Oysters à la mode, or, The oyster and over 100 ways of cooking it

Filets de Soles aux Huitres. Take eight fillets of soles, and cook them in a buttered saute-pan, and dish them round a croustade filled with oysters, mixed in AUemande sauce. Pour some of the same sauce over the fillets. Fricasseed Oysters. Huitres en Fricassee. Cut two ounces of lean ham into dice, and put them into a stewpan with two ounces of fresh butter, a bunch of parsley, a sprig of thyme, a sliced onion, an inch of thin lemon-rind, and two cloves. Place the cover on the pan and let the contents steam gently for ten minutes. Pour over them half a pint of stock or gravy thickened with a spoonful of flour, a teaspoonful of essence of anchovy, and let them simmer for twenty minutes. Add two dozen oysters, and when they are quite hot draw the saucepan to the side of the fire for a minute or two to cool ; then gradually mix in the yolk of an egg, beaten up with a tablespoonful of cream. Simmer again for a minute, and serve the oysters on a hot dish with the sauce strained and poured over them. A teaspoonful of lemon-juice is an improvement. Oysters Fried. Huitres Frites. Take twelve to fourteen oysters, open them carefully, and put by the liquor from them ; put them into a stewpan over the fire in a little water to blanch for a few minutes (if there is enough liquor to warm them in, it is better than water) ; take out the oysters, keep the liquor, beard the oysters, and lay them on a sieve, then on to a cloth to dry. Break a fresh egg on a plate, beat well with a fork ; have about a quarter of a pound of bread-crumbs, to which has been added a spoonful of chopped parsley, a grate of nutmeg, a little pepper, and dust of cayenne. Dip each oyster first in the egg, then in the bread-crumbs. Put them into a small wire basket, fry for one minute in very hot lard. Oysters Fried a rAmdricaine. Huitres Frites a I'Americaine. Choose the largest and best oysters you can find. Take them carefully from the liquor, lay them in rows upon a clean cloth, and press another lightly upon them to absorb the moisture. Have ready several beaten eggs, and in another dish some rusks crushed fine ; heat enough butter in the frying-pan to cover the oysters entirely. Dip each oyster first in the egg, then into the crushed rusks, rolling it over so that it may become completely encrusted. Drop them carefully in the frying-pan and fry quickly to a light brown. If the butter is hot enough, they will be soon ready to take out. Test it by putting in one oyster before the rest are risked. They must not lie in the pan an instant after they are done. Serve dry on a hot dish. Oyster Fritters a 1' Epicure. Beignets d'Huitres a I'Epicure. Open a dozen oysters, and simmer them for two minutes in their own liquor. Beard them and put them aside. Beat two eggs, and mix with them half a tablespoonful of milk. Add a little salt, a quarter of a saltspoonful of pepper, a grate of nutmeg, and a quarter of a teaspoonful of lemonrind. Dip the oysters in this batter, and then into finely-grated bread-crumbs. Fry in hot fat until they are brown and crisp. These can be eaten as a savoury, or can be used for garnishing. Oyster Forcemeat. Farce aux Huitres.