The Cook Book, by "Oscar" of the Waldorf

Separate the yolk and white of an egg, beating the yolk well and mixing with it two tablespoonfuls each of ground rice and salad oil, three-fourths of a tablespoonful of vinegar, and a small quantity of cold water. Mix smoothly and allow the batter to stand for half an hour. Open and beard the oysters, whisk the whites of the eggs to a stiff snow, and mix them in lightly with the batter. Then place a large lump of clarified fat in a flat stewpan over a fire until it boils. Take the oysters, one at a time, in a tablespoon and fill it with the batter, pouring it into the boiling fat. Fry until nicely browned, then drain well, spreading on a folded napkin or ornamental dish-paper over a hot dish, pile the fritters in the center, garnish with cut lemons, and serve with a plate of thin slices of brown bread and butter. Oysters in Cases. Open and blanch a couple of dozen medium-sized oysters in a saucepan with one wineglassful of white wine and half an ounce of butter, and season with a pinch of pepper and a little nutmeg. Cook for five minutes, and add one pint of well reduced veloute sauce ; cooking for another five minutes, and adding half an ounce of crayfish butter and stirring occasionally. Fill the cases with four oysters each and the garnishing equally divided. Sprinkle over a little fresh breadcrumbs, and arrange them on a toasting pan. Spread a little butter over each patty, and place in a moderate oven for five minutes. Have a hot dish at hand with a folded napkin spread over it ; place the patties on it and serve. Oysters, Indian Style. Put one-half tablespoonful each of curry powder and flour in a small saucepan ; mix in gradually a teacupful of cream, one tablespoonful of finely chopped onion and a small quantity of finely chopped apple, season to taste with salt and pepper, and stew the whole gently for twenty minutes, stirring occasionally. Put a teacupful of well washed rice in a saucepan of water and boil until tender. The rice should be quite dry when cooked. Put a dozen oysters in the sauce, add a little lemon juice, and leave until hot. Make a wall of the rice on a hot dish, and pour the oysters in the center. Serve while very hot. Oysters in the Shell. Put a dozen or so of large oysters on a gridiron over a moderate fire with the flat shell uppermost ; when done they will open. Preserve the liquor in the shells with the oysters and serve them hot. Oyster Patties. Turn a couple of dozen oysters into a basin with their liquor. Put one ounce of butter into a saucepan and work it together with, a tablespoonful of flour into a smooth paste ; when warm add a little mace, cayenne, and salt, and pour in gradually three tablespoonfuls of cream. Boil for a few minutes and pour in the strained liquor from the oysters, add the oysters last, and boil for a couple of minutes longer. Line some small patty pans with some thin puff paste, put a quantity of rice in each to keep them in shape, cover the top with more of the paste and bake in a brisk oven. Take them out, remove the top, empty out the rice, fill them with the oysters and a little of the liquor, cover and serve. Oyster Pie.