Shell Fish
Clam Chowder.—25 clams cut up, ½ pound salt pork chopped fine, 6 potatoes sliced thin, 4 onions sliced thin. Put pork in kettle; after cooking a short time add potatoes, onions, and juice of clams. Cook 2½ hours, then add clams; 15 minutes before serving add 2 quarts milk.
Fried Oysters.—Select largest and finest oysters. Drain and wipe them by spreading upon cloth, laying another over them, pressing lightly. Roll each in beaten egg, then in cracker crumbs with which has been mixed a very little pepper. Fry in mixture of equal parts of lard and butter.
Oysters Roasted in the Shell.—Wash and scrub the shells. Cook in hot oven, on top of stove, over red-hot coals, or in steamer until shells open. Always place them round shell down to retain juice. Serve melted butter and vinegar or lemons with them.
Panned Oysters.—Pick over the opened oysters to remove bits of shell. Wash quickly in cold water and drain on sieve. Put into saucepan with 1 tablespoon butter for 25 oysters and a dash of salt and pepper. Cover and shake over a hot fire until edges ruffle and oysters are plump. May be served on toast.
Stewed Oysters.—Pick over and wash 1 quart oysters. Scald 1 pint milk. Strain, boil, and skim oyster liquor; when clear add oysters. Cook till oysters are plump and well ruffled; take from fire, add hot milk, salt, and pepper.
If desired thicker, rub together 1 tablespoon each of butter and flour; add to milk and stir until smooth. This may be varied by addition of a little chopped celery or onion.
Creamed Oysters.—Prepare 1 cup thick cream sauce (seeSauces). Pan 1 pint cleaned oysters; drain and add to sauce. Season with salt, pepper, pinch of mace, and few drops lemon juice.
Scalloped Oysters.—Pick, wash, and drain 1 solid quart oysters. Put in layers in baking-dish, alternating with dry bread or cracker crumbs and seasoning. When dish is filled add strained oyster liquor and sufficient milk to moisten. Cover with crumbs, add 1 tablespoon butter in bits, and bake ½ hour in hot oven.
Broiled Oysters.—Pick, wash, and drain large oysters. Dip each in melted butter, roll in fine crumbs, and broil in fine wire broiler over a clear, hot fire. Serve on toast with sliced lemons.
Pickled Oysters.—2 gallons large oysters, drain and rinse them; put 1 pint oyster juice in 1 quart vinegar over fire; scald and skim until clear; add 1 tablespoon whole pepper, 1 tablespoon cloves, 1 tablespoon mace, 1 even tablespoon salt; scald a minute, then throw in oysters; let them just come to a boil. The oysters should be pickled day before being wanted, as they grow tough after standing a few days in vinegar.
Oyster Pâtés.—1 quart oysters, minced fine with a sharp knife; 1 cup rich drawn butter based upon milk; cayenne and black pepper to taste. Stir minced oysters in drawn butter and cook 5 minutes. Have ready some shapes of pastry, baked in pâté-pans, then slipped out. Fill these with the mixture; set in oven 2 minutes to heat, and send to table.
Oyster Pie.—1 quart oysters, drained; pepper, salt, and butter to taste. 1 quart flour, 2 tablespoons lard, 1 tablespoon salt, mix with water for pie crust. Butter plate, then line pie-plate with crust; fill with oysters, seasoned; put over a crust and bake.
Scallops in Batter.—Wash and dry large scallops. Dip each in fritter batter (seeFritters) and fry golden brown in smoking-hot fat.
To Boil Lobsters or Crabs.—The lobster is in good season from April to December, and should be purchased alive and plunged into boiling water in which a good proportion of salt has been mixed. Continue to boil according to size about 20 minutes. Crabs should be boiled in the same manner, but a little more than half the time is necessary.
Deviled Crabs.—1 cup crab meat, picked from shells of well-boiled crabs, 2 tablespoons fine bread crumbs or rolled cracker, yolks two hard-boiled eggs chopped, juice of a lemon, ½ teaspoon mustard, a little cayenne pepper and salt, 1 cup good drawn butter. Mix 1 spoon crumbs with chopped crab meat, yolks, seasoning, drawn butter. Fill scallop shells—large clam shells will do—or small pâté-pans—with the mixture; sift crumbs over top, heat to slight browning in quick oven.
Soft Shell Crabs.—Fry in butter or lard.
To Open a Boiled Lobster.—Wipe off shell, break off large claws; separate tail from body; take body from shell, leaving “lady,” or stomach, on shell. Put aside green fat and coral; remove small claws; remove woolly gills from body, break latter through middle, and pick out meat from joints. Crush or cut under side of tail, draw meat from shell. Draw back flesh on upper end and pull off intestinal cord. Break edge of large claws and remove meat.
Lobster Newburg.—Season 1 pint diced lobster with ½ teaspoon salt, dash cayenne, pinch nutmeg. Put in saucepan with 2 tablespoons butter, heat slowly. Add 2 tablespoonssherry; cook 5 minutes; add ½ cup cream beaten with yolks 2 eggs, stir till thickened. Take quickly from fire.
(Decorative Design)