There is not a lover of oysters in existence who does not heartily sympathize with the boy who wanted to spell August ‘‘ O-r-g-u-s-t,” in order to bring it into the list of the months which contain an ‘‘r,” in all of which oysters are in season. The delicious bivalves furnish an important, and, in most localities, a not expensive article of food; and the ease with which they are prepared for the table, and the great variety of ways in which they may be cooked and ee make them a great favorite with housekeepers, — Oysters in the shell must be kept in a cool cellar, and eae sprinkled with salt water. When fresh, the shell is firmly closed; if open, the oyster is dead and unfit ie use. The small-shelled | oysters have the finest flavor. For the freshness of canned oysters it is necessary to trust to the dealer, but never buy cans the sides of which are swollen. In preparing them for cooking or for the table, carefully remove all bits of shell. Never salt oysters for soups or stews till just before removing them from the fire, or they will shrivel up and be hard, and do not add butter. In frying, a little baking-powder added to the cracker-dust or corn-meal in which they are rolled will greatly improve them. Roasting in the shell preserves the natural flavor. Always serve immediately after ey no matter what method is used. As to nutritive qualities, oysters rank much below butcher’s meats, and it is even questioned whether they contain the phosphorus, or brain food, which has been credited to them in company with the finny tribe in general. But, when properly cooked, they are easy of digestion, and very proper food for persons whose occupation is (295) 296 SHELL-FISH. sedentary, and whose duties do not call for heavy muscular exertion. Even for invalids, they are nutritious and wholesome, when deli- cately prepared. — . CLAM CHOWDER. Chop fifty clams, peel and slice ten raw potatoes, cut into dice six - onions and a half pound fat salt pork, slice six tomatoes (if canned use a coffee-cup full), add a pound pilot crackers; first put pork in bottom of pot and try out, partially cook onions in pork-fat, remove the mass from pot, and put on a plate bottom side up; make layers of the ingredients, season with pepper and salt, cover with water and boil an hour and a half, adding chopped parsley to taste. CLAM PIs. Take three pints of either hard or soft-shell clams Gf large, chop lightly), put in a sauce-pan and bring to a boil in their own liquor, or add a little water if needed; have. ready four medium-sized po tatoes, boiled till done and cut into small squares; make a nice pie- paste with which line a medium-sized pudding-dish half way down the sides; turn a small tea-cup bottom up in middle of dish to keep up the top crust; put in first a layer of clams, and then a few po- tatoes, season with bits of butter and a little salt and pepper, and dredge with flour; add another layer of clams, and so on till dish is filled, adding juice of clams, and a little water if necessary (there should be about as much liquid as for chicken-pie). Cover with top-crust, cutting several slits for steam to escape, and bake three quarters of an hour.—Mrs. A. Wilson, Rye, N. Y. ie CLAM STEw. Take half peck hardshell clams, wash shells clean, and put in a __ kettle with about one tea-cup water ; let steam until the shells open, when take out of shell, strain juice, and return it with clams to the fire; after they come to a boil, add one pint milk, a piece of butter size of an egg, three crackers rolled fine, pepper, and salt if any is needed.—Mrs. A. W. Friep CLAMS. Remove from shell large soft-shell clams; beat an egg wel! and add two table:spoons water; have the clams dried in a towel, and dip them first in the egg, then in finely-rolled cracker or bread SU aa (oS ) SHELLFISH, 297 crumbs, and fry (longer than oysters) in sweet lard or butter✪ Clams. Oys-

AI-modernized reading of the original text

There is not a lover of oysters in existence who does not heartily sympathize with the boy who wanted to spell August ‘‘ O-r-g-u-s-t,” in order to bring it into the list of the months which contain an ‘‘r,” in all of which oysters are in season. The delicious bivalves furnish an important, and, in most localities, a not expensive article of food; and the ease with which they are prepared for the table, and the great variety of ways in which they may be cooked and served make them a great favorite with housekeepers, — Oysters in the shell must be kept in a cool cellar, and and sprinkled with salt water. When fresh, the shell is firmly closed; if open, the oyster is dead and unfit to use. The small-shelled | oysters have the finest flavor. For the freshness of canned oysters it is necessary to trust to the dealer, but never buy cans the sides of which are swollen. In preparing them for cooking or for the table, carefully remove all bits of shell. Never salt oysters for soups or stews till just before removing them from the fire, or they will shrivel up and be hard, and do not add butter. In frying, a little baking-powder added to the cracker-dust or corn-meal in which they are rolled will greatly improve them. Roasting in the shell preserves the natural flavor. Always serve immediately after them no matter what method is used. As to nutritive qualities, oysters rank much below butcher’s meats, and it is even questioned whether they contain the phosphorus, or brain food, which has been credited to them in company with the finny tribe in general. But, when properly cooked, they are easy of digestion, and very proper food for persons whose occupation is 296 SHELL-FISH. sedentary, and whose duties do not call for heavy muscular exertion. Even for invalids, they are nutritious and wholesome, when delicately prepared. — . CLAM CHOWDER. Chop fifty clams, peel and slice ten raw potatoes, cut into dice six - onions and a half pound fat salt pork, slice six tomatoes (if canned use a coffee-cup full), add a pound pilot crackers; first put pork in bottom of pot and try out, partially cook onions in pork-fat, remove the mass from pot, and put on a plate bottom side up; make layers of the ingredients, season with pepper and salt, cover with water and boil an hour and a half, adding chopped parsley to taste. CLAM PIs. Take three pints of either hard or soft-shell clams Gf large, chop lightly), put in a sauce-pan and bring to a boil in their own liquor, or add a little water if needed; have. ready four medium-sized po tatoes, boiled till done and cut into small squares; make a nice piepaste with which line a medium-sized pudding-dish half way down the sides; turn a small tea-cup bottom up in middle of dish to keep up the top crust; put in first a layer of clams, and then a few potatoes, season with bits of butter and a little salt and pepper, and dredge with flour; add another layer of clams, and so on till dish is filled, adding juice of clams, and a little water if necessary (there should be about as much liquid as for chicken-pie). Cover with top-crust, cutting several slits for steam to escape, and bake three quarters of an hour.—Mrs. A. Wilson, Rye, N. Y. ie CLAM STEw. Take half peck hardshell clams, wash shells clean, and put in a __ kettle with about one tea-cup water ; let steam until the shells open, when take out of shell, strain juice, and return it with clams to the fire; after they come to a boil, add one pint milk, a piece of butter size of an egg, three crackers rolled fine, pepper, and salt if any is needed.—Mrs. A. W. Friep CLAMS. Remove from shell large soft-shell clams; beat an egg wel! and add two table:spoons water; have the clams dried in a towel, and dip them first in the egg, then in finely-rolled cracker or bread SU aa (oS ) SHELLFISH, 297 crumbs, and fry (longer than oysters) in sweet lard or butter. Oys-

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Buckeye cookery