Butter a number of small tins with upright sides, like those of muffin-rings. Cut rounds of bread to fit the bottoms; toast these, butter well, and fit each into its place. Wet with oyster-liquor; then lay in as many oysters as the tins will hold; dust with pepper and salt; put a bit of butter upon each, arrange the tins in a large dripping-pan; cover with another to keep in steam, and flavor, and cook eight minutes, or until the oysters “ruffle.” Send up in the tins—“hot and hot.”
Fowl and Rice Croquettes.
Cut the meat from the skeleton of your cold chicken. Break up the bones, and cover with a quart of cold water, adding skin and gristle. Boil down to a pint, cool, take off the fat; return to the fire; salt, and put in half a cupful of raw rice. Cook in a farina-kettle until the rice is soft and dry; stir in, then, a tablespoonful of butter, and turn upon a flat dish, to cool. Meanwhile, put the minced chicken into a saucepan with a little of yesterday’s soup; season, and stir over the fire until very hot. Beat a raw egg into the cold rice; flour your hands, and make into oblong flat cakes. Put a great spoonful of mince in the hollowed centre of each; enclose by folding the rice upon it; roll each in flour; then in raw egg; lastly in pounded cracker, and fry to a fine yellow brown.
Potatoes à l’Italienne.
Whip the boiled potatoes to a dry meal with a fork; still using the fork, beat in butter, salt, pepper, and two tablespoonfuls of cream. Pile, like rock-work, upon a stone-china dish, or within a pudding-dish that has a silver stand for the table, and brown delicately and quickly upon the upper grating of the oven.
Canned Corn Pudding.
Drain and chop the corn; add a cupful of milk, 2 tablespoonfuls of melted butter, and 1 of sugar; pepper, salt, and 2 beaten eggs. Beat all light; pour in a greased bake-dish; bake, covered, half an hour; then brown.
Boiled Custards and Cake.
1 quart of milk; yolks of 5 eggs and the whites of 2, reserving 3 for the méringue; 6 tablespoonfuls of sugar; flavoring extract, 1 teaspoonful to the pint.
Heat the milk to scalding; pour gradually, upon the beaten yolks and two whites, whipped light with the sugar. Return to the custard-kettle, and stir until it begins to thicken. When cold, flavor; pour into glass or china cups; whip the whites to a froth with a little sugar, and pile upon the top. Lay a preserved berry, or a bit of bright jelly, upon the top of each snowy heap. Eat with cake.