OYSTER PATTIES (an Entrée).
Ingredients.—2 dozen oysters, 2 oz. of butter, 3 tablespoonfuls of cream, a little lemon-juice, 1 blade of pounded mace; cayenne to taste. Mode.—Scald the oysters in their own liquor, beard them, and cut each one into 3 pieces. Put the butter into a stewpan, dredge in sufficient flour to dry it up; add the strained oyster-liquor with the other ingredients; put in the oysters, and let them heat gradually, but not boil fast. Make the patty-cases as directed for lobster patties, fill with the oyster mixture, and replace the covers. Time.—2 minutes for the oysters to simmer in the mixture. Average cost, exclusive of the patty-cases, 1s. 4d. Seasonable from September to April.
OYSTER SAUCE, to serve with Fish, Boiled Poultry, &c.
Ingredients.—3 dozen oysters, ½ pint of melted butter, made with milk. Mode.—Open the oysters carefully, and save their liquor; strain it into a clean saucepan (a lined one is best), put in the oysters, and let them just come to the boiling-point, when they should look plump. Take them off the fire immediately, and put the whole into a basin. Strain the liquor from them, mix with it sufficient melted butter made with milk to make ½ pint altogether. When this is ready and very smooth, put in the oysters, which should be previously bearded, if you wish the sauce to be really nice. Set it by the side of the fire to get thoroughly hot, but do not allow it to boil, or the oysters will immediately harden. Using cream instead of milk makes this sauce extremely delicious. When liked, add a seasoning of cayenne or anchovy sauce; but, as we have before stated, a plain sauce should be plain, and not be overpowered by highly-flavoured essences; therefore we recommend that the above directions be implicitly followed, and no seasoning added. Average cost for this quantity, 2s. Sufficient for 6 persons. Never allow fewer than 6 oysters to 1 person, unless the party is very large. Seasonable from September to April.
A more economical sauce may be made by using a smaller quantity of oysters, and not bearding them before they are added to the sauce: this may answer the purpose, but we cannot undertake to recommend it as a mode for making this delicious adjunct to fish, &c.