Miss Parloa's kitchen companion

Heat the oysters to the boiling-point in their own liquor ; then skim them out, and drain them, saving the liquor. Put half a pint of this liquor into a stew-pan, and heat it slowly to the boiling-point. Meanwhile beat the butter and flour together until smooth and light. Stir this mixture into the liquor when it begins to boil, and cook for three minutes more ; then add the cheese, salt, pepper, nutmeg, and cream. Heat to the boiling-point once more, and add the oysters. Now spread the contents of the stew-pan in a gratin dish or an escalop dish, and sprinkle the crumbs over the mixture. Place on the upper shelf of an oven having a moderate heat ; the heat should be greatest at the top of the dish. Bake for twenty minutes, and serve immediately afterward. The crumbs will be crisper if an extra table-spoonful of butter be broken into bits and sprinkled over them before baking. * Roasted Oysters. Put a solid quart of oysters into a stew-pan in their own liquor. Rub three large table-spoonfuls of butter and two level table-spoonfuls of flour to a cream ; and when the oysters have been heated to the boiling-point, skim them carefully and add the butter and flour. Season with a table-spoonful of lemon juice, one-tenth of a teaspoonful of cayenne, a little white pepper, and a quantity of salt to suit your taste, and then boil up once. Have six small slices of toast on a warm platter, and after pouring the oysters upon them, serve immediately. * Escaloped Oysters. For a dish that holds three pints, generous measure, use one solid quart of oysters, half a pint of cracker crumbs, three table-spoonfuls and a half of butter, one teaspoonful and a half of salt, and one-third of a teaspoonful of pepper. Put one-third of the oysters in the bottom of the dish, taking them up with a fork, that there may not be too much liquor, — as there would be if a spoon were used. Sprinkle half a teaspoonful of salt and one-third of the pepper on these. Now dot with one table-spoonful of the butter. Spread a generous half-cupful of the cracker crumbs over this. Now spread the remainder of the oysters on the cracker crumbs, taking them up, as before, with the fork. Sprinkle with the rest of the salt and pepper, and dot with a table-spoonful and a half of butter. Spread the remainder of the cracker over these oysters. Now dot with a table-spoonful of butter, and sprinkle with the oyster liquor. Bake in a hot oven for half an hour. If the flavor be liked, a slight grating of nutmeg and a gill of wine may be added to this dish. * Here is another receipt in which bread crumbs are used instead of cracker : Take one solid quart of oysters, drained as free as possible from liquid, three pints of grated bread crumbs, a teaspoonful and a half of salt, one-third of a teaspoonful of pepper, and three generous table-spoonfuls of butter. Grate the bread and measure it lightly. Spread it in a large dripping-pan, and put into a moderate oven to dry. Keep it in the oven for about twenty minutes, stirring frequently. It should be only slightly browned in that time. Let the crumbs cool, and then prepare and cook the oysters the same as with cracker crumbs, save that none of the oyster liquor should be used. * Broiled Oysters.