Twentieth century home cook book

ROAST OYSTERS IN THE SHELL. Select large oysters ; wash and wipe them ; place with the upper shell down in order to catch the juice over the hot coals. When they open their shells, remove the shallow one; save the juice in the other; place both oysters and shells on a hot dish — send while hot to the table, allowing each person to season with butter and pepper to suit the taste. OYSTERS STEWED. Let the liquor first come to a boil, skim it, and add about the same quantity of milk. Let these boil together a very short time, then put in the oysters and cook a few minutes only ; add pepper, butter, salt ; put a little finely rolled crackers in the dish, and pour the soup over it. OYSTER STEW. Put the liquor in a stewpan, when it comes to a boil, skim well ; then pour in two quarts of fresh milk; when it boils add three scant pints of oysters, after looking over carefully and removing all the shell. When the oysters begin to curl remove from the fire, and add salt to suit taste. ■Use butter generously, and serve hot. STEWED OYSTERS. Put the juice into a saucepan and let it simmer, skimming it carefully ; then rub the yolks of three hard-boiled eggs and one large spoonful of flour well together, and stir into the juice. Cut in small pieces quarter of a pound of butter, half a teaspoonful of whole allspice, a little salt, a little cayenne, and the juice of a fresh lemon ; let all simmer ten minutes, and just before dishing add the oysters This is for two quarts of oysters. VIRGINIA OYSTER STEW. Strain the liquor from one quart of oysters and put it over to boil ; take the yolk of four hard-boiled eggs and very little mustard ; mix into a paste with one large tablespoonful of salad oil ; then add a cup of the boiling liquor ; stir well and keep warm. Add the oysters to the remaining liquor and cook until the edges begin to curl. Pour part of the liquor from the oysters over some nicely prepared toast, leaving the remainder with the oysters. Add to the oysters the egg salad; season with salt and pepper to taste. FRIED OYSTERS. Pick large select oysters ; remove all the pieces of shell ; drain in a colander. Roll the crackers fine ; season with white pepper and salt ; dip the oysters well in rolled cracker; lay them on platters. Have your griddle hot, and fry a golden color in boiling lard and butter mixed. FRIED OYSTERS. Drain the oysters, and cover well with very fine cracker crumbs ; season with salt and pepper. Let the oysters stand half an hour, dip, and roll again in the meal ; fry brown in plenty of lard and butter. Do not let them stand, but serve hot. TO FRY OYSTERS, Wash them and dry on a napkin ; dip in beaten egg, and then in the cracker crumbs ; repeat this once. Add pepper and salt to taste, and fry in butter and lard. BROILED OYSTERS. Drain select oysters in a colander. Dip each oyster into melted butter, to prevent sticking, and then place upon a wire gridiron. Broil very carefully over a good fire. When well browned on both sides, season with salt, pepper, and a generous quantity of butter, and lay on hot buttered toast, just a little moistened with hot water. These are very nice served on broiled beefsteak ; not good unless served very hot. BROILED OYSTERS ON THE HALF SHELL. Procure large oysters; open and drop in boiling water a few moments, then put each oyster in a half shell, with the juice, which has been retained. Put on a gridiron over a hot fire ; season with butter, pepper and salt Serve on the half shell. OYSTERS ON ICE. Take a large square of ice ; hollow it out in the middle sufficiently to form a bowl large enough to contain the number of oysters required. Put the oysters on the ice, place on a flat dish and serve. BROILED OYSTERS.