Part 6
Do not drain the liquor from the oysters, but fork them out of it as you use them; in that way as much liquor as you require adheres to them. Use stale bread, and do not crumb it too fine, or it will be clammy.
½ teacupful cream. 2 great spoonfuls butter. Salt and pepper.
Oysters part with a great deal of moisture in cooking, and if the mixture is too wet it is not as good; it should be rather dry when done. Cover the bottom of a well-buttered dish with a layer of very dry bread crumbs, dust over a little salt and pepper, and stick little bits of butter all over the crumbs; then, with a spoon, moisten it with cream. Next, place a layer of oysters, alternating with bread crumbs, until the dish is filled, finishing with butter and cream; invert a plate over it to keep in the flavor. Bake three-quarters of an hour, or until the juice bubbles to the top. Remove the plate, and brown on the upper shelf of the oven for two or three minutes only.--_Mrs. R._
_Scalloped Oysters._
Those who are fond of oysters prepared in this way will find them much more delicate when cooked entirely by reflected heat. Have your tinner make you an old-fashioned "tin-kitchen" with _sloping_ sides. Take small oblong dishes, such as are in general use at hotels, fill them with alternate layers of oysters and rolled crackers, and lay lumps of fresh butter liberally on top of each dish. Arrange them in the "kitchen," set the open dish in front of a bright fire or very warm grate, and in fifteen or twenty minutes you will find the oysters delicious.--_Mrs. D. P._
_Scalloped Oysters._
Put on the oysters with just enough liquor to keep from burning, and parboil slightly. Season the rest of the liquor as for stewed oysters with butter, pepper, salt, and a little flour, and boil until done. Put the parboiled oysters in a baking-dish, with a piece of butter and a grated cracker or stale bread and pepper, and pour as much of the gravy as the dish will hold. Put a little of the grated cracker on top, and set it in the oven to brown.--_Mrs. W._
_Oysters Scalloped in the Shell._
Open the shells, setting aside for use the deepest ones. Have ready some melted butter, not hot, seasoned with minced parsley and pepper.
Roll each oyster in this, letting it drip as little as may be, and lay in the shell, which should be arranged in a baking-pan.
Add to each a little lemon juice, sift bread crumbs over it, and bake in a quick oven till done. Serve in the shells.--_Mrs. S._
_Scalloped Oysters._
Put in the scallop shells as many oysters as each will hold. Season with butter, salt and pepper; a few bread crumbs.
Cook until well done; add a piece of butter just before they are served.--_Mrs. R. L. O._
DEVILLED OYSTERS.
Put a layer of raw oysters in a pan, and then a layer of breadcrumbs, black and red pepper, salt, butter, mustard, and a little vinegar mixed together.
Put alternate layers of each until full, and then bake.--_Mrs. Duke._
_Devilled Oysters._
Drain one quart oysters; chop thoroughly and season with cayenne pepper, lemon-juice, salt, and yolks of two hard-boiled eggs, and yolks of two raw eggs beaten and stirred in; one-half as much bread crumbs as you have oysters, and one large tablespoonful butter.
Have ready one dozen deep shells, nicely cleaned, and fill them with the oysters; sprinkle with bread crumbs, and bake in a few minutes.--_Mrs. H. S._
_To Cook Oysters._
Put into a baking-bowl a layer of cracker-crumbs, pepper, and butter. If the butter is salty do not use any salt. Then a layer of oysters, after they have been drained from their liquor; do this alternately till the dish is full. Be sure and put the cracker crumbs at the top of the dish, and bits of butter, also pepper: this makes it brown nicely. Set it in a hot oven; as soon as browned it will be ready for the table.--_Mrs. P. W._
FRIED OYSTERS.
Take each oyster separately and put salt and pepper on them; then roll them in equal portions of meal and flour. Fry them in hot lard until a light brown.--_Mrs. D._
OYSTER FRITTERS.
Beat two eggs very light; then stir in two tablespoonfuls cream or milk, three tablespoonfuls sifted flour, a pinch of salt; dip the oysters in this and fry them in hot lard.--_Mrs. B._
_Oyster Fritters._
Wipe the oysters dry. Beat 6 eggs light, and stir into them:
6 tablespoonfuls flour. 1½ pint rich milk.
Beat to smooth batter. Have in a pan some butter and lard; when it begins to froth, put a small ladleful of the batter, with an oyster in the middle, into it to fry. If too thin, add flour; if too thick, milk.--_Mrs. R._
TO FRY OYSTERS.
Drain the oysters through a sieve; sprinkle a little salt and pepper over them. Dip each oyster into meal. Have the pan hot, and drop in an equal portion of lard and butter; when boiling, put in the oysters and fry. Do not let them stand, but serve hot.--_Mrs. E._
FRIED OYSTERS.
Drain the oysters through a sieve. Beat up two or three eggs. Have ready some grated bread crumbs. Sprinkle some salt and a little pepper over the oysters; then dip each oyster into the egg and bread crumbs. Have the pan hot and clean; put equal portions of butter and lard into the pan. Be careful to keep the fat of oysters from burning.--_Mrs. R._
_To Fry Oysters._
Wash them and dry them on a clean napkin; dip in beaten egg and pounded crackers sifted, and let them lie several hours before frying, and they will not shrink.--_Mrs. P._
_To Fry Oysters._
Drain the oysters dry. Three eggs beaten, and grated crackers. Dip the oyster first in the egg and then in the crackers; do this twice. Grease the pan with butter or lard. Add pepper and salt to taste, and fry.--_Mrs. P. W._
_Clam or Oyster Fritters._
Chop up the clam very fine (when of oysters, leave them whole); put them in a batter and fry them.--_Mrs. D._
BROILED OYSTERS.
Select the largest oysters, examining each one, to see that no particle of shell adheres to it. Dry with a nice linen cloth; then pepper and salt them, and sift over a little finely-powdered cracker. Place them on an oyster gridiron over a quick fire. As soon as plump, dip each one in a cup of melted fresh butter; lay on a hot dish garnished with scraped horseradish and parsley, and serve.--_Mrs. S. T._
STEAMED OYSTERS.
Wash shell oysters perfectly clean; lay them on a steamer, so the juice will not escape from the shells when opened. It is best to lay the upper shells down. Cover the lid of the steamer with a coarse towel and press closely on. Set this over a pot of water boiling hard. In from twenty minutes to half an hour, the shells will have opened. Have ready a hot dish, on which lay the oysters; sprinkle over them a little salt and pepper with a bit of fresh butter on each oyster. Serve immediately.--_Mrs. S. T._
TO ROAST OYSTERS.
Wash and wipe one peck large shell oysters. Put in a hot oven, taking care to put the upper shell downward, so the juice will not escape. As soon as the shells open, lay on a hot dish and serve with horseradish or pepper-sauce, after sprinkling on them a little salt, and putting a bit of fresh butter on each oyster.--_Mrs. S. T._
PICKLED OYSTERS.
1 gallon oysters. 1 tablespoonful salt. 1 " unground black pepper. 1 " allspice. 6 blades mace. 1 small piece cayenne pepper.
Pick oysters out from the juice with a fork; stew until gills are opened well, then lay on flat dishes until cold; put in a jar, and cover with equal parts of stewed juice and vinegar. Let stand two days.--_Mrs. R. R._
_Pickled Oysters._
Take two hundred oysters of largest size, rinse them in their own liquor and put them in a stew-pan. Strain the liquor to them, let them come to a boil, and _no more_. Take them out of the liquor; have ready one quart or more of pure cider vinegar, with which boil whole pepper, a little salt, mace, cloves, and nutmeg.
When it is cool, pour over the oysters. Before serving add a few raw cranberries and thin slices of lemon.--_Mrs. S. T._
_Pickled Oysters._
Take one gallon oysters and cook them in their own liquor till nearly done. Then skim out the oysters and add to the liquor one teaspoonful whole black pepper, one teaspoonful allspice, one teaspoonful mace, a little red pepper and half a pint of strong vinegar.
Let it boil a few minutes and then pour over the oysters. When nearly cool, slice in them a large fresh lemon.--_Mrs. Col. A. F._
OYSTER PIE.
Stew the oysters, not entirely done, with butter, pepper and one tablespoonful pepper-sauce, and salt. Make a paste of one pound flour and one-half pound butter. Line the dish and put in the oysters, grate bread crumbs over top, and bake.--_Mrs. T._
_Oyster Pie._
Put a paste in a deep dish. Wash the oysters, drain and put them in the dish, seasoning with butter, pepper, salt, and a little mace, if liked; then put in a layer of grated cracker. When the dish is full, cover with paste and slips of paste laid across; then bake.--_Mrs. W----._
OYSTER PÂTÉS.
Stew some large oysters with a little nutmeg, a few cloves, some yolk of egg boiled hard and grated, a little butter and as much liquor from the oysters as will cover them. When stewed a few minutes, take them out of the pan to cool. Have shells of puff paste, previously baked in patty pans, and lay two or three oysters in each.--_Mrs. D._
OYSTER SHORT CAKE.
1 quart flour. 3 teaspoonfuls baking powder. 1 tablespoonful butter. A pinch of salt. Enough sweet milk to moisten well.
Roll about one inch thick and bake on tin pie plates quickly. While it is baking, take one quart oysters and one-half cup water and put on the stove; then take one-half cup milk, and one-half cup butter mixed with one tablespoonful flour, and a little salt or pepper; add all together and boil up once.
When the cakes are done, split them open and spread the oysters between them, and some on the top. Put the oysters that are left in a gravy-dish and replenish when needed.--_Mrs. K._
OYSTER SAUSAGE.
Chop one pint oysters, with one-quarter pound veal, and one-quarter pound suet.
Mix with bread crumbs, and pound all in a mortar. Season with salt and pepper, adding an egg, well beaten.
Make into cakes like pork sausage.--_Mrs. E._
RAW OYSTERS.
Take each oyster separately on a fork and drain from the liquor. Place on the table in an oyster tureen or salad bowl; have near a pile of small oblong dishes; scraped horseradish, pepper sauce, and Worcestershire sauce, etc., so that after being helped, each guest may season to taste.
When oysters are transported some distance, it is well to boil the liquor from which they have been taken and pour over them: this makes them plump and prevents them from being slimy.--_Mrs. S. T._
TO KEEP OYSTERS ALIVE AND FATTEN.
Mix one pint of salt with thirty pints of water. Put the oysters in a tub that will not leak, with their mouths upwards and feed them with the above, by dipping in a broom and frequently passing over their mouths. It is said that they will fatten still more by mixing fine meal with the water.--_Mrs. R----._
TO COOK CRABS.
Take live crabs and put them in cool water, let them remain for half an hour. Then put them in a vessel, pour boiling water on them sufficient to cover them; boil ten minutes. Take them off and wipe them clean, first removing the dead men, and proceed to remove the meat. Take the upper shell, clean it. Season the meat with pepper, salt, mustard, and plenty of butter; put all in the shell again and bake half an hour.--_Mrs. K. Norfolk._
CRAB STEW.
One peck live crabs, steam twenty minutes, bone and pick the claws and bodies. Stew with one pint milk or cream, the flesh and eggs of the crabs, fifteen minutes. Flavor with salt and cayenne pepper.--_Mrs. R. L. O._
DEVILLED CRAB.
After crabs are picked, season with mustard, pepper, salt, and catsup to taste. Add olive oil or butter.
Cover with bread crumbs moistened with milk and lumps of butter (put a little milk in the crab also). Bake in the shells or in a pan.--_Miss E. W._
DEVILLED CRABS.
To the flesh of one dozen crabs boiled fifteen minutes and picked free from shell, add:
3 tablespoonfuls of stale bread crumbs. ½ wine glass of cream. Yolks of 3 eggs. A little chopped parsley. 1 tablespoonful butter. Salt and pepper to the taste.
Put them in the shell and bake in a quick oven.--_Mrs. M. E. L. W._
SOFT CRABS.
Turn up the ends of the shells and take out the dead man's fingers and take off the flap, and cut out the sand-bag; lay them in cold water until ready to fry. Then dust flour over them, a little salt, and fry them in hot lard.--_Mrs. D._
DEVILLED CRABS.
After the crabs are boiled, pick them up fine and add one third the quantity of crab, in cracker dust or bread crumbs, mustard, red and black pepper, salt, and butter. Return them to the top shells, and bake.--_Mrs. D._
TO DEVIL HARD CRABS.
Take them while alive, put them in very little water and steam them till perfectly done and brown, set them away till cold, take all out of the shell. Mix with eggs, bread crumbs, butter, and pepper. Either put back in the _top_ shell and bake, or bake in pans.--_Mrs. J. C._
LOBSTER CURRY.
Put the meat of a large lobster into a stewpan with one blade of mace.
1 large cup of meat stock, or gravy. 1 tablespoonful corn starch, mixed smooth, with a little milk or cream. Add salt. 1 small piece of butter. 1 dessertspoonful curry powder. Juice of one lemon.
Simmer for an hour and serve hot.--_Mrs. C._
TURTLE OR TERRAPIN STEW.
After they are well cleaned, parboil the meat, then pick it to pieces. Season highly with pepper, salt, cayenne pepper, hard-boiled egg, spices, lemon, and champagne or other wine.
Stew until well done.
STEWED TURTLE.
Make a stew of the turtle and add all the ingredients used in the turtle-soup, except wine and lemons.--_Mrs. D._
TERRAPIN.
First cut up the head and put it in the pot to boil with the shell on; when done enough to remove the under shell, take it up and pick to pieces. Clean the top shell well; add a few crackers, onions, parsley, allspice, black pepper, butter, and wine.
Return it to the shell, put sliced lemon on and bake it.--_Mrs. D._
TURTLE OR TERRAPIN STEAKS.
Cut the turtle or terrapin in thin slices; broil or fry them with pepper, salt, and butter.
TURTLE OR TERRAPIN IN BATTER.
Smother the steaks in an egg-batter. Season with pepper, salt, butter, and with a little bread crumbs; fry or broil.
TO COOK TURTLES.
Drop four turtles into boiling water, and boil one hour; then take them out and remove the skin from the legs and feet, and replace them in fresh boiling water, where they should continue to boil one and one-half hour and then be taken out to cool. When cold, clean them thoroughly, removing the round liver which contains the gall. Cut them into small bits and place them in a stewpan, adding pepper, salt, the eggs that are found within, one quart water, one-half pound butter, and two tablespoonfuls flour mixed with a little cold water. Stir the flour and water well into the other ingredients, and stew about twenty minutes. As you remove them from the fire, pour in one-half pint Madeira wine.--_Mrs. A. D._
FISH.
In selecting fish, notice if the flesh is firm and hard, the eyes full and prominent, the scales bright, the fins stiff, and the gills red, as all these indications denote their being fresh. Wash the fish, rub it with salt and pepper, and lay it on a dish, or hang it up till ready to cook. Never keep it lying in water, either in preparing it for cooking, or in trying to keep it till the next day.
In boiling fish, put it in boiling water, and simmer very slowly. It will require an hour to boil a large fish, and about twenty minutes for a small one. Every housekeeper should have a fish-kettle for fish.
Be careful to have boiling-hot lard in the frying-pan when you go to fry fish. First rub salt and pepper and flour or meal on the fish, then keep it well covered while frying, as you should do to every thing that is being fried. Doing this will enable you to fry the fish (or other article of food) a pretty amber color, while at the same time it will be perfectly done.
Always have a tin sheet for lifting boiled fish and for turning broiled fish. Before broiling, rub with pepper and salt, and then grease with fresh butter. Lay the fish on a gridiron well greased with sweet lard and lay the tin sheet over it. When you wish to turn, take the gridiron from the fire, holding the tin sheet on top the fish. Hold them together, then lay them on a table with the tin sheet down and the gridiron uppermost. Carefully raise the gridiron, leaving the fish lying unbroken on the tin sheet. The cook may now easily slide the fish on the gridiron, put it again on the fire and brown the other side, putting the tin sheet back on top of it. Every thing should be covered while being broiled. When done, lay it on a dish and pour over it melted butter in which has been stirred pepper, salt, and minced parsley. If devilled fish is desired, add to this dressing, one tablespoonful pepper vinegar, one of celery vinegar, one of walnut catsup, one of made mustard, one wine-glassful of acid fruit jelly. In making sauces for fish, never use the water in which the fish has been boiled.
Full directions for stewing fish are to be found in the subsequent pages.
FISH À LA CRÊME.
Boil a firm fish, remove the bones, pick it to pieces. Mix one pint cream or milk with two tablespoonfuls flour, one onion, one-half pound butter (or less), and salt.
Set it on the fire and stir until it is as thick as custard. Fill a baking-dish alternately with fish, cracker, and cream. Bake for thirty minutes, use four crackers.--_Mrs. W. C. R._
HALIBUT.
Boil one pound halibut, then chop it very fine and add eight eggs well beaten; pepper and salt to taste, then one cup butter.
Put it in a stewpan and cook until the eggs are done sufficiently. Serve very hot on toast.--_Miss F. N._
_Halibut._
Halibut should be cut in slices of four pounds each. If to be boiled, cover with salt water, and skim often; drain off and serve with butter sauce.
If baked or fried, garnish with horseradish and serve with melted butter.
FISH CHOWDER.
Fry a few slices of salt pork, cut the fish in small pieces, pare and slice the potatoes, add a little onion chopped fine.
Place all in layers in the kettle; season with salt and pepper. Stew over a slow fire thirty minutes.
CAT-FISH CHOWDER.
To be made of New River cat-fish.
Wash the fish in warm water, put it on in just water enough to cover it, boil until tender or until the bones will slip out; take out the largest bones, chop up the fish, put it in a stewpan with a pint of water, a large lump of butter.
1 cup of cream, pepper and not much salt.
1 onion, one teaspoonful mustard, one-half teacupful walnut catsup.
Stew until quite thick, garnish with sliced lemon and serve hot.--_Mrs. P. W._
CAT-FISH CHOWDER OR HOG-FISH.
Take two cat-fish, skin, and boil till thoroughly done; pick very fine and add:
2 good sized onions. ¼ pound butter. 1 tablespoonful salt. 1 tablespoonful pepper. 2 tablespoonfuls Worcestershire sauce.
Add a little celery or celery-seed, a little thyme, a little parsley.
Pour over all about one quart of boiling water and cook fast about half an hour.--_Miss F. N._
FISH CHOWDER.
Take any large fish, and cut in thin slices, lay some slices of fat bacon at the bottom of the pot and then a layer of fish, onions, cracker dust, red and black pepper, salt, and butter.
Then more layers, until you have used all the fish. Cover the whole with water and cook until well done.--_Mrs. D._
BOILED SHEEP'S-HEAD.
Clean the fish and boil well done. Serve hot with butter and egg sauce.
TO BAKE A SHEEP'S-HEAD.
Put two tablespoonfuls butter and two tablespoonfuls lard in a skillet; also, with that, two tablespoonfuls flour, a little parsley, one pint boiling water, a little wine, catsup, salt, and cayenne pepper. Boil a few minutes; then take four eggs, half a pint cream or butter; beat well together. Lay the fish in a large deep dish, pour gravy from skillet over it; spread butter over top of fish. The bottom of the oven to be quite hot, top slow.--_Miss E. W._
BOILED SHEEP'S-HEAD OR ROCK.
Lay the fish in a fish boiler, in a cloth, to prevent breaking. Throw into the water a handful parsley, and when the fish is done, lay some sprigs on it in the dish.--_Mrs. D._
BAKED SHEEP'S-HEAD.
Put the fish in a pan and cover with water; put a little parsley, onions, and fat bacon, chopped up together, black pepper and salt, in the fish and over it, and when nearly done, beat up one egg and a little flour, and pour over it to thicken the gravy. Rock or shad may be cooked the same way.--_Mrs. D._
_Baked Sheep's-head._
When ready for cooking, salt and pepper well, gash the sides in three or four places. Cut four onions very fine, to which add one pint bread crumbs, fat meat minced very fine, as it suits better than lard, cayenne pepper, thyme, a little salt, and the yolks of two eggs, all mashed together, with which stuff the fish inside and gashes on the outside. Then sprinkle over with flour and black pepper; put into a large pan with one quart cold water. Bake two hours, slowly. Serve with or without sauce, according to taste.--_Miss F. N._
BOILED ROCK-FISH.
Clean the fish nicely, rub well with salt and pepper. Put into a large deep pan, that it may lie at full length; cover with cold water, adding salt and pepper. Boil steadily for three-quarters of an hour; dish and serve with melted butter and sauce or catsup.--_Miss F. N._
_Boiled Rock-fish._
Clean nicely and hang it up; do not lay it in water, but wash it when ready for cooking. Put on in boiling water, seasoning with salt to taste. It takes two hours to boil, if large. Serve with egg sauce, and send to the table in a napkin to keep hot.--_Mrs. W._
TO STEW ROCK-FISH.
Take a rock, clean and season with parsley, sweet marjoram, onions, one-half pint water, salt to taste, one pint Port wine, one-half pound butter, and a little flour. Put them in a dish, and set in a stewpan. One hour is sufficient for cooking.--_Mrs. J. T._
BAKED ROCK.
Boil the fish and take out the bones. Season with cream, butter, pepper, and salt, and grated bread crumbs over the top. Bake slightly in a flat dish or scollop shells.--_Mrs. R._
TO PICKLE ROCK.
Cut a rock-fish into pieces and put in a kettle with sufficient water to cover it. Put in a handful of salt, some white pepper, one tablespoonful allspice, a few cloves and mace.
When the fish is nearly done, add a quart of vinegar. In putting away, use as much liquor as will cover it.--_Mrs. J. W. S._
BAKED SHAD.
Open the shad down the back, wash well and salt it; wipe dry and rub inside and out with a little cayenne pepper. Prepare a stuffing of bread, seasoned with pepper, salt, thyme, or parsley, celery-seed, a little chopped onion, piece of butter, size of a walnut.
Tie up the fish and put in a baking pan with one pint water (to a good sized fish) and butter, size of a hen's egg. Sprinkle with flour, baste well and bake slowly an hour and a half.--_Mrs. J. H. F._
TO FRY SHAD.
Clean and hang in a cool place. When ready to use wash thoroughly, cut up and sprinkle lightly with flour, pepper, salt, and fry with lard.--_Mrs. R----._
TO ROAST SHAD.
Fill the inside with forcemeat, sew it up and tie it on a board, not pine, cover with bread crumbs, a little salt, and pepper, and place before the fire. When done one side, turn it; when sufficiently done, pull out the thread; dish and serve with drawn butter and parsley.--_Mrs. D._
TO BROIL SHAD.
Clean, wash, and split the shad, and wipe it dry.