Fried Oysters

Select the largest oysters for frying. Take them out of their liquor with a fork, and endeavor in doing so to rinse off all the particles of shell which may adhere to them. Dry them between napkins. Have ready some grated cracker, seasoned with Cayenne pepper and salt. Beat the yolks only of some eggs, and to each egg add half a tablespoonful of thick cream Dip the oysters, one at a time, first in the egg then in the cracker crumbs, and fry them in plenty of hot butter, or butter and lard mixed, till they are of a light brown on both sides. Serve them hot.

Pickled Oysters

Have ready two and a half quarts of oysters, with a full pint of their liquor. To this quantity take one and a half pints of vinegar, two tablespoonfuls of salt, and a tablespoonful of mace, one tablespoonful of allspice, the same quantity of white pepper, and a teaspoonful of cloves. Put the vinegar, salt, and liquor on to boil, and when it comes to a boil, skim it; then add the spices, give it another boil up, and after this put in the oysters. Be careful they do not burn. They must be cooked over a quick fire. They must be served cold.

Pickled Oysters

Take one hundred oysters out of their liquor, and add to them as much water as there was liquor. Put them over the fire with salt to the taste, skim them, and as soon as they boil take them off. Have ready in a pan one gill of vinegar, one tablespoonful of allspice, one table-spoonful of pepper grains, a little Cayenne pepper and mace, and half a gill of pepper. They should be pickled the day before they are eaten. After standing a few hours, if a scum should have risen on them, take out the oysters, and strain the liquor. About six hours before they are to be served, slice a lemon and add to them.

Scalloped Oysters

Drain your oysters and season them with salt and Cayenne pepper; crumb some stale bread, and season it with salt and pepper. To each gill of the bread crumbs add one hard boiled egg, finely chopped; butter a deep dish, strew in a layer of egg and crumbs, then a layer of the oysters, with some lumps of butter on them, then more crumbs, and so on till all are in. Put a cover of crumbs on the top.

Bake this in a tolerable quick oven and serve it hot.

Stewed Oysters With Cream

Rinse one hundred oysters, and put them in a stew pan with the water which adheres to them; season them with salt and Cayenne pepper, and a very little mace. As soon as they begin to boil pour in half a pint of cream, and stir in half an ounce of butter rolled in a little grated cracker. Let them boil once and serve them hot.

Plain Oyster Patties

Make little round loaves, or take small French rasps - make a hole in the top of each, and scrape out a portion of the crumb. Put some oysters into a stew-pan with their own liquor, and add to them the crumbs of bread, rubbed or grated fine, and a lump of butter. Season with black pepper and a sprinkle of Cayenne. Stew for five or six minutes, and then put in a spoonful of good cream. Fill the rasps or loaves, and cover with the bits of crust previously cut off. Set them in an oven for a few minutes to crisp.

Minced veal, lamb, poultry, game, etc., may be done in the same way as for paste patties.

Oyster Pie

Take one hundred oysters out of their liquor, one at a time, so as to free them from any portions of the shell which might adhere to them. Drain, and place them between clean napkins, in order to dry them perfectly. Pour off half the liquor into a stew-pan, salt it to your taste, stir in one gill of cream, one ounce and a half of butter rolled in grated cracker, and a little Cayenne pepper. Boil two eggs hard, chop them up, and mix them with as many bread crumbs as will cover the top of your pie. Season the bread and egg with Cayenne pepper and salt. Make a rich paste, line the sides of your pie dish, put in the oysters, pour the hot liquor over them, and strew the bread crumbs on the top. Cover the whole with a lid of paste. Cut an opening in the centre of the tap crust, and ornament it with flowers or leaves made of the paste. Bake it and serve it hot. As soon as the crust is done take the pie out of the oven.