Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-10-29
FOR FIRST COLD DAYS
How to Order and Serve Raw
Oysters.
RELIABLE RECIPES
RICH CREAM sTEWs AND OTHER
TASTY DISHES.
Fer Informal suppers and Chatting
Dish Affairs the Bivalves Are
Always Welcome.
RELIABLE RECIPES

Written for The Evening Star.
The first snappy days whet the appetite
for oysters. and after summer. during
which they have been crossed on the house
wife's order slate. they take on an exagger-
ated value in her estimation.
1t is enormously supposed that the oyster.
raw or stewed, is easily digested. In truth.
it requires two hours and fifty-flve minutes
to digest raw oyster. and three hours and
thirty minutes to thoroughly digest stewed
oyster; while eggs. soft boiled. will digest
in an hour and thirty minutes; turkey. in
two hours and thirty minutes, and broiled
lamb In the same time.
Stale oysters are absolutely poisonous. and
raw oysters carry germs of many diseases,
notably typhoid. Many particular house.
keepers never serve raw oyster on the
table, because of the last-named fact, hold
Ing that the cooking of the oyster destroys
any infectious germs.
If oysters are served raw the bon vivant
demands that they come to him direct from
the shell. and the housewife should order
them opened and delivered at the last min
ute before dinner Is served. The packed
or timed oyster, which is the only sort seen
in many inland cities. is utterly unfit to be
served in the raw state. In fact. 1t is pre-
served, not raw.
Only very large oysters should be served
on the half shell, and these should be gar
nished with lemon cut in eighths Horse
radish and crisp. salty crackers should al
ways be passed with the raw oysters.
In Cocktail Form.
The most acceptable method for serving
small oysters raw Is in the form of cock
tail. Have them cold and free from bits Of
shell. Put not more than half dozen in
each cocktail glass. or sherbet cup. and just
before sending to the table, cover with
dressing made in the following way: A ia
blespoonful of tomato catsup, the same
quantity of lemon juice, five or six drops Of
tobasco sauce. half a teaspoonful of wor-
cestershire sauce. and salt to taste. This
quantity will make three cocktails.
Serve with oyster cocktails thin slices OF
brown bread and celery. The cocktails
for company affairs are sometimes served
in lemon cups, set In sherbet glasses. If
the oysters are very choice and the din
ner is small a followed block of ice, gar
nished with little shelfish and flowers, adds
to their flavor and attractiveness. The
ice for large dish of oysters may be hol-
lowed with the ice pick. Cut away from
the sides and center so as to leave a wall
about two and one-half inches thick. A
brick or iron may be heated and cavity
melted out. Lay the block on a folded
napkin. Ice moids used by caterers to
hold raw oysters are often shaped like
small apples. shells and flowers.
A Good Stew.
Receipts for a good oyster stew are with
out number. The special point is a broth
that is piping hot, filed with plenty Of
oysters. The oysters must be as hot as
the BROTH so that one will not feel chill
when they strike the teeth. They must not
be cooked enough to be toughened OF
:shriveled. If thickened with eggs or -four
the broth must be smooth and creamy
not pasty, lumpy curdled fluid.
To avoid these failings of the ordinary
t.
and shell; rub the butter and -four used for
thickening together until thoroughly knead-
ed, and stir until smooth and even. Care
must be taken in measuring the flour for
cream soup. One tablespoonful to the
same quantity of butter, or one ounce of
each by weight will usually make quart
of cream soup of the right thickness The
exact thickness should be that of sweet
it should cover. without concealing the sill
very color. When it is necessary for any
such soup to stand before serving put it in
double boiler. If a soup Is thickened
by the use of eggs set on a cool part of the
stove while adding them, and do not boil
again, as that will curdle the eggs.
A Cream Soup.
An excellent cream soup with oysters Is
made by heating one quart of oysters in
their liquor, with enough cold water added
to make a quart of broth. When the bell
ing point Is reached, rub the oysters
through sieve until fine. pour the liquor
over the pulp and set aside where it Will
keep warm. Blend two ounces of putter
with two of flour, and stir until II bub-
bles briskly. Add one quart of hot milk
gradually. and when smooth add the oys-
tiers and liquor. Season with salt and red
pepper to taste.
An Incompatible soup for both invalids
and the well is an oyster soup th,ckened
with eggs Drain quart Of oysters, add
RI hair It<,,,0
and enough cold water to increase 1t to
three pints. Heat the liquid to the boiling
point, remove the scum and season to taste
with salt and dash of cayenne. Beat four
eggs to a froth, add to them one pint of
milk and strain through cheese cloth Add
this liquid and the oysters to the soup and
stir until 1t thickens. Serve in small cups
or small china bowls.
most delicious dish of oysters for
luncheon or tea requires some trouble and
pains. but the result justfies the labor Put
in saucepan thirty-six large oysters
pint of the liquor and two tablespoonfuls of
butter. Cook to the boiling point drain
the oysters and set aside the BROTH Chou
fine small onion and pint of mushrooms
and put them in a saucepan with a little
butter. Cook three minutes, stirring that
they may not turn dark or burn Add the
oyster broth. thicken-it with two table,
spoonfuls of butter and the same quantity
OF flour. When creamy add the oysters,
take from the fire and add the beaten yolks
a
tablespoonful of chopped parsley and a
dash of cayenne pepper. Mix we'll turn
into a buttered dish. Cover with a deem
layer of fine bread crumbs dot with butter
and brown quickly in the oven.
A Luncheon Course.
Oyster Cronstadt is another nice way 10
cook the molusks for luncheon course
Take a round loaf Of bakers bread at least
two days old and scoop out the center. Do
not break the crust, and leave it at least
an inch and a half thick. Dry the crumbs
in a slow oven and roll very fine Measure
three cupfuls and fry light brown In hot
butter.
Make a sauce from one quart of rich milk
or half milk and cream and three table,
spoonfuls of flour. Season with salt, pep
per and a teaspoonful Of onion Juice Fill
the followed loaf first with a layer of the
sauce then one of oysters, sailed and pep
pered moderately; layer of the sauce and
lastly one of the Drowned crumbs. Fill the
shell in this order and bake slowly thirty
minutes. One quart of oysters is sufficient.
Garnish with parsley and slices of lemon.
AS soon as the celery has O fine flavor
combine IL with oysters for a salad course
for your Sunday night tea. Fry half dog
en- large oysters rolled in cracker or bread
crumbs In small tablespoonful of butter
and set them away to cool. Rub your
salad bowl with a raw onion, cut the oys-
tiers into small pieces and mix with six
heaping tablespoonfuls of celery Make