CURRIED OYSTERS
Drain twenty-five good, fat oysters, boil the liquor, skim and strain it. Into a saucepan put one tablespoonful of butter, slice into it one good-sized onion; stir and cook until the onion is a golden brown. Then add a level tablespoonful of flour, mix and add the oyster liquor, which should measure one-half pint. If it does not, add sufficient chicken stock to make the quantity; stir until boiling; mix a teaspoonful of curry powder with a little stock, a teaspoonful of turmeric, moistened with a little starch, and boil again; add one-half teaspoonful of salt and strain into the upper part of a double boiler. Have ready now a griddle, quite hot. Brush it lightly with butter, throw on four or five of the oysters; as soon as they sear or brown, turn them, brown, and throw them into the curry sauce. So continue until you have the whole number cooked. Serve at once.
SAUTED OYSTERS
Drain twenty-five fat oysters, spread them out on a board, carefully lifting them with the fingers by the muscular part. Never stick a fork into an oyster. With a soft piece of cheese cloth, dry each one carefully without bruising. Dust lightly with salt and red pepper. Have ready a large sheet-iron sauted pan. Put in the bottom just sufficient butter to keep the oyster from sticking. Have at your side the serving dish, nicely heated, in which you may put a tablespoonful of butter, and if you use wine, a tablespoonful of sherry, and about four drops of Worcestershire sauce. Now throw the oysters, a few at a time, into the hot pan. Shake them. Lift them quickly as soon as the gills have curled; put them into the serving dish and then cook a second lot. Do not cook over eight at a time. Serve at once.
BOILED OYSTERS
Melt two tablespoonfuls of butter and then strain or pour it off carefully, leaving the sediment in the melting pan. Put the strained butter in a heated dish in which you are going to serve the oysters. Have ready a good-sized kettle of boiling water. Have the oysters drained in a bowl, which hold close to the kettle in your left hand. Now with a skimmer take out five or six oysters. Throw them into the boiling water for just a minute. Then with the same skimmer take them out, drain carefully, throw them into the heated dish of melted butter, and so continue until you have the desired quantity boiled. Add then to each twenty-five a half-teaspoonful of salt and just a grain of cayenne. Serve smoking hot. This is one of the most delicious ways of cooking oysters. If you use wine, two tablespoonfuls of sherry may be added.
OYSTERS A LA NEWBURG
Drain fifty oysters; pour over them a pitcher of cold water. Have ready a granite pan, smoking hot; throw in the oysters; add two ounces of butter, a teaspoonful of salt and a quarter of a teaspoonful of pepper. Stir carefully with a wooden spoon until the oysters are smoking hot. Have ready the yolks of two eggs beaten with six tablespoonfuls of cream; add quickly−−do not boil; then add a tablespoonful of sherry and serve on nicely browned toast.