Oyster Soup, No. 1

To 1 quart of oysters with their juice put 2 quarts of cold water, 1 pint of milk, 1 heaping teaspoonful of salt, and let them boil one minute. Skim out the oysters, add half a teacup of crackers rolled fine, half a teacup of butter and a little pepper; let this boil up and pour over the oysters. It is sometimes better to heat the milk separately, not pouring together until both milk and water are boiling hot; this will prevent curdling the milk is at all doubtful.

For persons preferring the oysters without milk the same method may be followed, adding water in place of milk, and using a larger quantity of butter. Walnut catsup (see page 126), or plain vinegar may be added by those who like it.

Oyster Soup, No. 2

6 dozen oysters, 2 quarts of white stock, 1 cup of cream or rich milk, 2 tablespoonfuls of butter, 1½ tablespoonfuls of flour, salt, Cayenne and black pepper to taste. Scald the oysters in their own liquor, then skim them out; add the stock to the oyster liquid carefully strained and simmer for half an hour. Add the seasoning, and mace if used, bring it to a boil again; add the thickening of butter and flour, rubbed smooth; simmer five minutes; have the cream heated in a separate vessel and pour it in. boiling hot and turn at once over the oysters. Serve with sliced lemon and oyster crackers.

(For Stews see Shell Fish).

Clam Soup

50 clams, hard or soft, boiled in a quart of water one hour. Take out and chop fine. Add to the clam broth 1 quart of hot milk, ½ teaspoonful of pepper and 1 of salt. It will be necessary to taste, as some clams require less salt than others. Rub 1 teaspoonful of butter to 1 of cream, with 2 of flour; add the broth until it pours easily, and mix with the milk and chopped clams; boiling all together for five minutes. The soup may be strained if the clams are disliked. Serve with toasted crackers.

Lobster Soup

1 whole lobster, 2 pounds in weight, or 1 can preserved. 1 quart of milk, 1 pint of boiling water, 2 tablespoonfuls butter, 1½ teaspoonfuls salt, 2 tablespoonfuls corn starch, ½ teaspoonful of mace, if liked, some Cayenne pepper. Put the milk over to heat, (a double boiler is nicest, or a stew pan set in boiling water). Dissolve the corn starch in a little cold water, and add to the boiling milk. If the lobster is fresh, pick the meat from the shell and cut in bits, place in a pint of water and boil five minutes, adding the butter and seasoning. Turn this into the thickened milk and serve at once with toasted cracker. Canned lobster should be cut up in the same way and allowed to boil up once. A delicious dish.

Fish Cream Soup

Season the water in which fresh fish has been boiled, with pepper and salt, and keep until the next day. Heat 1 quart of the liquor, when wanted, to boiling, mince a cupful of cold fish and add to this. Let simmer five minutes and stir in 3 tablespoonfuls of butter rolled in flour, and 1 tablespoon-ful of minced parsley. Add to this 1 cup of hot milk into which 1 cup of dry bread crumbs has been stirred. Stir well, let it boil up once and serve with crackers.

Cat Fish Soup

Skin, clean and cut in pieces. To ½ small catfish, allow 1 slice of ham, cut in bits. Cover these with 2 quarts of water, season with pepper and parsley, the ham supplies the salt, boil until the fish is tender, remove the back bones. Add to it a quart of boiling milk and 4 tablespoonfuls of butter cut in bits and rolled in flour. Stir in the beaten yolks of 4 eggs, boil quickly and serve while hot. The ham may be omitted, and the soup seasoned with salt. Other small fish may be cooked in the same manner.