OYSTERS A LA MODE. 35 



Oyster Ragout. 



Ragout d'Huitres. 



Take two dozen oysters ; open them, saving all 

 the liquor. Make a thick batter with the yolks of 

 two eggs, a grate of nutmeg, the minced peel of 

 half a lemon, a spoonful of the juice, a little 

 flour, and two spoonfuls of milk or cream. Dip 

 the oysters one by one into this batter, roll them in 

 bread-crumbs, fry them in butter to a bright brown, 

 and set them before the fire to keep hot. Have 

 ready two dozen chestnuts, shelled and skinned, and 

 fr}^ them in butter. Pour the fat out of the pan, 

 dredge some flour in, rub a piece of butter over it 

 with a spoon, put in the oyster liquor, a quarter of a 

 blade of mace, and half a pint of chablis or vin-de- 

 grave. Let them boil, thicken the liquor with the 

 yolks of two eggs, beaten up with four spoonfuls of 

 cream, and when it is thick pour it over the oysters 

 and serve. 



Oysters a la Reine. 



Huitres a la Reine. 



Take a small oval tin about an inch deep, 

 butter it well all over, and cover with bread-crumbs. 

 Have ready some good oysters, bearded, and free 

 from grit ; put a layer of oysters over the bread- 

 crumbs, shake in a little pepper, repeat the bread- 

 crumbs with butter over them, and so on till the tin 

 is full. Pour the oyster liquor (strained) over, and 

 strew bread-crumbs smoothly at the top ; pour clari- 

 fied butter over, and brown in the oven for from 

 fifteen to twenty minutes. 



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