1 qt. oysters.
2 tablespoonfuls of butter.
Pepper, and a pinch of salt.
Set the oysters, with enough liquor to cover them, in a saucepan upon
the range or stove; let them come to a boil; skim well, and stir in
the butter and seasoning. Two or three spoonsful of cream will improve
them. Have ready small tins lined with puff paste. Put three or four
oysters in each, according to the size of the _pâté_; cover with paste
and bake in a quick oven twenty minutes. For open _pâtés_, cut the
paste into round cakes: those intended for the bottom crust less than
an eighth of an inch thick; for the upper, a little thicker. With a
smaller cutter, remove a round of paste from the middle of the latter,
leaving a neat ring. Lay this carefully upon the bottom crust; place a
second ring upon this, that the cavity may be deep enough to hold the
oysters; lay the pieces you have extracted also in the pan with the
rest, and bake to a fine brown in a _quick_ oven. When done, wash over
with beaten egg, around top and all, and set in the oven three minutes
to glaze. Fill the cavity with a mixture prepared as below, fit on the
top lightly, and serve.
_Mixture._
Boil half the liquor from a quart of oysters. Put in all the oysters,
leaving out the uncooked liquor; heat to boiling, and stir in—
½ cup of hot milk.
1 tablespoonful butter.
2 tablespoonfuls corn starch, wet with a little milk.
A little salt.
Boil four minutes, stirring all the time until it thickens, and fill
the cavity in the paste shells. These _pâtés_ are very nice.