Native oysters at 3s. 6d. a dozen are out of the reach of all save the very wealthy or extravagant. American blue-points are sometimes to be bought at 6d., and even 4d., a dozen, and for cooking purposes are quite equal to natives, if not superior.

In opening oysters for cooking, remember the great importance of catching the liquor in the shells. When oysters are eaten plain, thin brown bread and butter should be served with them, and a lemon cut into quarters; also serve with them plain vinegar, chili vinegar, and black pepper and cayenne. Serve the oysters up in their deep shells, and keep in as much of the liquor as possible. Oysters really should be eaten without any vinegar or pepper at all.

Fried Oysters

Scald the oysters in their own liquor as follows: - Place, say, a dozen blue-points in a saucepan, with their liquor, and add enough water to cover them. Bring the water to a boil, and the instant it boils take it off the fire, or otherwise the oysters will get hard. Dry the oysters, flour them, dip them into batter (see Batter), and fry them in some very hot fat. (See No. 0.) Serve on a napkin folded on a dish, with a little fried parsley. They can also be egg-and-bread-crumbed and fried. (See No. 20 and No. 6).

Roast Oysters

Place, say, a dozen oysters deep shell downwards on a gridiron. As soon as the oysters begin to open they are done. Serve in their shells, with thin brown bread and butter and lemon.

Stewed Oysters

Scald a dozen oysters in their liquor, with a little milk, only sufficient to cover them. Strain them off, and thicken this liquor with a little white thickening (see No. 12); add a saltspoonful of anchovy sauce, a very little nutmeg, and let the oysters stew (see No. 2) in this, taking great care that they do not nearly boil. Half an hour will be sufficient to stew.

If this dish is recommended for an invalid, a quarter of a pint of cream, boiled separately, should be served with it.

Toasted bread should be served with stewed oysters.

Tinned Oysters

Tinned oysters are very valuable to assist sauces, soups, etc., but as a rule the oysters themselves cannot be eaten, unless rubbed through a wire sieve. They are, however, sometimes used to mix with fresh oysters, and they will make soup, scallops, sauces, etc., of an inferior quality, served whole.