The Whitehouse Cookbook (1887) Part 13

OYSTER SOUP.

For oyster soup, see SOUPS.

DRY OYSTER STEW.

Take six to twelve large oysters and cook them in half a pint of their own liquor; season with b.u.t.ter and white pepper; cook for five minutes, stirring constantly. Serve in hot soup plates or bowls.

_Fulton Market, New York._

BOSTON FRY.

Prepare the oysters in egg batter and fine cracker meal; fry in b.u.t.ter over a slow fire for about ten minutes; cover the hollow of a hot platter with tomato sauce; place the oysters in it, but not covering; garnished with chopped parsley sprinkled over the oysters.

_Boston Oyster House._

BROILED OYSTERS.

Dry a quart of oysters in a cloth, dip each in melted b.u.t.ter well peppered; then in beaten egg, or not, then in bread or cracker crumbs also peppered. Broil on a wire broiler over live coals three to five minutes. Dip over each a little melted b.u.t.ter. Serve hot.

ROAST OYSTERS IN THE Sh.e.l.l. No. 1.

Select the large ones, those usually termed "Saddle Rocks," formerly known as a distinct variety, but which are now but the large oysters selected from any beds; wash and wipe them, and place with the upper or deep sh.e.l.l down, to catch the juice, over or on live coals. When they open their sh.e.l.ls, remove the shallow one, being careful to save all the juice in the other; place them, sh.e.l.ls and all, on a hot platter, and send to the table hot to be seasoned by each person with b.u.t.ter and pepper to taste. If the oysters are fine, and they are just cooked enough and served hot, this is, _par excellence_, the style.

OYSTER ROAST. No. 2.

Put one quart of oysters in a basin with their own liquor and let them boil three or four minutes; season with a little salt, pepper and a heaping spoonful of b.u.t.ter. Serve on b.u.t.tered toast.

STEAMED OYSTERS.

Wash and drain a quart of counts or select oysters; put them in a shallow pan and place in a steamer over boiling water; cover and steam till they are plump, with the edges ruffled, but no longer. Place to a heated dish, with b.u.t.ter, pepper, and salt, and serve.

_Baltimore Style_

STEAMED OYSTERS IN THE Sh.e.l.l.

Wash and place them in an air-tight vessel, laying them the upper sh.e.l.l downward, so that the liquor will not run out when they open.

Place this dish or vessel over a pot of boiling water where they will get the steam. Boil them rapidly until the sh.e.l.ls open, about fifteen to twenty minutes. Serve at once while hot, seasoned with b.u.t.ter, salt and pepper.

PAN OYSTERS. No. 1.

Cut some stale bread into thin slices, taking off all the crust, round the slices to fit patty-pans; toast, b.u.t.ter, place them in the pans and moisten with three or four teaspoonfuls of oyster liquor; place on the toast a layer of oysters, sprinkle with pepper, and put a small piece of b.u.t.ter on top of each pan; place all the pans in a baking-pan, and place in the oven, covering tightly. They will cook in seven or eight minutes if the oven is hot; or, cook till the beards are ruffled; remove the cover, sprinkle lightly with salt, replace, and cook one minute longer. Serve in patty pans. They are delicious.

_New York Style._

PAN OYSTERS. No. 2.

Lay in a thin pie tin or dripping-pan, half a pint of large oysters, or more if required; have the pan large enough so that each oyster will lie flat on the bottom; put in over them a little oyster liquor, but not enough to float; place them carefully in a hot oven and just heat them through thoroughly--do not bake them--which will be in three to five minutes, according to fire; take them up and place on toast; first moistened with the hot juice from the pan. Are a very good subst.i.tute for oysters roasted in the sh.e.l.l, the slow cooking bringing out the flavor.

_French Restaurant, New Orleans, La._

OYSTER FRITTERS.

Select plump, good-sized oysters; drain off the juice, and to a cup of this juice add a cup of milk, a little salt, four well-beaten eggs, and flour enough to make batter like griddle-cakes.

Envelope an oyster in a spoonful of this batter (some cut them in halves or chop them fine), then fry in b.u.t.ter and lard, mixed in a frying pan the same as we fry eggs, turning to fry brown on both sides. Send to the table very hot.

_Delmonico._

Most cooks fry oyster fritters the same as crullers, in a quant.i.ty of hot lard, but this is not always convenient; either way they are excellent.

OYSTER PATTIES.

Line patty-pans with thin pastry, pressing it well to the tin. Put a piece of bread or a ball of paper in each. Cover them with paste and brush them over with the white of an egg. Cut an inch square of thin pastry, place on the centre of each, glaze this also with egg, and bake in a quick oven fifteen to twenty minutes. Remove the bread or paper when half cold.

Scald as many oysters as you require (allowing two for each patty, three if small) in their own liquor. Cut each in four and strain the liquor. Put two tablespoonfuls of b.u.t.ter and two of flour into a thick saucepan; stir them together over the fire till the flour smells cooked, and then pour half a pint of oyster liquor and half a pint of milk into the flour and b.u.t.ter. (If you have cream use it instead of milk.) Stir till it is a thick, smooth sauce. Put the oysters into it and let them boil once. Beat the yolks of two eggs. Remove the oysters for one minute from the fire, then stir the eggs into them till the sauce looks like thick custard.

Fill the patties with this oyster frica.s.see, taking care to make it hot by standing in boiling water before dinner on the day required, and to make the patty cases hot before you fill them.

FULTON MARKET ROAST.

It is still known in New York from the place at which it was and is still served. Take nine large oysters out of the sh.e.l.l; wash, dry and roast over a charcoal fire, on a broiler. Two minutes after the sh.e.l.ls open they will be done. Take them off quickly, saving the juice in a small shallow, tin pan; keep hot until all are done; b.u.t.ter them and sprinkle with pepper.

This is served for one person when calling for a roast of this kind.

It is often poured over a slice of toast.

SCALLOPED OYSTERS.

Have ready about a pint of fine cracker crumbs. b.u.t.ter a deep earthen dish; put a layer of the cracker crumbs on the bottom; wet this with some of the oyster liquor; next have a layer of oysters; sprinkle with salt and pepper, and lay small bits of b.u.t.ter upon them; then add another layer of cracker crumbs and oyster juice; then oysters, pepper, salt and b.u.t.ter, and so on, until the dish is full; the top layer to be cracker crumbs. Beat up an egg in a cup of milk and turn over all. Cover the dish and set it in the oven for thirty or forty-five minutes. When baked through, uncover the top, set on the upper grate and brown.

OYSTER POT-PIE.

Scald a quart can of oysters in their own liquor; when it boils, skim out the oysters and set them aside in a warm place. To the liquor add a pint of hot water; season well with salt and pepper, a generous piece of b.u.t.ter, thicken with flour and cold milk. Have ready nice light biscuit dough, rolled twice as thick as pie crust; cut out into inch squares, drop them into the boiling stew, cover closely, and cook forty minutes. When taken up, stir the oysters into the juice and serve all together in one dish. A nice side _entree_.