Miss Corson's practical American cookery and household management

After all bits of shell are removed from the oysters, and their liquor has been strained to free it from shell and sand, put the liquor over the fire with a tablespoonful of butter to the liquor from a quart of oysters, and let it boil ; remove all scum as it rises ; add pepper palatably, and very little salt ; milk may be used if it is desired, in equal quantity with the oyster-liquor ; after the broth thus made is freed from scum, and seasoned, put in the oysters ; watch them, and the moment their edges curl, remove them from the fire, and serve them at once. Stewed oysters are sometimes thickened by the addition of a little cracker-dust, and they may be varied by using milk instead of part of the oyster-liquor. PICKLED OYSTERS. Oysters for pickling must be of medium size, carefully opened without tearing them, and freed from all bits of shell ; their liquor should be strained through a cloth fine enough to retain any sand it may contain, and then placed over the fire with the oysters, and allowed to cook for three minutes after the oyster-liquor begins to steam ; the oysters should be skimmed out of the broth, and laid on a sieve to drain ; the liquor should be allowed to stand long enough to deposit its sediment, then the clear part poured off and again placed over the fire in a saucepan, with an equal quantity of good vinegar ; to each quart of the mixed oysterbroth and vinegar, allow the yellow rind of half a lemon, two small blades of mace, an inch of stick-cinnamon, and a level teaspoonful of peppercorns or a very small red pepper ; let the pickle boil for about five minutes, removing all scum as it rises, and then cool it ; put the oysters into glass jars, cover them with the pickle, and close the jars to exclude the air. The entire contents of each jar should be used the day it is opened, as the oysters spoil quickly when they are exposed to the air. Pickled oysters will keep two or three weeks if the jars are properly sealed; they are best if used soon after they are prepared ; in that case they require only to be scalded in the boiling broth, and they are much plumper and more tender than when they are allowed to boil, as they must do to insure perfect preservation for any length of time. VOL-ATJ-VENT OF OYSTERS. To make the case for a vol-au-vent, follow the directions given in the recipe for puff-paste until the paste is ready to cut out ; then use either a pastry-cutter of the proper shape and size, or a sharp knife. Cut out the case either with Uncooked Vol-au-uent Case. smooth or scalloped edges. The accompanying engravirig of the uncooked vol-au-vent shows the scalloped edges ; the cooked vol-au-vent is made with the smooth outline. After the pastry is cut out, two or more pieces are to be laid together, according to the height desired in the vol-au-vent after it is baked. If the pastry is properly made, and rolled