Omelet

BEARD a half-dozen oysters and simmer in a hot pan, without any liquor, just long enough to draw out the juices; drain and cut in quarters. Beat the yolks of three eggs to a cream; add a tea-spoonful of finely minced parsley, salt, pepper, and a tablespoonful of milk. Beat hard; add a tablespoonful of melted butter, the oysters and the beaten whites of the three eggs. Turn into a hot, well-buttered omelet-pan, shake until the omelet is set, then put in the oven for a moment before folding it over. It must be served immediately on a hot plate. Decorate with a sprig of parsley.

Pepper Loaf

USE a round loaf of stale bread; cut off the top crust and scoop out all of the inside, being careful not to break the crust. Break up the crumbs very fine and fry them in hot butter. Heat a pint of thin cream; thicken with two tablespoonfuls of flour worked in two of butter; season with salt, white pepper and paprika, and cool. Wash and drain the oysters. Put a layer of the cooked sauce in the bottom of the loaf; on this a thick layer of the oysters seasoned with salt and scattered over with chopped sweet green peppers; then a layer of the fried bread-crumbs. Fill the loaf in this way with alternate layers, having a layer of crumbs for the top. Scatter bits of butter and chopped peppers over the top and bake in a moderate oven a half-hour.

Pie

STRAIN the liquor from a quart of oysters, wash the oysters and lay them on a clean napkin. Put two cupfuls of milk in a double-boiler; when hot add the strained oyster-liquor, a tablespoonful of butter, pepper and salt. Thicken with rolled cracker to about the consistency of cream and add the oysters, cooking two minutes. Remove from the fire and stir in the beaten yolks of three eggs. Make a rich puff-paste and line a deep baking-dish; fill with bread-crumbs. Butter a thick piece of white paper and place over the top; on this place the top crust. Bake a nice brown. Take off the upper crust, remove the paper and filling of crumbs and fill with the oyster mixture; replace the upper crust and return to the oven about ten minutes.

Ramekins

CUT rounds of bread to just fit into the bottom of the ramekins; toast them nicely, spread with butter, and put them into the ramekins; fill up the dishes with oysters and season with salt, pepper and bits of butter. Place in a baking-pan half full of water, cover with another pan and bake until the oysters are plump, which will be about ten minutes. Have ready some hot catsup and add a teaspoonful to each cup, and serve.

The Rookery

CRIMP the oysters in their own liquor; remove, cool and dry flat. Make a dressing of a little olive-oil, chopped onion, parsley, pepper, salt and an anchovy minced fine. Lay each oyster in a scallop shell; put over a teaspoonful of the dressing and cover with fine bread-crumbs, seasoned and moistened with olive-oil. Brown in a hot oven. Squeeze a few drops of lemon over them as they are taken from the oven. With them serve thin bread-and-butter sandwiches and a stick of crisp celery.