At The Sign Of The Tankard

STRAIN the liquor from a quart of oysters and put half of it on in a saucepan to heat. Peel and wash a quarter of a pound of fresh mushrooms; chop them, squeeze out the water and add to the oyster liquor; add a tablespoonful of butter, a gill of Madeira wine and a saltspoonful of salt and paprika mixed; cook three minutes; add the oysters and cook two minutes more. Lift the oysters out with a fork and arrange in individual shells. Strain the gravy; reheat and pour slowly over the beaten yolks of two eggs, stirring constantly; fill the shells with the gravy, sprinkle the top with bread-crumbs and bits of butter and brown in the oven for three minutes.

Espagnol

PREPARE a half-pound of mushrooms and cook in a cupful of clear stock with two tea-spoonfuls of chopped parsley; thicken with two teaspoonfuls of flour worked in two of butter. Add a dozen oysters and let just come to a boil. Dish on diamonds of fried bread, squeeze the juice of half a lemon over them and serve.

Kabobs

BLANCH two dozen large fat oysters in their own liquor; lift out carefully and drain. Cook a small onion, a dozen mushrooms and a spoonful of parsley, all chopped fine in a tablespoonful of butter; add two tablespoonfuls of flour and stir till smooth; move to the back of the stove and add the beaten yolks of three eggs, one at a time, taking care they do not curdle. Remove from the fire and drop the oysters in, covering each completely with the sauce. String four skewers with six oysters each, basting with the sauce wherever it does not adhere; let them cool, then roll each skewer in abundant cracker meal and fry two minutes in very hot deep fat. Serve on a folded napkin, one skewer to each person.

Kromeskies

PARBOIL two dozen oysters and chop fine; return to the saucepan with four tablespoonfuls of cream, a half-dozen mushrooms chopped fine, the breast of a boiled chicken chopped fine and a half-cupful of minced ham; season with a tablespoonful, mixed, of minced parsley and thyme, a tea-spoonful of minced onion, pepper and salt. Mix well and cook through; thicken with a tablespoonful of butter creamed with two of flour and the last thing add the beaten yolks of two eggs. Remove from the fire and when cold and firm roll into cylinders about two inches long, wrap in thin slices of parboiled bacon, dip in egg batter and fry in boiling fat. Garnish with parsley and serve very hot on hot plates. Pass with them thin rye bread and butter.

Newberry

PICK over a dozen large oysters and put in a pan with a tea-spoonful of butter, a sherry-glass of Rhine wine and seasoning of pepper and salt; cook until the oysters begin to crimp and then turn into a bowl. In the pan put a teaspoonful of butter, a half-gill of sliced mushrooms, one fine sliced truffle and a half gill of mushroom liquor; cook five minutes. Mix the yolks of two eggs with a half-gill of cream and add to the mushrooms. Drain the oysters and add, stirring until it just boils; season with cayenne. Serve with finger rolls.

Vendome

PUT fifty oysters, without liquor, in a hot pan and let just heat through; then drain. Melt two tablespoonfuls of butter in a saucepan; add a quarter of a pound of mushrooms, some parsley and shallots, all chopped fine; cook slowly seven minutes. Sprinkle in a tablespoonful of flour; stir until blended then add a half-glass of bouillon and a half-glass of white wine. Cook a half-hour, uncovered; add the oysters and let just come to a boil. Serve in individual dishes.