OYSTERS IN SEASON

New Zealand Listener, Volume 2, Issue 37, 8 March 1940, Page 44

OYSTERS IN SEASON

that a dozen perfectly. fresh raw oysters served on the half-shell with a quarter of a lemon nestling beside them, and pepper and salt and thin brown bread and butter within easy reach, represent to most of us the ideal way of serving oysters, yet it must be realised that this is often too expensive a dish for the family. So we must think up some ways in which the aforesaid dozen oysters may serve two or three people, instead of only one. Be sure never to cook oysters too much. Never allow them to boil, only simmer gently, or they will be indigestible and tough. When opening oysters, always save the liquor, and add this to the sauce which is served with them, or to which they are added. us rejoice that oysters are "in" again. But although it is admitted

Oysters with Mushrooms What a piece of good luck that these toothsome’ foods are in season together. Here is a good recipe: One cup of oysters, one cup of cooked mushrooms, 1144 cups of milk, 3 tablespoons of flour, 4% teaspoon of salt, 3 tablespoons of butter, 1 teaspoon of onion juice, or a little onion essense, 4 teaspoon of lemon juice, and 2 egg yolks or 1 egg. Drain the oysters and put them into.a hot pan. Cook until the edges begin to curl, then remove them on to a hot dish, Make a sauce by ‘adding to the oyster liquor, the juice from the mushrooms, and- enough: milk. to make a pint. Thicken this with the flour blended with the butter, and cook two to five minutes. Add chopped’ mushrooms, Onion juice, lemon juice, and a little salt. Beat the yolks of the eggs; add a little of the -hot mixture slowly, then all of it. Add the oysters, and cook over hot water until the ,satice thickens, stirring constantly: Remove from the stove and servé at once. Oysters with Mushrooms (No. 2) This is a much quicker and easier way of serving them. Make a good white sauce by melting 3 tablespoons of butter, adding 5 tablespoons of flour, and a little pepper and. salt, stirring until smooth, Then gradually add 114 cups of milk, and cook for ten. minutes, preferably in a double saucepan. Fry some snushrooms in a little butter-only about a cupful for the above amount of sauce and add them to the sauce. Heat up 2 cups .of oysters in their own liquor until the edges curl, and then add them to the other mixture. Serve them with hot dry toast. Baked Oysters With Spaghetti Break about % pound of spaghetti into small pieces, and boil it in salted boiling water until it is quite tender, then drain. Scald the oysters in their own liquor, saving the liquor. Butter a baking. dish, put in a_Jayer of spaghetti, and then a layer of the oysters, season with salt and pepper, and repeat the layers until all the oysters and spaghetti

are used, finishing with a layer of spaghetti. To the liquor from the oysters add enough milk to make a pint, saving out a small quantity to mix with the flour to make the sauce. Scald the remainder, add the scalded milk to 2 tablespoons of flour. moistened with milk, stir well and cook 20 minutes in a double boiler. Remove from: the: stove, add 2 tablespoons of melted butter, and pour it over the layers in the dish. Top with

bread.crumbs mixed with melted butter, and bake in a quick oven for about teh minutes-just long enough to brown the bread crumbs, Oyster Sauteed ~ Drain sufficient oysters’ well, "season with salt and pepper, and. roll: in ‘fine bread crumbs. Place two’ or three tablespoons of butter in a saucepan and when it becomes very hot drop in efough oysters to cover the bottom of the pan. When’ one side is browned turn. the oysters carefully to brown the other side. Add more butter if necessary. Use a thick bottomed .saucepan if possible. Serve very hot on toast. Oyster Casino _’ Wash and open the oysters. Into each shell put a half teaspoon of strained oyster liquor, a few drops of lemon juice, then the oyster sprinkled with salt and pepper and covered® with ‘buttered crumbs. On each lay an inch square of bacon, and put in a-hot oven for ten or: twelve minutes. Shallow oven wate dishes with the half-shells embedded’ in’

coarse salt, are very good for this purpose. The salt keeps the shells from tipping during the baking. If the shells are not available arrange the oysters for each portion in a shallow " ramekin" -or small individual dish. Baked: Oysters This recipe was given me by: our muchvalued "link" in the Daisy Chain, "Qld Bachelor, New Lynn." For each serving allow 6 or 8 oysters, according to the size. Into each shell put the oysters and pour over them some of the juice, anda few drops of lemon juice, also a dab of butter. Cover with fresh bread crumbs into which is mixed a grating of nutmeg and a pinch of mixed herbs, dot with butter, and bake in a hot oven for about a quarter of an hour, or until light brown: If oysters are a bit scarce mix in a little cold boiled fish of any sort, nicely. chopped up. Oysters: with Gherkins Use the above recipe, and then, after the oysters are heated, take them out of the sauce and -place them on: squares of dry toast; add some chopped gherkins to the sauce and pour a little over each square. Serve at once. Fried Oysters Just ‘scald the ‘oysters in their own liquor, drain them thoroughly on a cloth, and roll them in seasoned bread crumbs of dip' them in batter, Then fry in deep boiling fat till light brown-about three to-five minutes. will be. enough.