For Ten Persons

Put sixty medium oysters including their juice, and as much water, into a tin saucepan with a perforated cover (Fig. 186), specially made for this soup; season with salt and pepper, and set them on a quick fire; as soon as the steam escapes through the holes on the cover, remove the saucepan from the fire, and pour into it two and a half gills of milk, and two and a half ounces of butter, then serve. In those establishments whose specialty is oysters, before serving oyster soup, they place before each person a plateful of finely minced raw cabbage (cold slaw); this cabbage is to be seasoned with salt, pepper, vinegar, and tomato catsup.

(334). Oyster Soup A La Cruyst (Soupe Aux Huitres A La Crayst)

For Ten Persons

Mince up the white part of a small leek, and cut one small onion into one-eighth inch squares; fry these colorless in two ounces of butter, add two ounces of bread-crumbs, frying it in with the onion, and also sixty oysters with their own juice and a quart and a half of fish broth. Set the saucepan over a quick fire, and stir vigorously to prevent the oysters from sticking to the bottom, then skim, and season with salt, pepper and nutmeg, when ready to serve thicken the soup with raw egg-yolks, cream and fine butter, the proportions for each quart being, two egg-yolks, one gill of cream and two ounces of butter. Stir in also, when serving, a little chopped parsley.

(335). Oyster Soup, French Style (Soupe Aux Huitres A La Francaise)

Cut two ounces of onions into eighth of an inch squares; fry them without coloring in some butter, and add sixty medium oysters with as much water as there is oyster juice; then season with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Place the saucepan on the fire, and remove again at the first boil, lay the oysters into a soup tureen and strain the broth through a fine sieve, returning it to the fire to add to it half a pint of bechamel (No. 409), and thicken it with egg-yolks, cream and butter, the proportions for each quart being, three raw egg-yolks, one gill of cream and two ounces of good butter. Make a garnishing of pike quenelles (No. 90), adding to it some cooked fine herbs; another garnishing may also be used, composed of round bread croutons, each one inch in diameter, sprinkled over with butter and browned in the oven; serve these separately, but at the same time as the soup.

(336). Oyster Soup With Powdered Okra or Gumbo (Soupe Aux Huitres Au Gombo En Poudre)

Mince a two ounce onion finely, fry it in two ounces of butter without letting it attain a color, then add sixty medium oysters with their juice, and the same quantity of water, season with salt and red pepper, then place the saucepan on a quick fire and remove at the first boil; skim and thicken with two spoonfuls of powdered gumbo for each quart of soup. Have some rice boiled in salted water; when done, mix in with it a little butter and set it in a buttered mold, place it in a hot oven for ten minutes and serve this separately, but at the same time as the soup, after unmolding it.

(337). Soup With Oyster Ravioles (Soupe Aux Ravioles D'Huitres)

Poach in white wine three or four dozen large oysters, drain them, and keep the broth; cut the oysters into small dice, and thicken this salpicon with three spoonfuls of pike forcemeat (No. 90), and as much reduced bechamel (No. 409). With this salpicon and some raviole paste (No. 147), rolled out very thin, prepare some small round ravioles, cutting them out with a pastry cutter one inch and a quarter in diameter. Put to boil on the side of the fire, three ; tarts of thickened fish stork No. 195); add to this the oyster broth, and despumate the whole for twenty-five minutes, at the last moment remove all the fat, and thicken the soup with a thickening of four or five egg-yolks, cream, butter, season to taste with salt, and a pinch of cayenne. Pour the soup into a tureen, add to it the ravioles, previously cooked for twelve minutes in salted water.