much better than if constantly kept in it. Never
put the same water twice to them.
OYSTERS, Pickled.
_Ingredients._—100 oysters; to each ½ pint of vinegar, 1 blade of
pounded mace, 1 strip of lemon-peel, 12 black peppercorns. _Mode._—Get
the oysters in good condition, open them, place them in a saucepan, and
let them simmer in their own liquor for about 10 minutes very gently;
then take them out one by one, and place them in a jar, and cover them,
when cold, with a pickle made as follows:—Measure the oyster-liquor;
add to it the same quantity of vinegar, with mace, lemon-peel, and
pepper in the above proportion, and boil it for 5 minutes; when cold,
pour over the oysters, and tie them down very closely, as contact with
the air spoils them. _Seasonable_ from September to April.
_Note._—Put this pickle away in small jars; because, directly one is
opened, its contents should immediately be eaten, as they soon spoil.
The pickle should not be kept more than 2 or 3 months.
OYSTERS, Scalloped.
_Ingredients._—Oysters, say 1 pint, 1 oz. butter, flour, 2
tablespoonfuls of white stock, 2 tablespoonfuls of cream; pepper and
salt to taste; bread-crumbs, oiled butter. _Mode._—Scald the oysters
in their own liquor, take them out, beard them, and strain the liquor
free from grit. Put 1 oz. of butter into a stewpan; when melted, dredge
in sufficient flour to dry it up; add the stock, cream, and strained
liquor, and give one boil. Put in the oysters and seasoning; let them
gradually heat through, but not boil. Have ready the scallop-shells
buttered; lay in the oysters, and as much of the liquid as they will
hold; cover them over with bread-crumbs, over which drop a little oiled
butter. Brown them in the oven, or before the fire, and serve quickly,
and very hot. _Time._—Altogether, ¼ hour. _Average cost_, for this
quantity, 3_s._ 6_d._ _Sufficient_ for 5 or 6 persons.
OYSTERS, Scalloped.
Prepare the oysters as in the preceding recipe, and put them in a
scallop-shell or saucer, and between each layer sprinkle over a few
bread-crumbs, pepper, salt, and grated nutmeg; place small pieces of
butter over, and bake before the fire in a Dutch oven. Put sufficient
bread-crumbs on the top to make a smooth surface, as the oysters
should not be seen. _Time._—About ¼ hour. _Average cost_, 3_s._ 2_d._
_Seasonable_ from September to April.
OYSTERS, Stewed.
_Ingredients._—1 pint of oysters, 1 oz. of butter, flour, 1/3 pint
of cream; cayenne and salt to taste; 1 blade of pounded mace.
_Mode._—Scald the oysters in their own liquor, take them out, beard
them, and strain the liquor; put the butter into a stewpan, dredge in
sufficient flour to dry it up, add the oyster-liquor and mace, and stir
it over a sharp fire with a wooden spoon; when it comes to a boil, add
the cream, oysters, and seasoning. Let all simmer for 1 or 2 minutes,
but not longer, or the oysters would harden. Serve on a hot dish, and
garnish with croûtons, or toasted sippets of bread. A small piece of
lemon-peel boiled with the oyster-liquor, and taken out before the
cream is added, will be found an improvement. _Time._—Altogether 15
minutes. _Average cost_ for this quantity, 3_s._ 6_d._ _Seasonable_
from September to April. _Sufficient_ for 6 persons.