xii INTRODUCTION. 



and eaten, as between champagne frothing and 



leaping out of the silver-necked bottle, and the 



same wine after it has been allowed to stand 



for six hours with the cork removed. There is 



another method of eating oysters, wherein no knife 



is required, and not the least skill in opening is 



needed, the only requisite being a bright fire. You 



pick out a glowing spot in the fire, where there are 



no flames and no black pieces of coal to dart jets 



of smoke exactly in the place where they are not 



wanted. You then insert a row of oysters into the 



glowing coals, taking care to keep their mouths 



outward and within an easy grasp of the tongs, and 



their convexity downwards. Presently a spitting 



and hissing noise is heard, which gradually increases 



till the shells begin to open and the juice is seen 



boiling merrily within, the moUusk itself becoming 



whiter and more opaque as the operation continues. 



There is no rule for ascertaining the precise point 



at which the cooking is completed, for every one 



has his own taste, and must learn by personal 



experience. A little practice soon makes perfect, 



and the expert operator will be able to keep up a 



continual supply as fast as he can manage to eat 



them. When they are thoroughly cooked they 



should be taken from the fire, a second batch 



inserted, and the still hissing and spluttering mol- 



lusks be eaten " scorching hot." . . . No one who 



has not eaten oysters dressed in this primitive mode 



has the least idea of the piquant flavour of which 



they are capable. Stewed in their own juice, the 



action of fire only brings out the full flavour, and as 



the juice is consumed as well as the oyster, there is 



no waste and no dissipation of the indescribable 



but potent aroma.' 



