Bachelor's Fry

PLACE the oysters flat and smooth in a frying-basket and dip for a half moment in boiling water deep enough to cover them; lift the basket out and dip for a moment in cold water and then lay the oysters smooth between a folded napkin to dry. Sprinkle them with pepper, salt, a little grated nutmeg and a squeeze of lemon-juice, and let them dry for an hour or so. When ready to use dip them in a thin batter and fry in hot olive-oil, a few at a time. Serve on hot plates.

Beach Nuts

HAVE large fat oysters and very thin wafer-like slices of bacon. Wash and wipe each oyster dry and sprinkle with pepper. Trim the rind and any hard pieces from the bacon and wrap each oyster in a slice and pin it tightly with a wooden toothpick. Put them in a hot frying-pan and cook till the bacon is brown, turning each over once. Serve on a hot plate with pieces of lemon and sprigs of parsley.

Cochonnee

USE large selected oysters, pick them over carefully and wash and dry them on a napkin. Have wafer-like slices of sweet salt pork, parboil them and wipe dry with a cloth. Sprinkle the oysters with white pepper and wrap each one in a slice of the pork, fastening with a wooden toothpick. Put in a hot frying-pan, only a few at a time, and cook long enough to brown the pork crisp on both sides. Serve very hot on a hot platter.

Fraternity Fry

PARBOIL large fat oysters with a slice of onion, bit of mace and a sprig of parsley; drain, wipe dry, lay smooth on a buttered plate and put on the ice. When cold, roll each oyster in fine cracker-crumbs, then cover with thick mayonnaise dressing and roll in cracker-crumbs again. Allow them to dry for a couple of hours, and if necessary roll again in the crumbs, lay in a wire frying-basket and plunge in smoking hot lard for one minute. Serve with them sandwiches made by buttering thin bread, freed from all crust, and rolled around a crisp piece of celery, and tied with baby ribbon.

Fricassee

WASH the oysters and lay them between a folded napkin to dry. Strain the liquor and add to it sufficient cream to make a pint; put on to heat. Cook two tablespoonfuls of flour in two of hot butter and add slowly to the cream, stirring well as it thickens. Season with a tablespoonful of lemon-juice, a saltspoonful of paprika and salt to taste; just as it is taken from the fire add two well-beaten eggs. Dip the dried oysters in melted butter, then in fine cracker-crumbs seasoned with salt and pepper. Brown quickly, only a few at a time, in hot butter, turning once, and drain on soft paper. Pour the sauce in a shallow platter and lay the browned oysters on top.

Fried

THE oysters should be the largest and finest obtainable. Wipe them perfectly dry. Beat up an egg and mix with it a table-spoonful of cream. Have fine cracker-crumbs seasoned with salt, pepper and a little grated nutmeg. Dip the oysters first in the crumbs, then in the beaten egg, then roll thoroughly in the crumbs again. Lay flat on a plate not touching each other and set away for two or three hours that they may dry. Have deep lard boiling; lay the oysters in a frying-basket, not close enough to touch, and plunge them in the boiling fat from three to five minutes. Drain on a paper laid near the oven door. Serve very hot, garnished with sliced lemon and parsley. Serve with them celery salad.

Fritters

SCALD small oysters in their own liquor; remove and drain Separate two eggs; beat the yolks and add slowly two table-spoonfuls of olive-oil, salt, white pepper and a cupful of flour; when well mixed stir in a half-cupful of the strained oyster liquor, a little at a time, and a tablespoonful of lemon-juice. Beat thoroughly and set aside for two hours or longer. When ready to use stir in the oysters and the beaten whites of the two eggs. Drop a tablespoonful at a time of this mixture into boiling fat, and brown. Drain on blotting-paper laid just inside the oven door. Serve very hot laid on a hot folded napkin and pass with them cabbage salad.

Griddled

USE large fat oysters; scald them and lay them on a clean napkin to dry. Have ready a serving-dish, hot; put in it melted butter, seasoned with lemon-juice, salt, cayenne, a drop of onion-juice and a little minced parsley. Heat a large griddle and grease it well with butter; lay the oysters, a few at a time, on the hot griddle with a lump of butter the size of a pea under each one; as soon as they are brown, which is almost instantly, turn them over to a fresh place with a bit of butter underneath and brown the other side. As they cook drop them into the hot serving-dish and keep hot till all are ready. Pass with them thin brown-bread-and-butter sandwiches, and quarters of lemon.