The Cook Book, by "Oscar" of the Waldorf

Open some oysters, remove the beards and dip them first in beaten egg and then in finely grated breadcrumbs that have been seasoned with pepper, salt and grated nutmeg. Place the oysters in their lower shells, put a small piece of butter on each, and bake for a few minutes in a brisk oven. When ready, place the shells with the oysters on a dish, squeeze a small quantity of lemon juice over each, and serve. Baked Oysters on Toast. Beard two dozen fine oysters, put their beards and liquor into a stewpan, and let them simmer for a few minutes. Butter some toasts thickly on one side, lay them buttered side downwards on a dish that will stand the heat of the fire and put the oysters on top. Strain the oyster liquor and mix with it one ounce of butter in small bits, season to taste with salt and a small quantity of cayenne pepper and pour it over the oysters. Place the dish in a brisk oven for a few minutes, then take it out and serve the oysters very hot with a plate of cut lemon. Oyster Bouchees. Blanch two dozen oysters and turn ten mushrooms, cut both into small pieces, put them into a saucepan with some white sauce and stir over the fire till hot Prepare some puff paste, giving it six turns, roll it out to about one- fourth inch in thickness, and with a fluted tin cutter, about two inches in diameter, cut eighteen rounds out of the paste. Arrange the pieces of paste on a baking sheet, let them rest on ice for ten minutes, then brush over with beaten egg, and with a plain tin cutter one and one-fourth inches in diameter cut through the center of each bouchee to about onethird of the thickness of the paste. Bake the bouchees in a quick oven, and when cooked lift off the inner circle of the paste and hollow them out inside. Fill the bouchees with the salpicon of oysters and mushrooms and replace the covers. Place a folded napkin or an ornamental dish-paper on a hot dish, arrange the bouchees on it, garnish with fried parsley and serve. Broiled Oysters. Take some fine large-sized oysters, lay them on a soft cloth to dry, pepper over, and then place them on a well buttered gridiron over a clear fire and leave till thoroughly hot Lay them then on slices of well buttered toast cut rather thin and serve while hot Broiled Oysters, Breaded. Take freshly opened oysters and an equal quantity of bread and cracker crumbs, flatten them on a well greased broiler and broil for two minutes on each side. Salt slightly and arrange on the toast, then lightly glaze them over with maitre d'hotel sauce and serve. Broiled Oysters, in the Shell. Put a couple of dozen large oysters on a gridiron over a moderate fire, with the flat shell uppermost; when done they will open. Keep the liquor in the shells and serve hot Oyster Cocktail. Open half a dozen small oysters and drop them with the juice into a wine glass; add a little lemon juice, three drops of Tobasco sauce, a teaspoonful of Worcestershire sauce and one dessertspoonful of tomato catsup, stir well and serve. Horseradish may be served on the side. Oyster Cromeskies. Scald the required number of oysters in their own liquor and put them between slices of bacon cut very thin. Two oysters are quite sufficient for one slice of bacon. Roll the bacon over and fasten the oysters in with a small skewer. Fry them to a nice brown, place them on a dish and serve hot. Oyster Croquettes.