A L'Ecaille

CLEAN the deep shells of twelve large oysters; wipe dry and butter them. Melt a tablespoonful of butter; add two tablespoonfuls of Parmesan cheese and stir till melted; add a little of the strained liquor from the oysters, a teaspoonful of lemon-juice, salt and cayenne. Beat the yolk of one egg with a tablespoonful of cream and add, stirring continually; remove instantly from the fire. Put a spoonful of the sauce in each shell, place an oyster on top, sprinkle with fine bread-crumbs, grated cheese and bits of butter. Bake in a quick oven just long enough to brown. Serve at once and pass with them thin brown-bread-and-butter sandwiches.

Au Fromage

TOAST some narrow strips of bread on one side only; on the untoasted side of each strip place two large fat broiled oysters. Melt a tablespoonful of butter and add two of grated cheese and stir continually until melted; add gradually the yolk of one egg beaten with a quarter of a cupful of thin cream; season with salt and Tabasco and stir until smooth. Remove immediately and pour a little of the sauce over each oyster. Serve at once with quarters of lemon by the side. This sauce is sufficient for ten fingers of toast, with two oysters on each finger.

Coquilles

WASH and dry the oysters and place each one in a small silver or china scallop shell. Season with salt and paprika and cover thickly with grated Parmesan cheese. Scatter finely minced parsley over the top and add a teaspoonful of champagne to each one. Put in a hot oven and quickly brown. Serve at once very hot.

Czar's Own

SIFT three-quarters of a cupful of flour and mix with it two tablespoonfuls of grated Parmesan cheese; add salt and cayenne and work into a stiff paste with the yolk of an egg. Roll out thin and cut into little rounds about two inches in diameter; place on a buttered pan and bake a golden brown. Have some thin slices of boiled tongue, heat them in a little butter and place one on each biscuit. Heat twelve large oysters in a little of their own liquor, sprinkle with lemon-juice, salt and cayenne. Mix a tablespoonful of anchovy paste with one of grated Parmesan cheese, spread a little on the slices of tongue and place an oyster in the center of each. Bake in a hot oven for a few moments. Garnish with sprigs of parsley and serve cold-slaw with them.

Orgie

WASH, drain and dry the oysters. Butter the bottom of a shallow baking-dish and spread thickly with the oysters; sprinkle with dried cepes powder and season with salt and cayenne. Have some very fine bread-crumbs chat have been fried in olive-oil; mix with them double the quantity of grated cheese and cover the top of the oysters. Pour over a gill of champagne and brown in a quick oven.

Talmouse

PUT a quart of oysters that have been carefully looked over, with their own liquor, which has been strained, in a double-boiler and cook to just boiling point; remove and drain through a sieve. Thicken a cupful of this liquor with two tablespoonfuls of flour creamed with two of butter and cook for three minutes; add a gill of cream, salt, cayenne and a tablespoonful of grated cheese; when this is smooth and hot add the drained oysters and remove from the fire. Butter a small shallow baking-dish and turn the mixture in, covering the top with a thin layer of bread-crumbs and grated cheese, mixed. Place on the upper grate in a brisk oven and bake fifteen minutes. Serve the moment it is taken from the oven.

Taranto

STEW an ounce of macaroni until tender in a half-pint of good stock; strain and chop rather fine. Melt a tablespoonful of butter in a saucepan; add the macaroni, two tablespoonfuls of grated Parmesan cheese, a half-gill of cream, seasoning and a dozen large oysters cut in halves or two dozen small oysters. Stir and heat through, but do not allow to boil. Turn into small shallow ramekins, sprinkle the top with bread-crumbs and grated cheese and brown in a hot oven. Serve very hot.