Evening star., 1902-04-12
Table and Kitchen.
Oysters Served a Little Out of the
Ordinary.

1t is certain that this dainty bivalve, with
it's perfect flavor, has held high honors and
been greatly esteemed by such past mas
ters of eloquence as Horace, Pliny, Seneca
and Cicero, and at the Roman banquet was
first, an intermediate and last course
80 much was it In favor with these an
cient epicures.
One more recent and noted writer has
this to say of the oyster: It Is the one
plate which hera1ds dinner, which is in
itself a single service of exquisite quality
served with attendant graces of mild and
delicate vinegar or lemon Juice, brown
bread and butter, a glass of light chables
for those who take 1t; the half dozen ma
tives occupying the hollow shells, bathed
in their own liquor, they hold rank of A
very different kind from those miscella-
neouS assorted tid-bits which are frequent
ly served in their place to 'whet' the ap-
petite for the meal to follow.
AS many consider that cooking destroys
the fine flavor of the oyster and dimin-
iShes its digestibility ii is very generally
eaten raw, where the oyster can be OBJ
tGined fresh opened and direct from its salt
sea food.
Prolonged cooking certainly renders them
lnd1gestible and rather tasteless, therefore,
In order that the oyster be self-digestive. It
should be served raw or merely heated
through. This rule should be closely OBJ
served when feeding oysters to invalfds or
those who have weak digestive powers The
muscle is quite indigestible in the raw oys-
ter and decidedly so when cooked.
Oysters Out of Season.
The rule Is not to use oysters only In
tie months that contain r. This custom
Is made arbitrary in some sections so far
as the dealers are concerned, and conse-
quently the bfvalVe cannot be obtained by
the consumer, whether they accept the view
OF their unfitness or not. In other sections
1t is possible to secure them at any season
Ii price is no consideration.
May is the beginning of the spawning
season and from that time on until Sem
TEMPER the oyster is very poor in quality
ana havor, really unfit for eating in this
cCndlt1on. Oyster breeders overcome this
dlfhculty by transferring certain varieties
from their native beds to artificial homes
and this disturbance will cause them to
cease breeding. and they can be fattened
ana @ mace ready for consumption in mid
summer as in the winter season.
AS the oyster contains but little nutrition
ana ls not, for this reason, a very suitable
ana certainly not necessary food for the
poor 1t seems designed by nature for more
uehcate feeding and for dainty feasts.
Creamed Oyster Puffs.
Make cream puff butter rather stiff and
drop by small spoonfuls in bread crumbs.
shape them oblong; then cover with beat
en- egg and again roll in bread crumbs.
Keeping them very cold all the time. When
all are done. set them on ice until very
cold, then drop them one by one in hot fat
and fry until they are puffed up and deli
cate brown. Take out and with a sharp
pointed knife cut slit on one side and fill
each pun with creamed oysters.
Creamed Oysters for the Puffs.
Parbon the oysters in their own liouor
until the boards ruffle, not a minute longer.
Put two tablespoonfuls of butter in a sauce
pan and let get hot and slightly brown:
then stir in three tablespoonfuls of -four
and stir until smooth. Add a cup of hot
milk and half a cup of the oyster LIQUOR.
strained; season to taste with salt, paprika,
celery salt and nutmeg, one teaspoonful
minced parsley and a teaspoonful of lemon
juice.
Oysters a la Villeroi,
Parboi three dozen large oysters In their
own liquor. one cup of veal broth and a
tablespoonful Of butter; then drain on a
sieve. Rub two ounces of -four with two
ounces OF butter and add to the broth
There should be two cupfuls). Add the
beaten yolks Of three eggs, salt, pepper and
nutmeg TO taste; cook two minutes longer:
then add the oysters drained perfectly dry
Turn out on a shallow dish to COOL join-
ing the oysters in pairs, overlapping the
muscular part and having them well COW
cred with the sauce Lift out with a spatu-
la or flexible knife, laying each one on
bread crumbs; cover every part; then dip
in beaten egg and cover with another layer
OF crumbs. Fry in deep, hot fat and ar
range in a circle on a outlet dish with a
bunch of curled parsley and a lemon cut
in quarters in the center.
Fried Oysters a la Monroe.
Select large, freshly opened oysters; lay
them on a clean cloth and wipe dry; mix
little cayenne with very fine cracker
crumbs and dip the oysters first in lemon
Juice, then in the crumbs; then in beaten
egg seasoned with salt and celery salt; then
cover every part with fine, white bread
crumbs. Fry in deep hot fat: serve garnish-
ed with lemon and quartered lemon.
Oysters a la Renault.
Make forcemeat of boiled macaroni
thick tomato sauce and little grated cheese
and line little china or paper cases. Plump
quart of large oysters in their own liquor
and gill Of white wine, then drain and
trim off the gills and muscle. Cut each
oyster in four pieces and put them In the
cases; sprinkle a little mushroom catsup
over the oyster, then add layer of velonti
sauce made with oyster liquor and boiled
down. Cover with the forcemeat, brush
with melted butter and bake in moderate
oven for fifteen minutes, not longer.
Baked Oysters a la Duxelles.
Cook twenty-five oysters in their own
liquor, with an ounce of butter. AS soon
as the boards curl drain them. Put in a