Mother's Cook Book: Containing Recipes for Every Day in the Week, Including ..

Mother's Cook Book. 49 strained liquor, and give one boil. Put m the oysters and seasoning; let them gradually heat through, but not boil. Have ready the scallop-shells buttered; lay in the oysters, and as much of the liquid as they will hold; cover them over with bread-crumbs, over which drop a little oiled butter. Brown them in the oven, or before the fire, and serve quickly, and very hot FRIED OYSTERS. Take large oysters from their own liquor onto a thickly folded napkin to dry them off; then make a tablespoonful of lard or beef fat hot, in a thick bottomed frying-pan, add to it half a salt spoonful of salt; dip each oyster in wheat flour, or cracker rolled fine, until it will take up no more, then lay them in the pan, hold it over a gentle fire until one side is a delicate brown; turn the other by sliding a fork under it; five minutes will fry them after they are in the pan. Oysters may be fried in butter but it is not so good, lard and butter half and half is very nice for frying. Some persons like a very little of the oyster liquid poured in the pan after the oysters are done; let it boil up, then put it in the dish with the oysters; when wanted for breakfast, this should be done. Oysters to be fried, after drying as directed, may be dipped into beaten egg first, then into rolled cracker. OYSTER PATTIES. Make some rich puff paste and bake it in very small tin patty pans; when cool, torn them out upon a large dish; stew some large fresh oysters with a few cloves, a little mace and nutmeg; then add the yolk of one egg, boiled hard and grated; add a little butter, and as much of the oyster liquid as will cover them. When they have stewed a little while, take them out of the pan and set them to cool. [page break] When quite cold, lay two or three oysters in each shell of puff paste. BROILED OYSTERS. Drain the oysters well and dry them with a napkin. Have ready a griddle hot and well buttered; season the oysters; lay them to griddle and brown them on both sides. Serve them on a hot plate with plenty of batter. CLAM FRITTERS. Take fifty small or twenty-five large sand clams from their shells; if large, cnt each in two, lay them on a thickly folded napkin; pat a pint bowl of wheat floor into a basin, add to it two well-beaten eggs, half a pint of sweet milk, and nearly as much of their own liquor; beat the batter until it is smooth and perfectly free from lamps; then stir in the clams. Put plenty of lard or beef fat into a thick-bottomed frying pan, let it become boiling hot; put in the batter by the spoonful; let them fry gently; when one side is a delicate brown, turn the other. SOFT-SHELLED CLAMS. These are very fine if properly prepared. They are good only during cold weather and mast be perfectly fresh. Soft-shelled clams may be boiled in the shells, and served with butter, pepper and salt over. TO BOIL SOFT-SHELL CLAMS. Wash the shells clean, and put the clams, the edges downwards, in a kettle; then pour about a quart, of boiling water over them; cover the pot and set it over a brisk fire for three quarters of An boar; pouring boiling water on them causes the shells to open quickly and let out the sand which may be in them. [page break] 61 Take them up when done, take off the black akin -which covers the hard part, trim them, clean, and put them into a stew-pan; put to them some of the liquor in which they were boiled; put to it a good bit of butter and pepper and salt to taste; make them hot; serve with oold butter and rolls. CLAM CHOWDER.