My mother's cook book

The reason for allowing the oysters to stand for thirty minutes after being rolled in the cracker-dust is that unless so permitted to harden, the egg with which the oyster is subsequently treated would not adhere but merely draw the cracker-dust off, making it thus necessary to pack these substances on with the hands and a heavy, soggy dish be the consequence. Fried oysters must be quickly cooked and as quickly , served. Recipe for clarifying fat on page— . 22 OYSTEXS. Oysters à la Crème. — Materials and quantities as follows : Twenty-five large oysters, one dessert spoonful of chopped parsley, one heaped tablespoonful of breadcrumbs, three and one-half ounces of butter, one and onehalf ounces of flour, a piece of onion half the size of a nutmeg, one gill of cream, one-half saltspoonful of grated nutmeg, one-half saltspoonful of pepper, a piece of salt the size of a pea. The oysters should first be boiled in their own liquor for five minutes, after which strained, cut into rough pieces, and put upon a plate. Season them then with the pepper, salt and nutmeg. Melt the butter now in a fresh saucepan, adding thereto the flour and the cream, and bml all together for two minutes. Take then the saucepan from the fire, put into it the oysters and the parsley and onion, chopped finely, as well. This mixture must now be put nicely into large, deep oyster shells, the bread crumbs sprinkled over each, and put into a quick oven until browned over the top. Note. — ^As the oysters used do not always furnish the proper shells for this preparation, it is well to select from time to time,, the shells from oysters used in other ways, and scrubbing them well, make a reserve of deep shells for this purpose. Broiled Oysters.— There will be required for this: twenty-five large oysters, two tablespoonfuls of flour, four tablespoonfuls of milk, four tablespoonfuls of cracker-dust, two eggs, four heaped tablespoonfuls of bread crumbs, two ounces of butter, and the juice of half a lemon, onehalf a saltspoonful of salt, and an equal amount of pepper. Drain thoroughly the liquor from the oysters, mix upon a plate th? flour, milk, pepper and salt. OYSTES CROQUETTES. 23 Dip the oysters into this mixture, one by one, and, putting the cracker-dust upon a sheet of kitchen paper, drop the oysters into the dust separately, and roll them from side to side by lifting the paper alternately at opposite comers. Return then to the plate, using a fork in the lifting, and let them stand for thirty minutes, that the dust may harden with the juice. Beat the eggs now until very light, and dip the oysters, one by one therein, then into the bread crumbs, and having lightly greased the broiler, put them into it, and broil for five minutes. In serving, put the butter upon them in small lumps, and squeeze over them the lemon juice. Note. — Before beginning the preparing of oysters in, this manner, it would be well to read the notes On fried oysters, page 21. Oyster Croquettes, — Materials to be used in the following proportions: twenty-five large oysters, one dessert spoonful of chopped parsley, three and one-half ounces of butter, one and one-half ounces of flour, one gill of cream, one teaspoonful of lemon juice, one egg, three heaped tablespoonfuls of bread crumbs, one half saltspoonful of pepper and a piece of salt, the size of a pea. The oysters should be boiled in their own liquor for five minutes, then strained, cut into rough pieces and seasoned with the pepper and salt. The butter must then be melted in a fresh saucepan, the flour added, also the cream, and all cooked for two minutes. Remove the saucepan now from the fire, and put in the oysters, parsley and lemon juice, after which mix all well together, and turn out upon a plate, leaving it to cool for one hour.