Steamed Oysters

Wash shell oysters and lay them in a steamer with the upper shell down. Put the steamer over a kettle of boiling water. Cover and steam twenty minutes. If at the end of this time the shells are open, remove at once and serve on the half shell with a pinch of salt and a bit of good butter. Eat as hot as possible.

Oysters Panned

Put a sufficient quantity of very fine oysters in a pan together with their own juice. Add one tablespoon-ful of the best butter, a little black pepper and a pinch of salt. Sprinkle a quantity of fine cracker crumbs over the top. Place over a quick fire. When the oysters begin to swell they are done. Serve instantly.

Fricasseed Oysters

1 quart of oysters. ½ cup of butter. 1 cup of cream.

1 egg, well beaten.

2 tablespoonfuls of chopped parsley. Pepper and salt to taste.

Parboil the oysters in their own liquor, remove from the fire and skim the oysters into a hot tureen. Put the cream butter and seasoning on the stove, stirring constantly until it thickens, and then add the beaten egg. Pour the mixture over the oysters. Cover thickly with breadcrumbs and place in a quick oven to brown. This fricassee is often served without the final breading and baking, in which manner it will be found less troublesome and very nice.

Oyster Pie

Line a deep dish with nice paste, dredge the crust with flour, pour in 1 pint of oysters. Season well with butter, salt and pepper, sprinkling flour over all. Pour on a little of the oyster liquor. Cover with a crust. Two hard-boiled eggs chopped coarsely and mixed with the oysters, will be found a de-'sirable addition. The eggs and the flour may be omitted and a cup of cracker crumbs used instead. ½ teaspoonful of mace is liked by some.

Oyster And Salmon Pie

Drain the liquid from a can of salmon and a can of oysters. Carefully remove all bits of bones or shells. Place the salmon and oysters in a buttered pudding dish, in alternate layers. Season each layer with pepper, salt and bits of butter and dredge lightly with flour. Strain the liquor from the oysters and fish, and pour into the dish. Cover the whole with a rich pastry crust. Bake in a moderate oven.

Oyster Patties

Make tart shells in small patty-pans as for fruit tarts, and fill with oysters prepared as follows: Take 1 quart of oysters, place in a large baking dish with butter, pepper and salt to taste. Bake until the oysters curl. In the meantime put in a saucepan 1 pint of milk. When this scalds, add 1 large teaspoonful of corn starch moistened with cold milk; let boil, season with salt and a tablespoonful of butter. A dash of cayenne improves the flavor. The gravy should be quite thick. To this mixture add the oysters, but do not let them boil. Spread a napkin over a platter. A colored one is pretty. Pill the patty shells and serve at once. These patties may be changed by filling the patty-pans with raw paste, pouring in the above mixture, covering the top of each one thickly with fine bread crumbs, dotting it with bits of butter, and baking in the oven until the crust is done. Serve in the same manner. Milk may be omitted in this last' way and the oyster liquor simply seasoned highly with salt, pepper and butter, thickened with corn starch, scalded and poured over the oysters, and the patties filled as before.