The Toronto Cook Book

Oysters a la vapeur et sur croutes grillees Wash very carefully some medium sized unopened oysters, lay them on a wire grater provided with a handle so that they can easily be removed when done; set this grater into a steamer, cover it as closely as possible and, when the oysters are opened, lift them out, take off the flat shell and serve them in the deep ones. Each guest seasons his oysters according to his individual taste, with salt, black or red pepper or tomato catsup. Serve some melted butter separately. Steamed Oysters on Toast They must be steamed as for the above, open and put them into a sautoire with their own juice; season with salt, pepper and add a little fine butter and serve them in a deep dish over slices of toasted bread. Oysters Mock Oyster Soup Mash one quart of canned tomatoes, through a colander and boil them for about twenty minutes. Season well with cayenne pepper and salt. While the tomatoes are boiling add a half teaspoon of soda and let it ferment. Pour in a quart of milk and add two crackers rolled fine and two ounces of butter. Let it boil and serve. Oysters with Celery Butter a deep dish and pour into it the oysters with their own liquor; season with salt and black pepper, and add the heart stalks of a head of celery cut into thin lengthwise slices and a few small pieces of fresh butter; cover it over with another dish and set into a moderate oven for fifteen minutes, then serve. Oyster Frites Oysters for frying should be large and fat. Strip as many as you wish to fry by passing them between the thumb and forefinger, lay them on a clean napkin to dry. Into a soup plate or some small dish grate the rind of a large lemon, add half a teaspoon of salt and saltspoon of white pepper; break into the dish three whole eggs for each dozen of oysters and beat all together with a fork. Have at hand a large dish partly filled with bread crumbs; take two oysters at a time, lay them in the egg and cover them completely, lift and drain and then place them into the bread crumbs, breading thoroughly; when all are covered drop them, two at a time into hot fat and fry them to a good golden brown ; lift them with a skimmer and place them on a piece of brown paper and serve as quickly as possible with a garnishing of parsley. Oysters with Mushrooms Drain two dozen oysters; put them in a hot pan. Cook in one teaspoon of butter until the edges begin to curl; then remove to a hot dish. Make a sauce by adding to the oyster liquor the juice from one-half pint of mushrooms, and enough milk to make a pint. Thicken this with one tablespoon of flour blended with one tablespoon of butter and cook two minutes. Add one-half cup of chopped mushrooms, one teaspoon of onion juice, one-half teaspoon of lemon juice and a little salt. Beat the yolks of two eggs and stir in. Then add the oysters. Let the mixture come to a boil and serve at once. The Toronto Cook Book Poached Oysters Butter a deep dish, pour into it some oysters with their own liquor; season with salt, pepper, tomato catsup and tobasco sauce ; scatter over a few bits of butter, and then set the dish into a hot oven. Serve as soon as the oysters are poached, that is as soon as they are firm in the touch. Baked Oysters