The economical cook book

For seventy-five large oysters, boil four eggs twenty minutes, lay them in cold water for ten minutes, break off the shells, and chop them finely; put the oysters with their juice over the fire in a porcelain-lined kettle, add to them pepper and salt, a very little grated nutmeg, a piece of onion half as large as a shellbark chopped very fine, a tablespoonful of chopped parsley, two tablespoonsful of rolled cracker or cracker dust, the hard-boiled eggs, and a quarter of a pound of butter with a tablespoonful of flour, or two teaspoonsful of corn starch mixed into a paste with it ; stir all together over the fire until the butter is melted through the oysters, then set them off, and let them cool whilst you prepare the crust, which should be half puff paste ; line a deep dish with the paste, pour in the oysters ; roll the paste for the cover with a little more butter, a piece the size of an egg, give it two rolls, using as little flour as possible, cover your pie (having first out several little incisions in the cover), and bake in a quick oven a little more than half an hour. When brown on the top, cover with thick paper to prevent the crust from burning. SHELL FISH. 06 * Roasted Oysters. Wash them very clean, and lay them in their shelb on the top of the stove or range with a hot fire under them. When the shells open, they are done; take them out with a sharp knife, and toss them in a chafing-dish, with pepper, salt and plenty of butter ; cover closely and give a boil up on the table ; or if you do not use a chafing-dish, open them in a tin dish with butter, pepper and salt in it, and give a heat up on the top of the range, put them in a covered dish and serve. * Pickled Oysters. J>rain the oysters in a cullender, put the juice over the fire in a porcelain-lined kettle, and for one hundred oysters, add four blades of mace, a dozen whole cloves, a teaspoonful of whole allspice, salt and white pepper to your taste, and as much vinegar as you have juice ; throw the oysters into a large pan of very cold water, stir about for a minute, drain again in the cullender. When done dripping, pour them into the kettle, and simmer until they show their leaves; pour out, and if you wish to keep them several days, put them in glass air-tight jars. * Another Way. Drain the oysters, and put the juice over the fire in a porcelain-lined kettle with a few blades of mace, white pepper and salt. When the liquor boils, put in as many oysters as will cook nicely. When they show their leaves, take them out with a perforated skimmer, and throw them in a pan of ice water; put in more oysters to cook, and proceed as before, until ail are done. Take the oysters out of the ice water in one minute after you put them in, drain them, and put them in a tureen or large covered dirii, strain the juice through a fine muslin cloth over the oysters, add vinegar to your taste, a little more salt, a sprinkle of cayenne pepper, and a slice or two of lemon. The lemon is to be added when the oysters are perfectly cold. * Devilled Crab. Boil the crabs about ten or fifteen minutes. When done, extract the meat, cut it in small pieces, season with cayenne pepper and salt, moisten with a little cream, butter the upper shells of the crabs, fill with the meat, cover the tops thickly with bread crumbs, sprinkle a little pepper and salt over them, and lay on the top of each one a piece of butter nearly as large as a walnut, ind brown them in a hot oven. They will take about fifteen minutes. * Lobster Patties.