The Toronto Cook Book

One can shrimps, dry packed one can peas, one tablespoon butter, two tablespoons (heaping) flour, one pint milk. Pick over shrimp and cover with cold water; drain peas and heat in clear water. Melt butter, stir in flour until well mixed ; add a little milk, stirring all the time until you have used all the milk and have a smooth, thick sauce. Drain shrimp and add to sauce. Let this cook for about ten minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste — we like a little red pepper. Lastly drain peas and add to the rest. Mix well and serve at once. Enough for six persons. OYSTERS Creamed Oysters and Macaroni A pint of cold creamed oysters in a well buttered dish, bits of cheese and pieces of butter into a cup of hot milk. When cheese and butter are dissolved turn it over the oysters, cover with rolled soda biscuits, moistened in hot milk; bake in a well covered dish, brown before serving. Creamed Oysters To sixty-five oysters take one pint of cream and one pint of milk one large tablespoonful of cornstarch and the same of butter. Cream butter and flour together on the fire. When smooth, add the cream and milk, stirring slowly; put the oysters on in their own juice and skim. These should cook about five minutes. Dip out oysters from their liquor and add them to the cream. Last of all, strain the liquor pour in the cream, do not allow it to boil after putting in the juice, or it will curdle, season with pepper, salt, a little cayenne. Oyster Loaves Stew the oysters in their own liquor, if large cut them. Roll some butter in flour, add a little mace, thyme, dropped parsley and anchovies. Scoop out the crumbs of as many French rolls as there are persons ; allow one' to each ; fry them in butter. Toss up the oyster with a little cream and the beaten yolk of an egg; add a little lemon juice. Close up the hole with the piece of roll taken out. Veal, duck or chicken may be done in the same manner. Fried Oysters Drain the oysters through a sieve, beat up two or three eggs; have ready some sifted cracker crumbs, seasoned with pepper and salt. Dip each oyster in the egg and cover well with cracker crumbs; have the pan hot, and put in an equal portion of lard and butter. When it boils lay in the oysters carefully. They require close watching to prevent either burning or too much cooking. As they are cooked lay them on a soft cloth to drain near the fire. Serve very hot. Care must be taken that the fat does not burn. Oysters Oyster Croquettes Take two dozen oysters, boil them in their own liquor for five minutes; chop a small piece of onion and one tablespoonful of parsley very fine. When the oysters have boiled five minutes strain well and chop them into small pieces. Melt in a saucepan three ounces of butter; stir in two ounces of flour; add by degrees one gill of cream; stir until it boils; next add a very little grated nutmeg and cook two minutes. Scalloped Oysters