=Clam Chowder.=—25 clams cut up, ½ pound salt pork chopped fine, 6
potatoes sliced thin, 4 onions sliced thin. Put pork in kettle; after
cooking a short time add potatoes, onions, and juice of clams. Cook 2½
hours, then add clams; 15 minutes before serving add 2 quarts milk.
=Fried Oysters.=—Select largest and finest oysters. Drain and wipe
them by spreading upon cloth, laying another over them, pressing
lightly. Roll each in beaten egg, then in cracker crumbs with which
has been mixed a very little pepper. Fry in mixture of equal parts of
lard and butter.
=Oysters Roasted in the Shell.=—Wash and scrub the shells. Cook in hot
oven, on top of stove, over red-hot coals, or in steamer until shells
open. Always place them round shell down to retain juice. Serve melted
butter and vinegar or lemons with them.
=Panned Oysters.=—Pick over the opened oysters to remove bits of
shell. Wash quickly in cold water and drain on sieve. Put into
saucepan with 1 tablespoon butter for 25 oysters and a dash of salt
and pepper. Cover and shake over a hot fire until edges ruffle and
oysters are plump. May be served on toast.
=Stewed Oysters.=—Pick over and wash 1 quart oysters. Scald 1 pint
milk. Strain, boil, and skim oyster liquor; when clear add oysters.
Cook till oysters are plump and well ruffled; take from fire, add hot
milk, salt, and pepper.
If desired thicker, rub together 1 tablespoon each of butter and
flour; add to milk and stir until smooth. This may be varied by
addition of a little chopped celery or onion.
=Creamed Oysters.=—Prepare 1 cup thick cream sauce (see Sauces). Pan
1 pint cleaned oysters; drain and add to sauce. Season with salt,
pepper, pinch of mace, and few drops lemon juice.
=Scalloped Oysters.=—Pick, wash, and drain 1 solid quart oysters.
Put in layers in baking-dish, alternating with dry bread or cracker
crumbs and seasoning. When dish is filled add strained oyster liquor
and sufficient milk to moisten. Cover with crumbs, add 1 tablespoon
butter in bits, and bake ½ hour in hot oven.
=Broiled Oysters.=—Pick, wash, and drain large oysters. Dip each in
melted butter, roll in fine crumbs, and broil in fine wire broiler
over a clear, hot fire. Serve on toast with sliced lemons.
=Pickled Oysters.=—2 gallons large oysters, drain and rinse them;
put 1 pint oyster juice in 1 quart vinegar over fire; scald and skim
until clear; add 1 tablespoon whole pepper, 1 tablespoon cloves, 1
tablespoon mace, 1 even tablespoon salt; scald a minute, then throw in
oysters; let them just come to a boil. The oysters should be pickled
day before being wanted, as they grow tough after standing a few days
in vinegar.
=Oyster Pâtés.=—1 quart oysters, minced fine with a sharp knife; 1 cup
rich drawn butter based upon milk; cayenne and black pepper to taste.
Stir minced oysters in drawn butter and cook 5 minutes. Have ready
some shapes of pastry, baked in pâté-pans, then slipped out. Fill
these with the mixture; set in oven 2 minutes to heat, and send to
table.
=Oyster Pie.=—1 quart oysters, drained; pepper, salt, and butter to
taste. 1 quart flour, 2 tablespoons lard, 1 tablespoon salt, mix with
water for pie crust. Butter plate, then line pie-plate with crust;
fill with oysters, seasoned; put over a crust and bake.
=Scallops in Batter.=—Wash and dry large scallops. Dip each in fritter
batter (see Fritters) and fry golden brown in smoking-hot fat.
=To Boil Lobsters or Crabs.=—The lobster is in good season from April
to December, and should be purchased alive and plunged into boiling
water in which a good proportion of salt has been mixed. Continue to
boil according to size about 20 minutes. Crabs should be boiled in the
same manner, but a little more than half the time is necessary.
=Deviled Crabs.=—1 cup crab meat, picked from shells of well-boiled
crabs, 2 tablespoons fine bread crumbs or rolled cracker, yolks two
hard-boiled eggs chopped, juice of a lemon, ½ teaspoon mustard, a
little cayenne pepper and salt, 1 cup good drawn butter. Mix 1 spoon
crumbs with chopped crab meat, yolks, seasoning, drawn butter. Fill
scallop shells—large clam shells will do—or small pâté-pans—with the
mixture; sift crumbs over top, heat to slight browning in quick oven.
=Soft Shell Crabs.=—Fry in butter or lard.
=To Open a Boiled Lobster.=—Wipe off shell, break off large claws;
separate tail from body; take body from shell, leaving “lady,” or
stomach, on shell. Put aside green fat and coral; remove small claws;
remove woolly gills from body, break latter through middle, and pick
out meat from joints. Crush or cut under side of tail, draw meat from
shell. Draw back flesh on upper end and pull off intestinal cord.
Break edge of large claws and remove meat.
=Lobster Newburg.=—Season 1 pint diced lobster with ½ teaspoon salt,
dash cayenne, pinch nutmeg. Put in saucepan with 2 tablespoons butter,
heat slowly. Add 2 tablespoons sherry; cook 5 minutes; add ½ cup
cream beaten with yolks 2 eggs, stir till thickened. Take quickly from
fire.
[Illustration: (Decorative Design)]