THE OTSTEE. 65 



and seal them. Three dozens of natives require seven ounces 

 and a half of flour to make them into a paste weighing eleven 

 ounces, or when dried and powdered, six and a half ounces. 

 To make half a pint of sauce, put one ounce of butter into a 

 stew-pan with three drachms of oyster powder, and six table- 

 spoonfals of milk ; set it on a slow fire, stir it till it boils, and 

 season it with salt. This makes an excellent sauce for fish, 

 fowls, or rump steaks. Sprinkled on bread and butter, it makes 

 a good sandwich. But only use plump juicy natives in the 

 preparation, 



11. Pickled Oysters are mostly used for salads when no fresh 

 oysters can be got. Take good wine, or TaiTagon vinegar, some 

 onions cut in pieces, some slices of lemon, some spices, whole 

 pepper, bay leaves, and salt. Boil this together, and whilst 

 boiling put the oysters into it, and let the whole boil up once 

 more. Put the result into bottles with a little good oil, and, 

 tied over with bladder, it will keep for a long time. 



However, pickled oysters also appear as a supper dish, ' 

 Tvhen they are thus prepared : — 



Take two dozen oysters ; strain the liquor ; add three blades 

 of mace, six peppercorns, a Kttle grated lemon peel, and one 

 or two bay leaves ; boil the liquor, and, when boiling, add the 

 oysters for two minutes. When cold, strain off the liquor ; 

 l^lace the oysters in a small dish, and garnish with parsley. 

 According to this rate of ingredients the dish may be made to 

 suit the number of guests likely to partake of it. 



12. Oyster Loaves. — Make an oval hole in the top of some 

 rasped French roUs, and scrape out all the crumb : then put the 

 oysters into a stew-pan, with their liquor, and the crumbs that 

 came out of the rolls, and a good lump of butter ; stew them 

 together five or six minutes : then put in a spoonful of good 

 cream ; fill the skeleton rolls with the compound, and lay the 

 bit of crust carefully on the top again, setting them in the oven 

 to crisp. Three form a side dish. 



13. Oyster Omelet. — Having strained the liquor from three 



