SHELL-FISH

witli this dish. Broiled Crabs are nice if first dipped in melted butter, seasoned with pepper and salt. Some drop them into hot water for one minute, then broil. Serve with Drawn Butter or Tartare Sauce.

Deviled Ci'ahs. — Pick the meat from boiled crabs, cut in fine bits and mix with all the creamy white substance and green fat, add one-third as much bread-crumbs, two or three chopped hard-boiled eggs, and lemon juice ; season with pepper, salt, and butter, and add enough cream, stock or water to moisten. Clean shells nicely and fill with the mixture, sprinkle over with bread crumbs and small bits of butter, and brown in oven. Must be served either very hot or i»erfectly cold. x\rrange siiells on platter with sprig parsley in top of each, and send cream crackers on with them. Lobsters may be i)repared and served same. Some like the addition of a very lit- tle shallot and parsley chopped fine.

Boiled Lobster. — Put in boiling water, Avith little salt, and boil till cooked through and shell turns red; rub shell with sweet oil after wiping to brighten color. Split body and tail through, crack claws and it is ready to serve, but must be cut up fine before eating.

A dressing made of salt, mustard, oil, cayeime pejjper and vinegar, mixed with the yolk of an egg, is usually prepared for it. The white of a hard-boiled egg may be minced fine and strewn over it. Boiled CVr^Zi-s a re prepared and served same, procuring the hard-shelled, and be- iiv..i.a Lob~t,r. ii^o careful to remove eyes, soft fins,

etc., before cooking. The meat is often picked from shell before sent to table and served with salt, pepj^er, lemon juice or vinegar, or any good table sauce, or heat it in White Sauce, or with butter, vinegar and a rather high seasoning.

Broiled Lobster. — Cut tail part of lobster in two, rub a little sweet (>il over the meat and broil. When done, brush a little butter over it with juice of half a lemon and a very little cayenne. Put meat back in shell and send to table with dish of broiled tomatoes and fresh baked potatoes. Or cut tail in square pieces, cut a few thin slices bacon into squares a little larger than the lobster; place on a skewer alternately and broil ; baste as above and send to tal)le on bed of water-cresses.

Deviled Lobster.— Take the meat from boiled lobsters as di- rected in Lobster Salad and chop fine, or cut into fine dice, reserv- ing the coral. Rub the coral smooth, moistening with vinegar until thin enough to pour easily. Season the lobster meat highly with mustard, cayenne, salt, and sharp sauce. Toss up with a fork until

SHELL-FISH. 801

mixed, and put in covered saucepan with only enough hot water to keep from burning; boil up ooce and stir in prepared coral, add ♦^blespoon butter and when it reaches boiling point take from fire. Do not cook too much or meat will bo tough. May be served hot in deep dish or put back in shells, or in baking dish, covered with bread-crumbs and bits of butter and browned in oven. If to be served in shells, be careful in opening not to break the body or tail of shells, which must be washed and dried, rubbed with oil, and if two lobsters are used may be put together in form of a boat. Some chop a little parsley and shallot with the meat, add a few drops essence anchovies, tablespoon vinegar, cayenne pepper and salt, and a little Cream or Bechamel Sauce ; boil all well together, add beaten yolk of an egg, put in the shells, cover with bread-crumbs and bits of butter and brown twenty minutes in oven. Or, boil a pint ofci-eam or milk and stir with it two tablespoons flour and one ~ of mustard mixed smooth with

three tablespoons hot cream ; cook two minutes, add meat from two lobsters with salt, pepper, and pinch cayenne, boil one minute, put in shells as above, brown in oeriied LoVstTr. - ovcu aud scrvB on long narrow

platter, with body in center and tails at each end, garnished with parsley and sliced lemon. The prepared meat left over is nice re- heated and served on slices of toast for breakfast. For Scalloped Lohstei\ omit the mustard in last recipe, put the mixture in buttered dish or scallop shells and finish as above. White Stock or water may be used instead of milk or cream and some prefer to thicken with corn-starch. Canned lobster ma}'^ be used in any of above recipes.

Moasted Lobster. — When lobster is half cooked, remove from water and rub thoroughly with butter, put in heated pan in hot oven and baste constantly with butter until it has a fine froth and shell is dark brown. Place on dish and serve with melted butter.

Lohster Croquettes. — Chop meat of a boiled lobster fine with quarter as much bread as meat ; add pepper, salt, and mace if liked, make into pointed balls jvith two tablespoons melted butter, single- bread them and fry in butter or lard. Serve dry and hot and garn- ish with crisp parsley. Delicious entree, or supper dish.

Lobster Cutlets. — Prepare the cutlets as directed in Cape ^lay Salad, single-bread them, taking care to have every part covered, place in frying basket and fry in hot fat till a rich brown — about two minutes. Drain, arrange on hot dish with part of a claw in each to re})resent bones in cutlets, and garnish with crisped parsley. White or Bechamel Sauce may be served around cutlets if liked.

Ragout of Lobster. — Cut meat of boiled lobster install pieces; ).x)und spawn to a smooth paste, with two tablespoons butter, salt,

802 SHELL-Kisn.

pepper and a little mace. Put a gill water in saucepan, thicken with two well-beaten eggs; add the spawn and stir over fire briskly ten minutes. Add lobster meat, boil up once and serve very hot.

Broiled Ousters. — Dry large, selected oysters in a napkin, salt and pepper them and broil on a fine folding wire-broiler, well but- tered to prevent sticking, turning frequently to keep the juice from wasting. Serve immediately in hot dish with bits of buttei :)\-\ them. Or, dry the oysters in a napkin, dip each in butter previously salted and peppered, roll well in sifted cracker-du.st or bread-crumbs, let lie a few minutes, dip again in melted butter, roll in crumbs and broil over good fire from 'axa to seven minutes, not very brown or they will not be so juic)', and serve immediately in hot dish with butter, pepper and salt, or on nice diamond-shaped pieces of toast, with lit- tle melted butter on each. Yov Broiled Ousters in Shell, select large shells, ™'''°« ^"' '''"^""•

clean with a brush, open, saving juice, and put oysters in boiling water for a few minutes ; remove and i)lace each oyster in a half- shell, with juice; place on gridiron over brisk fire, and when they begin to boil, season with butter, salt and pepper and some add a dro|i of lemon juice. Serve on half-shell. Or, remove from shell and heat two dozen oysters in their own liquor, drain and add to oysters in pan a lump of butter, little chopped parsley and shallot, pepper and salt and scald but do not boil; then put back in shells with a few drops lemon juice, cover with bread-crumbs and broil; when they boil in shell take from fire and serve at once. Or, open oysters, leaving them in their deep shell, taking care not to spill the juice, season with sni;ill ])ieee butter, a little cayenne, salt, and lemon juice if liked ; place on gridiron over brisk fire and broil about thre« minutes. Serve with bread and butter.

Creamed Of/sters. — Put pint cream in custard kettle with a slice of onion and bit of mace and let boil ; add tablespoon flour mixed smooth with little cold milk or cream, and salt or pepper to taste ; have the oysters scalded in their own liquor, skimmed if necessary, drain and add them to the bailing cream. Skim out mace and onions and serve very hot on slices of hot buttered toast. Some do not scald the oysters before adding to cream and add their liquor also. The onion and mace may be omitted.

Curried Ousters. — Put liquor drained from a quart oysters in saucepan, add half cup butter, two tablespoons flour,* and one of curry-powder, well mixed; let boil, add oysters and a little salt; boil up once and serve. Or With Onions, open three dozen oysters, leaving them in their own liquor; cut one medium-sized onion in, small dice, and lightly fry in stewpan with tablespoon butter. When done, mix in one teaspoon curry-powder and little flour, add oysters

SHELL-FISH. 803

with their liquor, and keep stirring over fire until the oysters be- come enveloped in a thick sauce, when turn out upon dish and serve with boiled rice.

Deviled Oysters. — Wipe oysters dry, lay in a flat dish and cover with a mixture of melted butter, cayeAne pepper (or pepper sauce), and lemon juice. Let them lie in this for ten minutes, turning fre- quently ; take out, roll in cracker crumbs, then in beaten egg, then in crumbs, and fry in hot lard and butter, half and half.

Fried Oysters. — This, next to soup, is the way in which oysters are most generally served and we give a number of recipes ; for all of them, the oysters must be drained thoroughly in colander and all hits of shell lemoved; to do which it is sometimes necessary to take up each oyster, and some dry on a soft white cloth, although it is best to handle them as little as possible as it tends to toughen them. They can be breaded in any of the ways given on page 299 and bread-crumbs may be used, but it is then very necessary that they be wiped dry before dipping, but with cracker-dust draining is all that is needed. Where one is near a large bakery, it is nicer to buy the latter rather than prepare it one's self and is even more economical. For Buckeye Fried Oysters, take medium-sized oys- ters, prepare as above, sprinkle with pepper and salt, and set in cool place for ten or fifteen minutes. Then pour them into a pan of finely- rolled crackers, add liquor, mix well, and let stand five minutes, add a little salt and pepper, mold into small cakes with two or three oysters in each, roll in dry cracker-dust until well encrusted, and fry in hot lard and butter, or drippings. Serve hot in covered dish. Or if large oysters dip each in yolk of eggs, well seasoned and beaten, then in corn meal with a little baking powder mixed with it, and fry like fritters ; or put in frying basket and place in the hot lard ; or take two parts rolled crackers and one part corn meal, and treat as above. For Boston Fried Oysters., when oysters are ready, put in hot frying-pan, turn so as to brown on both sides, taking away the liquor as fast as it collects. They cook in this way in a few moments, and the p

804 S!IELL-FISH.

Borbed by the cracker-clust ; now heat iu frying-pan one pound oi clarified fat or lard; when the blue smoke arises (which indicates ft heat of 375 ", the proper cooking point), drop into it a peeled po- tato or piece of hard bread, which has the effect of preventing the fat growing hotter, drop in oysters very lightly, and when a light brown turn to brown the other side ; and then ekim out into colan- der to drain a moment, or lay upon a piece of brown paper, which will absorb superfluous grease ; or have drii>ping-pan lined with brown pai)er, place in that and put in oven. In that way they can drain and be kept hot till ready to serve. The time for cooking is about three minutes. Serve hot on a hot platter. Fried oysters, to be at their be^^t, must be eaten as soon as cooked ; and when it is possible, i f a second supply is to be needed, it should be cooked while the first is being served and eaten. For reason given above use the hands as little as possible ; all the rolling and dipping may be done \vith a fork, without mangling the oyster. Philadelphia Fried Of/sters are prepared by rolling them in flour, seasoned with salt and pepper, droiiping them into an ecjual mixture of lard and salad oil made smoking hot in frying-pan, and ser\'ing them the instant their edges begin to curl. For Gopher Fried Oyster, beat three or more eggs, according to number of oysters to be fried, add equal bulk of rich cream and season with salt and pepper; dip oysters, one by one in this and then roll carefully in either sifted bread or cracker-crumbs. Let stand in a cool place till ready to fry, an hour or so will not hurt them, fry in frying-pan or like fritters. With Oil, beat the yolks of six

SHELL-FISH. 805

ley. The loaf may be used several times if cared for carefully ; or prepare small rolls in same way, cutting them in two lengthwise, lill, tie, and serve individually. These are also nice filled with any galad or chopped meats. Always serve pickles, slaw, grated horse- radish, etc., with fried oysters.

Fricasseed Oysters. — Drain liquor from a quart oysters, strain pint of it into stewpan and when it boils put in oysters ; when they begin to swell add tablespoon flour rubbed smooth with two of but- ter and cook until oysters are white and plump, add a gill cream with white pepper and salt to taste and serve hot ; some add beaten €gg and juice of a lemon, sprinkling a little chopped parsley over the fricassee, after dishing and just before serving; or omit liquor, put drained oysters in a hot frying-pan with tablespoon butter, then finish as above adding an egg or two with the cream. For a richer fricassee, parboil or swell fifty fine oysters in their own juice. Re- move scum, and place juice and oysters in a hot tureen, cover and keep in a warm place. Rub together six tablespoons butter, three of flour and a half gill hot cream till a smooth paste ; add this to a -quart and a half hot cream in stewpan over fire, and stir constantly ; season to taste with salt, white pepper, allspice, mace and a little nutmeg; stir until mixture begins to thicken, then add the well- beaten yolks of six eggs. Strain mixture over oysters, stir well, then cover thickly with bread-crumbs, on top of which lay a few bits of butter. Place in quick oven until top is of a very rich brown. Serve very hot. Some like the addition of a teaspoon chopped parsley, and if served in an open dish garnish with squares or rounds of fried bread and sprigs of parsley, Or take a slice of raw ham (corned and not smoked), soak in boiling water half an hour, cut in very small slices and put in saucepan with two-thirds pint veal or chicken broth, strained, the liquor from one quart oysters, a small onion minced very fine, and a

Hidden Of/siers. — Cut as many thin slices of fat bacon as there are oysters, large New York Counts, dust a little cayenne on each oyster and wrap a slice of bacon around it, keeping in place with wooden toothpicks ; heat a fr^'ing-pan, put in bacon and oysters and keep over quick fire until bacon is browned on all sides, being care- ful not to burn ; take out the toothpicks or not as preferred, and serve singly on small squares of toast. Must all be prepared very «[uickly and served very hot.

806 SHELL-KISH.

Panned Oysters. — Cut stale bread in thin slices, then round them, removing all crust, to fit patty-pans; toast them, butter, and place in pans; moisten with three or four teaspoons oyster liquor; then place on toast a layer of 03'sters, sprinkle with pepper, and put on top small piece butter ; place pans in baking pan and ])ut in oven, covering with tin lid, or if latter is not large enough, another pan to keep in the steam and flavor ; have a quick oven, and when cooked seven or eight minutes, until edges curl, remove cover and sprinkle with salt; rephice cover and cook one minute longer. Serve in the patty-pans. Using Paper Cases or Patty Shells look nicer in serv- ing, and the latter can be eaten with the oysters. If wanted panned in their own juice, select two dozen of the freshest oysters, have a small pan about an inch deep with a handle ; open oysters into pan sind add as much more juice. Add tablespoon butter, pinch of salt and black pepper, and sprinkle a little cracker-dust on top. Place on quick tire, and when oysters begin to swell they are done. Serve on toast. Or With Cream^ place in stewpan, add some pepper, a little mace, two cloves, and four or five tablespoons cream. Set over fire until oysters swell. Then pour over toast and add a few bits of butter. Put tablespoon flour with liquor from oysters, mix smoothly together and bring to a l)oil. Pour this over the oysters and toast, put in very hot oven and brown top a little. A few bread- crumbs may be sprinkled on top dish with bits of parsley before baking. To pan oysters In the Shell select the largest ones, wash both shells perfectly clean, put in baking pan with round side down, and place in oven. In a few minutes

Pickled Ousters. — Place oysters in saucepan and simmer gently in their own liquor about ten minutes. Take them out one by one, j)lace in jar, cover, and when cold add a pickle made as follows; Measure tlie oyster liquor, add to it same quantity of vinegar, one })lade pounded mace, strip of lemon peel and whole cloves and boil five minutes. When cold ]iour over oysters and cover and tie very closely. Or to the liquor from a hundred oysters add a teaspoon black pepper, a pod of red pepper broken in bits, two blades of mace, teaspoon salt, two dozen cloves, and half pint best vinegar, when hot remove scum, add oysters and siinmer gently until the edges curl, take out and [uit in small jars with the spice ; then boil the pickle, skim, and ])our over them. Thin lemon slices may lie scattered through the jars with oysters. This pickle will be ready for use after standing overnight, but may be kept four or five weeks. Keep pickled oysters in cool, dark place and Avhen ajar is opened use all at once, or as quickly as possible lest they spoil. Some plump the oysters in clear boiling water, tb^n put in (M)ld water to 5et color and keep

SHELL-FISH. . ' 807

them plump; drain, place in jars and pour above pickle over them. The pickle is nicer if the liquor is boiled, skimmed and strained be- fore adding vinegar, and some boil with it a bit of alum size of fil- bert, putting spices in jars with oysters instead of first adding them to the pickle. For Spiced Oysters, scald one hundred fine large oysters in their own liquor ; take out and lay on clean cloth to cool ; strain liquor from oysters and add to it as much water as their is liquor. Set over fire, and as it boils remove the scum, then add six or eight blades of mace, half ounce allspice, half teaspoon black pep- per, six large cloves, a pint and a half vinegar, and a few small pickles cut up fine. Boil this three minutes. Put the oysters into a stone-ware pot, pour the pickle over them, cover closely, and set in a cool place. Will be ready for use next day.

Raw Oysters. — Procure oysters as nearly of a size as possible, and have the shell scrubbed with a brush till free from sand or dirt; open as directed in preface, detaching the flat shell, loosen the oyster from the round or deep shell, but leave in it, and serve half dozen on a plate, with quarter of lemon and a bit of parsley in center. Eat Avith salt, pepper and lemon juice or vinegar. Some season in the shell before serving with adust of cayenne and a little lemon juice, while others serve only in their own liquor with the dust of cayenne and accompanied with quarters of lemon, brown bread and butter. In serving them without the shells the most attractive way is in a dish of ice, made by freezing water in a tin form shaped like a salad bowl, or in a Boat of Ice. Select a large block of ice, of crystal clearness ; with a hot flat iron melt a large enough place in the top to hold oysters, then chip from sides until shaped like a boat. Keep it where it may not melt. The oysters should be well drained, seas- oned with pepper and salt, and placed in the ice-boat. Just before dinner is served, arrange a bed of fresh green geranium leaves or parsley or any green upon a low platter and place the boat upon it, propping it up if necessary with a few small lumps of ice hidden among the leaves. Twine delicate green vines prettily over the boat and arrange a circle of vivid scarlet geraniums upon the platter around the base of the boat and place on upper edge halves or quar- ters of lemon as a garnish. Two folded napkins may be placed on platter to prevent the boat from slipping, then cover as above. This is a very elegant manner of serving, much more pleasing in appear- ance than the