FRIED OYSTERS
For frying, choose the largest and finest oysters. Beat some yolks of eggs and mix with them grated bread, and a small quantity of beaten nutmeg and mace and a little salt. Having stirred this batter well, dip your oysters into it, and fry them in lard, till they are of a light brown colour. Take care not to do them too much. Serve them up hot.
For grated bread, some substitute crackers pounded to a powder, and mixed with yolk of egg and spice.
BAKED OR SCOLLOPED OYSTERS.
Grate a small loaf of stale-bread. Butter a deep dish well, and cover the sides and bottom with bread crumbs. Put in half the oysters with a little mace and pepper. Cover them with crumbs and small bits of butter strewed over them. Then put in the remainder of the oysters. Season them. Cover them as before with crumbs and butter. If the oysters are fresh, pour in a little of the liquor. If they are salt, substitute a little water. Bake them a very short time. You may cook them in the small scolloped dishes made for the purpose.
OYSTER PATTIES.
Make some rich puff-paste, and bake it in very small tin patty pans. When cool, turn them out upon a large dish.
Stew some large fresh oysters with a few cloves, a little mace and nutmeg, some yolk of egg boiled hard and grated, a little butter, and as much of the oyster liquor as will cover them. When they have stewed a little while, take them out of the pan, and set them away to cool. When quite cold, lay two or three oysters in each shell of puff-paste.
OYSTER-SAUCE.
When your oysters are opened, take care of all the liquor, and give them one boil in it. Then take the oysters out, and put to the liquor three or four blades of mace. Add to it some melted butter, and some thick cream or rich milk. Put in your oysters and give them a boil. As soon as they come to a boil, take them of the fire.