before taking off the fire stir in one tablespoonful butter. If the soup is too thin, cream a little butter with flour to thicken.—Mrs. I.
Potato Soup.
Mash potatoes, pour on them one teacup cream, one large spoonful butter.
Pour boiling water on them till you have the desired quantity. Boil until it thickens; season with salt, parsley, and pepper to your taste.—Mrs. R. E.
Potato Soup.
Pour two quarts water on six or seven large peeled potatoes, adding two or three slices of middling; boil thoroughly done. Take them out, mash the potatoes well and return all to the same water, together with pepper, salt, one spoonful butter, and one quart milk, as for chicken soup.—Mrs. W.
OYSTERS AND OTHER SHELL FISH.
Stewed Oysters.
Put butter, salt and pepper in a stew-pan, and put the oysters to the butter and stew until perfectly done.—Mrs. D.
Stewed Oysters.
Take one-quarter pound nice butter, put it in a pan and melt, then pepper and salt, add a small piece of cheese. When it is all melted add one pint of oyster liquor, and boil; when hot, strain and put back in pan, then add oysters and boil five minutes.—Mr. K. N.
Stewed Oysters.
Pour into a stew-pan ½ gallon oysters.
2 tablespoonfuls pepper vinegar.
1 teaspoonful black pepper.
1 teaspoonful salt.
Let them simmer until the oysters are plump; take them out with a fork and drop them into a tureen, on a handful of crackers and three heaping tablespoonfuls fresh butter.
Pour one pint milk to the liquor, let it boil up and strain it on the oysters. Rinse out the stew-pan and pour the oysters, liquor, etc., back into it, and set it on the fire. When it comes to a boil, serve.
This method deprives the oysters of the bits of shell.—Mrs S. T.
To Stew Oysters.
Put into the kettle one pint liquor, one-half pound butter, and pepper.
Let it boil, then put in the oysters, after draining them in a colander. They will be done as soon as they boil up, or when they curl right well. When ready to take up, add half teacup cracker crumbs and a little salt in the stew.—Mrs. P. W.
To Stew Oysters.
Put into a shallow stew-pan the oysters. As soon as the gills begin to open pour off all the liquor. Continue to cook them, stirring all the time until done. The liquor that was poured off must be thickened with a good lump of butter rubbed up with flour, and seasoned with pepper and salt, and poured boiling-hot onto the oysters.
The advantage of this way of cooking is that the oysters become large and plump.—Mrs. Dr. E. R.
To Cook Oysters.
½ gallon oysters.
1 quart fresh milk.
½ pound butter.
1 tablespoonful flour.
1 teaspoonful salt.
1 teaspoonful pepper.
1 egg.
Rub the egg and flour together and thin with a little of the milk. Mix the oysters, pepper and salt, and let them come to a boil; then add the milk, and when this boils add the egg and flour with the butter. Let the whole boil three minutes.—Miss N. S. L.
Scalloped Oysters.
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.