SHELL FISH

Oysters. Oysters furnish a delicious change in the daily menu. They can be served in an endless number of ways that will tempt the most delicate appetite. Raw oysters should be opened on the deep shell and served in it on a bed of cracked ice, with the half of a lemon and some stimulating condiment. Oyster cocktail is a popu- lar appetizer and it may be served in hock glasses or in lemon shells. If in the lemon shells, remove the pulp and fill the shells

60 THE MENDELSSOHN CLUB COOK BOOK.

with small oysters and pour over them a sauce made of 1 teaspoon- ful of grated horseradish, 2 teaspoonfuls of catsup, a dash of Worcestershire sauce and a pinch of salt. An oyster cocktail is also acceptably served in the center of a small grape fruit from which the core has been removed.

Oyster Cocktail for 5 Persons.

One tablespoonful Worcestershire; 1 tablespoonful Targon vinegar; 1 tablespoonful catsup, Snyder's; 1 tablespoonful lemon juice; 1 teaspoonful horseradish; 3^ teaspoonful tobasco sauce; salt to taste. Serve cracked ice and 1 tablespoonful in each dish of oysters.

• — Mrs. Arthur Fisher.

Oyster Stew. To 1 quart of solid oysters use 1 pint of water; when hot, skim. Put in a kettle with butter, salt and pepper. Boil 3 minutes, add 1 quart of new milk which has been previously heated. Bring all to nearly boiling point and serve immediately.

Panned Oysters.

Drain the oysters from the liquor; put them in hot pan or spider as soon as they begin to curl; add butter, pepper and salt. Serve on toast or without if preferred.

Fried Oysters. Only very fresh oysters should be used — beware of those with a green streak down the back. 1 loaf of dry bakers bread (very much better than cracker crumbs); grate this on a grater, dry the oysters, roll in flour, salt and pepper. Dip in batter made of 1 egg and 1 tablespoonful of milk, then roll in bread crumbs; repeat 3 times, fry in deep fat. Have the fat smoking hot, fry 1 minute.

— Mrs. Gussie Miner, The Thadwa.

Escalloped Oysters. Put layer of cracker crumbs (not too fine) in bottom of but- tered bake dish,, then layer of oysters, little lumps of butter; re- peat this until dish is filled. Save the liquor, add milk, salt and pepper and moisten well. Bake in a hot oven with cover on, till the last half hour; remove cover and brown nicely.

— Mrs. T. V. Engstrom.

Oyster Omelet.

Beat separately the whites and 3'olks of 5 eggs. Soak 1 cup of fine bread crumbs in 1 cup of milk with a little salt, add 1 cup chopped oysters drained and seasoned; lastly the stiffly beaten whites. Fry in buttered pan. — Mrs. W. S. M-iller.

Oyster Patties.

Make a rich cream dressing, then add oysters; cook until edges curl up, about 3 minutes. Then serve in patties made of rich puff paste.

Lobsters should alwa3's be cooked alive, never dead, for a dead lobster is poison. The only poison or unhealthy part of a Hve lobster is the dark vein running through the head. This is removed after the lobster is cooked before it is eaten. Baked lob- sters are as good as broiled lobsters and are much more easily pre- pared. Live lobsters should always be kept in sea water and should

never be kept very long before cooking.

— Mrs. Chandler Starr.

Baked Live Lobsters.

SpHt a live lobster and put in a roasting pan in a very hot oven; cook about 15 minutes. The liver (or tomalley) cooked with 1 tablespoonful of butter about 3 or 5 minutes and seasoned with salt, Cayenne pepper and Worcestershire sauce makes a dressing for the baked lobster. — Mrs. Chandler Starr.

Boiled Live Lobster.

Take a chicken lobster (or baby lobster as it is also called); put alive in a kettle of boiling sea water or fresh water salted. Put a cover and weight on top of kettle and boil for 20 minutes or un- til it has turned from green to a beautiful scarlet. Crack the shells in kitchen and serve hot on platter. The meat is delicate and de- licious. Take out of shells at table and eat with a little butter, salt and pepper. — Mrs. D. F. Scott,

Creamed Lobster.

One pint of lobster meat (chopped or picked up). 1 cup white

sauce seasoned with celery, parsley and a Httle Cayenne pepper.

Mix with the lobster and put in a baking dish, covering the top

with cracker crumbs. Bake in a moderate oven.

— Mrs. D. F. Scott.

62 THE MENDELSSOHN CLUB COOK BOOK.

Lobster a la Newberg.

Meat of a boiled lobster or 1 can of lobster; good sized lumps of butter; 1 gill of Sherry; 1 pint cream; yolks of 2 eggs. Glass of Sarentine (may be omitted). Put lobster into a pan or chafing dish with butter, stir gently until thoroughly heated. Mix Sherry, cream and yolks of eggs, first eggs and cream. Pour over lobster and let simmer, then add Sarentine, if used. Pour over toasted bread. Sherry may also be omitted.

— ^Mrs. T. V. Engstrom.

Lobster Cutlets.

Put 2 tablespoonfuls of butter in a dish over a fire; when

melted add 2 tablespoonfuls of flour, rub together until smooth,

then add 1 cup of sweet cream, salt; when thickened add 3^ pound

of lobsters, diced. Turn out on well buttered platter and cool,

then cut in the form of cutlets, dip in egg, then in cracker crumbs,

and fry in deep fat.

— Mrs. Edwin M. St. John.

Shrimps are served on the Pacific Coast, boiled and served in their shells, which are easily opened. After removing from shell the little dark streak should be pulled out. They are also delicious in salad combined with equal parts of celery and Mayonnaise poured over them.

Buttered Shrimps.

Shell some shrimps and place in a frying pan with a lump of butter, a small quantity of salt and pepper and stir over fire until hot. Fry thin slices of bread in butter, drain, when a golden brown, place them on a hot dish, pile buttered shrimps on bread and serve.

Creamed Shrimps.

Prepare the shrimps, taking them from the shells or the can

and let stand in cold water for Y^ hour; make a rich cream dressing,

break the shrimps in little dice and add to the cream sauce. Put

this in Ramikens, with bread crumbs on top and brown i n the

oven nicely.

— Mrs. Fannie Moffatt.

Steamed Clams.

Clams for steaming should always be alive and in the shell. Wash the shells thoroughly and put in steamer over a kettle of boiling water; steam about 20 minutes. Serve in large soup plates, in shells. The true way to eat, is to take the shell up in the fingers, open it and take out the clam and dip in a saucer of melted butter and eat. It is a dish fit for the Gods. Only novices attempt to eat steamed clams with a knife and fork.

— Mrs. Daisy Force Scott.

Stewed Soft Clams.

Thoroughly wash about 33/^ dozen fresh soft clams so that no sand remains in them after they are opened; lay them carefully on the palm of the left hand and with the right hand remove the body with care, but nothing more, being cautious not to break it, and throwing away all the other part. When all are prepared, place them in a stew pan with 1 ounce of butter, small pinch of white pepper, 1 wine glass of Maderia wine and 2 finely hashed medium sized truffles;' place the cover on pan and cook gently for 7 or 8 min- utes. Break the yolks of 3 eggs into a bowl, add 1 pint of sweet cream and beat well for 3 minutes. Pour this over the clams and toss the sauce pan for about 3 minutes more very gently to thor- oughly mix the clams with the cream, but not letting the liquor boil again. Neither a fork or spoon should ever be used in mixing them. Serve in hot dish at once.

Clam Fritters.

Place some fresh clams into one pan, and the liquor from them into another. Prepare a mixture of broken crackers and flour in equal quantities and dip the clams first into their own liquor and then into this, repeating this operation 3 times, finally dipping them into milk, and then again into the flour mixture. Have pre- pared some boiling lard, drop in a few clams at a time, let them fry for about 5 minutes; then remove them with a skimmer, place them on a strainer, drain away the fat, and they are ready to be served. The pan containing the lard should be so deep that the clams will be covered when put in.

Crabs. Crabs are in season from April to September. The richest flavored crabs are those of medium size, say from 6 to 10 inches in their broadest diameter. They should be boiled alive, being

64 THF AIKXDELSSOHN CLUB COOK HOOIv.

plunged into cold water and as the water warms a handful or so of salt should be thrown in. Boil 20 minutes or Y2 hour, according to size. Some authorities claim that if they are put in hot water first they are apt to throw ofT their claws by a violent jerk and then the water would soak into the flesh and make it sloppy. The scum should be carefully skimmed off after the salt is put in. They should be firm and stiff and the eyes bright. The male crab has the largest claws, therefore is much more preferable.

Broiled Soft-Shell Crabs.

Dip some soft shell crabs into melted butter and season with pepper and salt. Broil them until the shells are shghtly brown. As soon as done, serve them hot, with melted butter or lemon juice or with a lemon cut into quarters. Slices of hot toast should be laid under them.

Stone Crabs.

Should be served cold as they are considered dangerous to eat hot. Plunge in boiling hot water, cook 30 minutes. Break shells with hammer; serve on platter with tartare sauce or French dressing.

— Mrs. Gussie Miner, The Thadwa.

Deviled Crabs.

One quart crab meat; 3 large boiled potatoes, chopped fine; \^ pound bacon, chopped; 1 tablespoonful cracker meal; 2 eggs; salt, pepper and Cayenne pepper. Put back in shell and bake 1 hour, baste with butter and water.

— Mrs. Gussie Miner, The Thadwa.

Frogs Legs.

Lay the frogs on their backs. Make a long incision from the neck along the side of the belly. Make another at right angles across the middle of the belly, dissect, cut the entrails and cut away the head, leaving only the back and legs. Skin the frogs and chop off their feet. Wash them thoroughly and blanch in scalding salted water. Prepare 18 in this way, lay the hind quarters in a dish and pour over them 2 tablespoonfuls of sweet oil. Seasoning with salt and pepper and a little lemon juice; roll them around several times in this seasoning, place in a broiler and broil for 4 minutes on each side. Arrange on a hot dish and serve.

Frog Legs Provencal Fashion.

Remove the bones from the legs and cut the meat in 3^ inch pieces. Melt 2 tablespoonfuls of butter in the blazer, and in it saute the pieces of meat to a golden brown color. At the same time saute in the pan, for each cup of meat, 2 mushroom caps, peeled and broken in pieces, and a small bit of garlic, crushed fine. When all are browned, stir in 2 tablespoonfuls of flour and a dash of salt and pepper. Stir and cook until the flour is absorbed, then add half a cup each, of rich, brown stock and tomato puree. Stir until the boiling point is reached, then finish with 4 or 5 small, stoned olives, twice as many bits of cooked carrot, and 2 table- spoonfuls of claret wine, and serve.

Baked Terrapin.

Cut off the head of a live Terrapin, put it into a pot of boil- ing hot water, with the shell on and boil, until under shell can be removed easily. Take out all the meat, cleaning the upper shell thoroughly; pick meat to pieces and mix it up with a few crackers and chopped onions, a small quantity each of allspice, black pepper, chopped parsley and butter, and pour over a small quantity of wine. Put back into top shell, place slices of lemon on top, set n oven and bake. When done, serve hot.

Terrapin a la Maryland.

Cut the bones and entrails of 1 terrapin into small pieces and with the meat cook them in 1 cup of chicken stock and 2 table- spoons of wine slowly till the liquor is cooked down one-half. Cut the liver in pieces and add it with the yolks of 3 eggs, slightly beaten; 1 teaspoon lemon juice; 23^ tablespoons butter, creamed with 1 tablespoon flour; 14, cup cream; add salt, black and Cayenne pep- per to, taste. Cook a little longer and just before serving add 1 tablespoon sherry.

66 THE MENDELSSOHN CLUB COOK BOOK.

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