Cookery for every household

To Make the Mixture. — First scald the oysters in their own liquor, then drain them, reserving the liquor, and cut them in three or four pieces with a silver knife. Melt half the butter in a saucepan, mix in the flour and allow it to cook for a minute or two. Pour in the milk and oyster liquor carefully strained, and stir until boiling. (If there is not sufficient oyster liquor, the quantity must be made up with fish stock or milk.) Allow this sauce to cook for a few minutes, then add the cream and oysters, and seasoning to taste. Make all thoroughly hot and stir in the remainder of the butter, broken in small pieces, at the last. The mixture ought to be of a nice creamy consistency. To Finish. — Warm the patty cases and fill them with the mixture, piling it rather high in the centre. Put on the little lids of pastry, and garnish each with a sprig of parsley. Or the lids may be left oS and the mixture sprinkled with a little lobster coral. Serve them on a hot dish with a dish paper under them. Notes. — One or two yolks of eggs may be added to the mixture instead of the cream. If tinned oysters are used a larger number should be allowed, because they are, as a rule, smaller. Sufficient for 6 or 7 patties. 1514. Sardine Patties (Bouchées de Sardines) 4 or 5 small sardines. 2 table-sps. good white sauce. 1 tea-sp. chopped parsley. Grated lemon rind. of lemon A squeeze juice. A pinch of cayenne. I tea-sp. shrimp anchovy essence. Small patty cases. Make 7 or 8 very small patty cases as directed on p. 352, and keep them hot. To Prepare the Mixture. — Skin and bone the sardines and cut them in little strips or dice. Heat about 2 table-spoonfuls of very good white sauce in a saucepan, add to it a little grated lemon rind and juice, cayenne, chopped parsley and the shrimp or anchovy essence. Make all thoroughly hot and then heat the pieces of sardine in the mixture. If too thick, a little cream may be added. 1515. Shrimp Patties (Bouchées de Crevettes) Make in the same way as Oyster Patties, using small pieces of shrimps instead of the oysters, and fish stock or milk instead of the oyster liquor. 1516. Sweetbread Patties (Bouchées de Ris de Veau) 3 oz. cooked sweetbread 1 oz. cooked ham or tongue. 2 table-sps. white sauce. Lemon rind and juice. A pinch of nutmeg. 2 table-sps. cream. Pepper, salt. Rough -puff or puff pastry. To Make the Mixture. — Cut the sweetbread in small pieces or break it up with a fork, and chop the ham or tongue finely. Heat about 2 tablespoonfuls of any good white sauce in a small saucepan, and add the prepared meat to it. Season to taste with pepper, salt, a little grated lemon rind and lemon juice, and a pinch of nutmeg. Mix well, pour in the cream and make the mixture thoroughly hot before using. • To Make the Patties. — Finish in the same way as Chicken and Ham Patties. Note. — The addition of a few mushrooms or one or two truffles would be an improvement to the mixture. 1517. Veal and Ham Patties Make in the same way as Chicken and Ham Patties, substituting cold cooked veal for the chicken, or as Beef Patties, using uncooked veal and ham instead of the beef. 1518. Vegetable Patties