Hand-Book of Practical Cookery, for Ladies and Professional Cooks: Containing the Whole Science and Art of Preparing Human Food

every oyster, and serve thus. To eat them, you remove the upper shell, sprinkle salt, pepper, and lemon-juice on, and eat. When raw oysters are served on a table, at which there are gentlemen only, some shallots, chopped fine and gently bruised in a coarse towel, are served with them, on a separate dish. The taste of the shallot agrees very well with that of the oyster. A Tartar sauce may be served instead of shallots. _To blanch._--Set the oysters and a little water on the fire in a saucepan, take them off at the first boil, skim off the scum from the top, strain them, and drop them in cold water. The skimming, straining, and dropping in cold water must be done quickly--the quicker the better. If allowed to stay in the warm water, or out of water, they get tough. In dropping them in cold water, see that they are free from pieces of shell; take them with a fork if necessary. As soon as in cold water they are ready for use, but they must always be drained again before using them. When the water used to blanch is employed in preparing them, it is explained in the different receipts. White wine may be used, instead of water, to blanch them, according to taste. _Fried._--Open the oysters, and put them in a colander for about half an hour. They must be as well drained as possible. Then dip them in egg and roll in bread-crumbs in the following way: Beat one or two, or three, eggs (according to the quantity of oysters to be fried), as for an omelet, turn the oysters into the eggs and stir gently; then take one after another, roll in bread-crumbs; place each one on your left hand, in taking them from the crumbs, and with the other hand press gently on it. Put them away in a cool place for about half an hour, and then dip again in egg, roll in bread-crumbs, and press in the hand as before. It is not indispensable to dip in egg and roll in