Practical gastronomy and culinary dictionary

Open the oysters, preserve the liquor, remove the beards; put the oysters in a stewpan, one ounce of butter, and a little oyster liquor. Season witJi a pinch of salt, a grate of nutmeg, and a pinch of pepper. Stir over the fire for two minutes and strain. Melt the remainder of the butter in a stewpan, stir in the flour, and cook a little without browning ; dilute with the gravy from the oysters, the remainder of the oyster liquor and the stock, stir until it boils, and simmer for about ten minutes. Then add the cream, yolks of eggs, and lemon juice ; stir over the fire a few seconds longer, so as to bind the yolks. Pour the sauce through a fine strainer or tammy cloth, put it in a saute -pan with the oysters, heat thoroughly, but on no account allow it to boil. Dish up on a hot dish, garnish with croutes of fried bread and a few sprigs of parsley. 351. Cromeskies aux Huitres. — 1^ doz. sauce oysters, 3 yolks of eggs, 2 dessert-spoonfuls creme de riz, 1 oz. butter, 12 thin slices of bacon, 1 tablespoonful of cream, ■k lemon, white pepper, salt, and mace ; frying batter. Lard or dripping for frying, parsley. Blanch and beard the oysters, preserve the liquor. Mince them coarsely, put the butter in a stewpan, when melted add the oysters, season with a little pepper, salt, and a pinch of gromid mace ; stir in the creme de riz (ground rice) ; add the liquor of the oysters, the cream, a teaspoonful of lemon juice, and half a teaspoonful of chopped parsley ; when hot, stir in the yolks of eggs, let them bind, and put the mixture on a plate or dish to cool. 474 RECHERCHE COOKERY. Divide into twelve equal portions, shape into little rolls, wrap each in a piece of thinly cut bacon, dip in batter, and fry in hot fat a golden colour. Drain, dish up, and garnish with fried parsley. 352. Petits Pates anx Huitres. — 1 lb. of puff paste, 2 doz. oysters, ^ gill cream, 3 yolks of eggs, 2 oz. butter, ^ teaspoonful lemonjuice, 1 oz. flour, parsley, salt, pepper, fish broth. Prepare the puff or feuilletage paste in the usual way, roll out about a quarter of an inch thick, put it on the ice for five minutes. Stamp out with a 3-inch fancy pastry cutter eight or nine rounds, turn over, and place them on a baking- sheet, brush the surface with beaten egg, trace an incision with a smaller round cutter, pre- viously dipped in hot water. Bake in hot oven for about twenty minutes, take out the soft part of the inside, save the lids, and keep the patties warm until required. Put the oysters, with their liquor, into a saucepan ; let them come to the boil, drain them, remove beards, and cut each oyster in two (save the liquor). Melt the butter in a small stewpan, stir in the flour, and cook a little ; dilute with the oyster liquor, and sufficient fish stock to form a sauce ; let it boil for about ten minutes, add the yolks of eggs and the cream, stir well, but do not let it boil again ; season to taste with pepper and salt, add the lemon juice, and pass through a fine sieve or tammy. Put the oysters with the sauce, and stir over the fire until the former are thoroughly warm ; fill the puff-paste cases, put on the covers, and dish up on a hot dish, with a folded napkin ; garnish with parsley and serve.