The blue ribbon cook book

Into a pan which is very hot throw your oysters, first having drained all the liquor from them. To twenty-five oysters allow a piece of butter the size of a walnut, pepper and salt. Stir until your oysters curl. Then quickly add the beaten yolk of an egg, to which has been added the milk or cream. After these are thoroughly mixed, add two teaspoonfuls of sherry; stir well, but do not allow the mixture to come to a boil. Serve on squares of toast. OYSTER COCKTAIL. Put six tablespoons of tomato catsup, three tablespoons of Tarragon vinegar, three teaspoons of Worcestershire sauce, three drops of tobasco, eight small oysters in each glass, and on top of all sprinkle a teaspoonful of very finely chopped celery. BROILED LIVE LOBSTER. Live lobsters may be dressed for broiling at market, or may be done at home. Clean lobster and place in a buttered wire broiler. Broil eight minutes on flesh side, turn and broil six minutes on shell side. Serve with melted butter. Lobsters taste nearly the same when placed in dripping pan and baked fifteen minutes in hot oven, and are much easier cooked. TO SPLIT A LIVE LOBSTER. Cross large claws and hold firmly with left hand. With sharp-pointed knife, held in right hand, begin at the mouth and make a deep incision, and, with a sharp cut, draw the knife quickly through body and entire length of tail. Open lobster, remove intestinal vein, liver, and stomach, and crack claw shells with a mallet. SALPICON OF LOBSTER. Put one level tablespoon of butter in double boiler. Add one tablespoon of flour, then one quarter cup of cream, and one quarter cup of white stock; season with salt and cayenne, and when it thickens, add one tablespoon of chopped lobster, six mushrooms chopped fine, and one small truffle chopped fine. Serve in lobster claws or shells. STUFFED LOBSTER. Two pounds of lobster, one and one half cups of cream and rich white stock, bit of bay leaf, three tablespoons of butter, three tablespoons of flour, yolks of two eggs, one teaspoon of lemon juice, one teaspoon of chopped parsley. Season with salt, cayenne, and a little grated nutmeg. Scald stock with bay leaf and remove bay leaf. Melt butter, add flour, then stock and seasonings, then yelks slightly beaten, and the lemon juice. When sauce is thick, add lobster and fill the shell. Cover with buttered bread crumbs and brown. Serve in a nest of water cresses. LOBSTER CUTLETS. Melt two level tablespoonfuls of butter, add two heaping tablespoonfuls of flour, one teaspoonful of salt, pepper to taste, one half cup of white stock, and one half cup of cream. When smooth add one half teaspoon finely chopped parsley, one beaten egg, and enough chopped lobster, mushrooms, and truffles to make one pint. Cook a few minutes and pour out on platter, and let it get thoroughly cold (the colder the better). Shape, dip in bread crumbs, then egg, and then crumbs, and fry in hot fat. LOBSTER TIMBALS. 2 slices of stale bread. 1 pound halibut or cod. 1 egg, 1 yelk. 4 tablespoonfuls of rich cream. J tablespoon onion chopped fine. 3 tablespoonfuls of butter. 2 tablespoonfuls of flour. 1 tablespoon sherry wine. § cup of lobster. Salt and pepper to taste. Soak two slices of stale bread in water until soft, squeeze until entirely free from water, cook with a teaspoonful of butter, beating to the consistency of India rubber, then cool; put one pound of halibut or cod through a meat chopper, and then pound in a mortar. Add gradually one third cup of bread, one egg, one yelk, and four tablespoonfuls of rich cream; beat well. Butter timbal molds and spread the bread mixture on sides and bottom; fill with the following lobster filling: