Oyster Pates

Ingredients

• a tin of oysters
• another small tin of mushrooms
• half a pint of boiling milk
• sufficient butter and flour
• a brimming teaspoonful or rather more of anchovy sauce
• about half a teaspoonful of lemon juice
• a suspicion of nutmeg

Method

1. 1

   Pour the liquor off the oysters and mushrooms into a saucepan.

2. 2

   Reduce the liquor if excessive, then add boiling milk.

3. 3

   Rub the oysters through a sieve to create a pulp.

4. 4

   Mix in butter and flour to thicken, add pepper, anchovy sauce, nutmeg, and lemon juice.

5. 5

   Cut mushrooms into small pieces and add to the sauce.

6. 6

   Fill pate cases with the mixture and heat in the oven before serving.

Nutrition per serving

As published

This recipe was extracted from The housekeeper's guide to preserved meats, fruits, vegetables, &c (1880), page 172. The excerpt below is the record exactly as published.

oyster pates. I think the most valuable part of tinned oysters is the liquor in which the oysters are pre- served. This contains an enormous amount of strong oyster flavour. The drawback to the oysters themselves is that they are as a rule hard, tough, and somewhat indigestible. Indeed occa- sionally we. may come across tinned oysters, which, when in the mouth, re- mind one of chewing a white kid glove. Consequently the cook should always as nearly as possible act as follows. Tinned oysters are extremely valuable to be used to give oyster flavour, but are not suited to be eaten by themselves, though in many establishments in Lon- don oyster pates and oyster soups are made from tinned oysters, the oysters themselves being served up whole. A tin of oysters will make an excellent dish of oyster pates with the assistance of another small tin of mushrooms. Pour the liquor off both into a small saucepan with the oysters themselves. If the liquor be excessive in quantity the cook can reduce it by letting it boil. Next add to this half a pint of boiling milk. Now take a wire sieve and with a wooden spoon rub the whole of the oysters through it. The oysters now exist really in the form of a pulp in the sauce. Next take sufficient butter and flour to make this mixture as thick as good gruel. .Add to it a little pepper and a brimming teaspoon- ful or rather more of anchovy sauce, recollecting first to make it boil. Next add a “ suspicion of nutmeg” and about half a teaspoonful of lemon juice

Cook this with the app: pantry check, scaling, and the assistant.