A guide to modern cookery

nishes, hors-d’ceuvres, and to the preparation of soups, shrimp butters, and creams. OYSTERS. (HUI!TRES.) Though oysters are nicer raw, there are so many culinary preparations of which they form the leading constituent, and such a number of garnishing uses to which they may be put, that I feel compelled to mention some of these. 980—HUITRES À LA FAVORITE Poach the oysters (cleared of their beards) in their own liquor, which should have been carefully collected when opening them. Clean their hollow shells, and place them on a tray covered with a layer of salt one-half inch thick. Garnish them with Béchamel; upon the latter, in each shell, lay an oyster decked with a slice of truffle; cover with the same sauce; besprinkle with grated Parmesan and melted butter, and set to glaze quickly. Serve immediately. 981—HUITRES AU GRATIN Open the oysters; cut them free, and lay them in the hollow halves of their shells, which should be incrusted in a layer of salt covering a tray. On each oyster put a drop of lemon juice, a pinch of fried bread-crumbs, a little melted butter, and a piece of fresh butter the size of a pea. Set the gratin to form in a fierce oven or at the salamander, and serve immediately. 982—HUITRES À LA MORNAY Poach the oysters, and allow two per shell. Set the hollow shells, thoroughly cleansed, on a tray covered with salt. Cover the bottom of the shells with Mornay sauce; put two poached oysters into each; cover with the same sauce; sprinkle with grated cheese and melted butter, and set to glaze quickly. Serve instantly. 983—HUITRES SOUFFLEES Make a preparation of Soufflé au Parmesan (No. 2295A). Slightly poach the oysters, clean their hollow shells, and set these on a tray covered with kitchen salt. Spread a layer of the preparation on each shell; put an oyster thereon, and cover the latter with the soufflé au Parmesan. Heat the base of the tray on the stove, and, when the soufflé begins to rise, put the tray in the oven, that the soufflé may cook and colour at the same time. Serve at once. 984—HUITRES À LA FLORENTINE Poach the oysters. Set their hollow shells on a tray as above; garnish the bottom of each of these with shredded spinach stewed in butter; lay an oyster on the spinach in each shell; cover with Mornay sauce, and set to glaze quickly. Serve immediately. 985—HUITRES GRILLEES Open the oysters, and leave them in their hollow shells; lay them (very straight) on a tray covered with salt, incrusting them in the latter; besprinkle with a drop of lemon juice and a little mignonette pepper and put them in a fierce oven, that their top surfaces may be speedily poached. Dish them on a napkin; pour a coffeespoonful of ‘‘ Sauce Diable Escoffier ’’ over each, and serve directly. 986—QUENELLES D'HUITRES À LA REINE With four oz. of chicken fillets and six raw oysters, prepare a mousseline forcemeat in accordance with the directions given under No. 195. Mould this forcemeat, by means of a tablespoon, into large quenelles, in the centre of which lay two cold poached oysters. Poach these quenelles after the manner of ordinary mousselines. This done, drain them on a piece of linen; arrange them in a circle on a round dish, and cover them with highlyseasoned Supréme sauce. Decorate each quenelle with a fine slice of truffle, and garnish the middle of the dish with some asparagus-tops, cohered with butter. 987—BASS (Bar) This excellent fish is very little known, and, consequently, rarely sought after in England. The large specimens are served, boiled, with the same kind of sauce as for turbot. The smaller ones are chiefly served a la Meuniére or fried. 988—BRILL (Barbue) Served whole, brill may be looked upon as the understudy, as it were, of the chicken-turbot, and all the preparations given for the latter may be adapted to the former.