Kromeskies.—Put 1 doz. oysters (tinned will do), with their liquor, into a saucepan, bring them to the boil, take them out and beard them, cut into pieces about the size of half a pea; return the beards to the saucepan, boil in their liquor to extract the flavour, put them back for 5 minutes to simmer. Make a panada of 1 oz. butter, 1 oz. flour, ¼ gill oyster liquor (add milk if short), pepper, salt, cayenne, and a few grates of nutmeg; put into a saucepan. When it thickens add the yolk of an egg, a teaspoonful of lemon juice, a teaspoonful of anchovy sauce; do not let it boil. Put the pieces of oyster in the panada to get thoroughly warmed through, turn out on a plate to cool. Then shape into cakes, inclose in very thin bacon, dip into frying batter, then drop into boiling fat, and fry. These can be warmed up in the oven. Batter for kromeskies: 4 oz. flour, 2 dessertspoonfuls salad oil, a pinch of salt, 1 gill tepid water, whites of 2 eggs beaten to a stiff froth; put the flour into a basin, make a well in the centre, then add salad oil, begin to stir very slowly, when it thickens add the water. After all the water is added let the mixture stand for 1 hour. Beat the whites of the eggs into a very stiff froth (it ought to be stiff enough to be able to cut it with a knife), stir into the batter very lightly. The best bacon for kromeskies is a block off the back, nearly all fat; parboil it for 20 minutes, let it get cold, cut into slices 2½ in. wide, 3 in. long, then wrap round the oyster shapes.
Olives.—Chop finely 1 lb. inside loin of mutton, with ½ lb. beef suet free from skin, and 1 pint oysters, scalded and bearded. Mix well, and season with pepper, salt, and mace, and a squeeze of lemon juice. When quite smooth, press all into a glazed pot. It will keep several days. For use, roll it into balls or cakes, and fry lightly.
Patties.—Make first a rich puff paste with ½ lb. Vienna flour and ½ lb. butter. Press all the moisture out of the butter with a clean cloth, then rub half of it very lightly into the flour, mix with sufficient cold water to form a paste, roll, and put on the remainder of the butter, fold in three, and roll out; repeat this, then fill the patty-pans, and bake quickly. Beard and drain 1 doz. oysters, add a few drops of lemon juice to the liquor, and thicken with flour, butter, and the yolk of an egg. Cut the oysters into dice, stir them into the mixture with a few drops of anchovy sauce; warm up, and fill the cases.
Pie.—Line the sides and edges of a buttered pie dish with puff paste. Take some large, fresh oysters, lay them in a stewpan, and stir to them pepper, salt, and mace to taste, a very little butter rolled in flour, and the liquor. When well mixed over the fire, pour it all into the pie dish, strew it thickly with breadcrumbs and chopped hard-boiled egg, cover the dish with paste, and bake in a quick oven.
Rissolettes.—Boil as many oysters as you may require in their own liquor, taking care that they are not too much done; a very few minutes will be enough. Take off the beards, return them to the liquor, taking them out of it again with a perforated ladle. The liquor must stand a short time to allow the sand to settle; pour it carefully into another basin through a fine strainer, that there may be no chance of any grit. Make a thickening of butter and flour, moistening it with the liquor. When the sauce is very thick, add a spoonful or two of cream and the same of good white stock; cut the oysters into dice and mix them with the sauce, which must be sufficiently thick to hold them together in a sort of paste. Season with a little salt and a very little cayenne pepper. If the flavour of mushrooms be liked, 2 or 3 may be cut into dice and fried in butter, dusted over with flour, and then mixed with the oysters. Make up into rissolettes, using puff paste rolled thin, and cutting them into small three-corner-shaped turnovers, putting about a teaspoonful of the oyster mixture into each. Brush over lightly with yolk of egg, bake in a quick oven, and serve piled up on a napkin in a dish garnished with parsley.
Roasted.—Large oysters will be found very nice if roasted in their shells. This operation is sometimes performed by simply putting the wretched oyster on the embers alive, and thus converting his own coat into a cooking pot. A far better plan is to open the oyster in the hollow shell, taking care to preserve the liquor. To every oyster give a little piece of butter, put on the flat shell as a lid, and then lay the oysters on the embers on a gridiron, or put them in a tin into the oven, taking care not to overcook them. When they are done administer to each a dash of lemon juice, and 2 or 3 grains of cayenne; replace the top shells, and serve instantly.
Sausages.—Beard the oysters and chop them very fine. To this add finely pounded breadcrumbs, sweet marjoram, parsley, and seasoning to taste, and mix it to a stiff paste with the yolk of an egg or two. Cut this into pieces the length and breadth of your thumb, and fry these a delicate brown. Serve on a napkin with fried parsley, or round mashed potato.
Scalloped.—Parboil 2 doz. oysters in their own liquor, beard them and cut them in half. Butter some scallop shells, fill them with a mixture of half breadcrumbs and half oysters, adding pepper and salt to taste, and a grate of nutmeg. Strain the liquor and divide it between the number of scallop shells you have, put a piece of butter in each shell, a few drops of lemon juice, and cover up with breadcrumbs, pressing down contents of each shell. Put into a very brisk oven till top is well browned.
Skewered (Hâtelets).—Beard 2 doz. oysters, and let them steep for some time in their own liquor. Cut some fat bacon into rounds, and place these and the oysters alternately on skewers, taking care to finish, as you began, with a round of bacon. Season with pepper and salt, egg and breadcrumb them, and fry a light brown. Serve on a napkin with fried parsley, or in a dish with the following sauce: Simmer the beards for 5 minutes in the oyster liquor, strain it, and add ¼ pint stock (fish stock is best); thicken with flour and butter, with a pinch of Nepaul pepper, salt to taste, and a little lemon juice. Give it one boil before adding the lemon juice, and serve.