386. Oysters à la Mali.
—Chop an onion very fine; place it in a stewpan with one ounce of butter, and let it get a good golden color, then add a tablespoonful of cooked, finely minced spinach, also a small glassful of white wine. Have eighteen medium-sized oysters chopped exceedingly small, and seasoned with a pinch of salt, and the same of pepper; place these in the stewpan, and let cook for fifteen minutes. Put in one whole egg, also a bruised clove of garlic; stir; then take six large, clean oyster-shells; fill the bottoms with a bed of three parboiled oysters, cover them with the spinach mixture, and besprinkle with fresh bread-crumbs. Flatten the tops with the blade of a knife, pour a very little clarified butter over, and put them for three minutes in the oven. Serve on a folded napkin, garnishing with parsley-leaves.
387. Oyster Patties.
—Take twenty-four medium-sized oysters (the least salted oysters are better for this purpose), put them in a stewpan with their own liquor, and add half a pinch of pepper. Cover, and let cook for two minutes; then take half the liquor out, and add to the oysters three-quarters of a pint of béchamel sauce ([No. 154]), and a very little grated nutmeg; simmer for two minutes, but do not let boil. Take six hot patties ([No. 266]), fill them up with four oysters each, pour the sauce over, and place the covers on top. Serve on a dish with a folded napkin.
388. Stewed Oysters à la Baltimore.
—Open neatly thirty-six medium-sized, fresh Rockaway oysters; place them in a saucepan without their juice, adding one ounce of good butter; cover the pan, put it on the stove, and let cook for two minutes, then add a small glassful of good Madeira wine (about a cocktail glass) and a very little cayenne pepper. Cook together for two minutes longer, then add one gill of Espagnole sauce ([No. 151]) and one gill of demi-glace ([No. 185]). Stir thoroughly until boiling, and just before serving squeeze in the juice of a good lemon, add half an ounce of good butter, also a teaspoonful of finely chopped parsley, and serve immediately in a hot tureen.
389. Soft Clams à la George Merrill.
—Have thirty-six fresh and rather small soft clams, throw away all the hard part, keeping nothing but the body. Place them in a stewpan with two ounces of butter, half a pinch of pepper, a finely chopped shallot, and half a glassful of Madeira wine. Let cook on the hot stove for seven minutes, then add a gill of Espagnole sauce ([No. 151]), a pinch of chopped parsley, the juice of a medium-sized, good lemon, and half an ounce of good butter, shuffling the whole well for three minutes longer, without letting it boil, then pour the clams into a hot tureen, and serve.
390. Soft Clams à la Newburg.
—Procure forty-two very fresh, soft clams, so that no sand should adhere to them after they are opened; lay them carefully in the palm of the left hand, and with the fingers of the right remove the body gently, but nothing else, being very careful not to break it, and throw away all that remains. When they are all prepared, place them in a stewpan with an ounce of good butter, half a pinch of white pepper, a wine-glassful of good Madeira wine, and two finely hashed, medium-sized truffles. Put on the cover, and let cook gently for eight minutes. Break three egg yolks into a bowl, add a pint of sweet cream; beat well for three minutes, then pour it over the clams; turn well the handle of the saucepan for two or three minutes, very gently shuffling the clams, but it must not boil again or the clams will break, and be very careful not to use either a spoon or fork. Pour them into a hot tureen, and send to the table at once.