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

Lay some macaroni stewed in gravy in a deep dish, place upon it a thick layer of oysters, bearded, and seasoned with cayenne, pepper, and grated lemon-rind ; add a small teacupful of cream, sprinkle bread crumbs thickly on the top, and brown it in a quick oven. Serve hot with piquante sauce.- Oysters à la Maître d'Hôtel. Huîtres à la Maître d'Hôtel. Open some large oysters in the deep shells, put over each a little Maître d'Hôtel sauce cold, place them on a gridiron, and serve them the moment the liquor boils. Hand lemon and brown bread and butter with them. Oysters with Leg of Mutton. Make half a dozen incisions in the thick part of a leg of mutton, and fill them with a forcemeat made with a dozen fresh oysters boiled in their own liquor for two minutes, then bearded, and minced finely with a shalot, a tablespoonful of scalded and chopped parsley leaves, and the yolks of two hard-boiled eggs. Tie the mutton in a cloth, put it into boiling water, let it boil, then draw it to the side of the fire, and simmer very gently till it is done enough. Serve with oyster sauce. Oysters au Naturel. One of the prettiest ways of serving oysters at an oyster supper is to place a little china barrel before each guest, in which are packed a dozen bearded natives ; large barrels holding three dozen should be placed on the side table ; the lemons cut in quarters and piled high in a dish, garnished with parsley ; plates of brown bread and butter around ; oyster forks on each plate, with little shells for vinegar, and cayenne glasses. A coloured glass and a tumbler before each person, and bottles of chablis and stout arranged alternately down the table. Oyster Omelet (No. i). Take twelve good-sized oysters, and mince them very fine ; beat the yolks and whites separately of six eggs, the white until it stands in a firm froth. Now put three tablespoonfuls of butter into a frying-pan, and make it hot. Whilst the butter is heating, stir a cup of milk into the yolks, and season with a little salt, pepper, and a dust of cayenne. Now add in the oysters, stirring well as you add them gradually. When thoroughly mixed pour in a spoonful of the melted butter, then whip in the whites very lightly. If the butter is hot, put the mixture into the pan, and put it over the fire, and when it begins 'to set' slip a broad-bladed knife round the sides and very cautiously under the omelet, so that the butter may reach every part. As soon as the centre is set, turn it out to a hot dish, with the browned side uppermost. Oyster Omelet (No. 2). Break two eggs in a basin, the whites separately ; whip them, adding pepper and salt to taste ; mince parsley enough to fill a teaspoon (fry it for a second in a little butter before mincing). Melt some butter in the omelet pan, and when quite hot, pour in the eggs, and when getting firm put in a tablespoonful of rich oyster sauce, and fold it over and serve. This omelet is sometimes sent up with a glass of boiling chablis poured round it. Orlys of Oysters.