Part I

rinse thoroughly with cold water. If not ready to use at once, put away in cold chicken broth. The above is the proper way to make quenelles for any kind of soup. 24 300 WAYS TO COOK SNAPPER. NO. I. -- HOW TO SELECT SNAPPER. To select a good snapper simply means to procure a young and fat one. All snappers, if fat, are all right if cooked until they are well done. NO 2.-- TO FATTEN AND CLEANSE SNAPPER. To fatten poor snappers, pen them up in a small space and feed them on almost any kind of soft cooked food and cooked meat, mostly fat. When well fattened place them in running water for twenty four or thirty-six hours. NO. 3.-- HOW TO PREPARE SNAPPER. Stun snapper by striking on the nose with a cleaver or blunt instrument. Place snapper on a chopping block, holding it with the left hand and extend neck full length on block, and detach the hf ad from the body with one stroke of the cleaver. Bleed fifteen minutes and scald one minute. Take out of the water and rub all of the outer skin off with a clean dry towel. Prepare the same as green turtle. NO 4 --HOW TO PRESERVE SNAPPER. Cover meat with sherry and brandy, two-thirds AND SERVE SHELL FISH. 25 of sherry and one-third of brandy, for all purposes except for snapper a la cream, which can be preserved for months in a cool, even temperature by covering with melted butter. NO. 5.--SNAPPER SOUP A LA MARYLAND. Chop two pounds of bacon up and place it in a tin-lined pot with one-half pound of butter, two cloves of garlic and two large onions chopped, large bunch of pot herbs, six whole cloves, six whole allspice, one bunch of parsley, salt and red pepper to taste, handful of celery tops or one-half teaspoonful of celery salt, one-half cup of Dreg- & less L. P. Sauce, one pint can of raw tomatoes, one large spoonful of tasteless caromel cook ; for one hour, stirring often ; then add one-half pound of flour and cook twenty minutes longer ; then add six quarts of veal or chicken broth. Cook gently two hours and stir often. Take off and strain through a pure sieve or china cap. Add one pint of strong sherry, one quart of snapper meat cut in inch blocks, eight hard boiled eggs, chopped fine. Serve in silver tureens or small china plates. The above receipt will be sufficient for thirty-five covers. NO. 6.--SNAPPER SOUP A LA BOOTHBY. To one pint of Royal sauce, add three quarts of consomme, one pint of Madeira wine, one pint of snapper meat, six hard boiled eggs, chopped fine, one teaspoonful of fine chopped parslej , salt and pepper to taste. Serve the same as snapper a la 26 300 WAYS TO COOK Maryland. This will be sirfficient for thirty covers. � NO. 7.--SNAPPER SOUP A LA CREAM. To one pint of Royal sauce, add three quarts of sweet cream, one pint of white wine, snapper meat, eggs, parsle>' and seasoning same as in receipt No. 6. Heat over a quick fire and SQrve the same as snapper a la Maryland. This will be suf- ficient for thirty covers. NO. 8.--SNAPPER SOUP A L ESPAGNOLE, To two quarts of Espagnole add one pint of consomme and one pint of claret, snapper meat, eggs, parsley and seasoning the same as in receipt No. 6. Heat quickly and serve immediately. Service the same as in Receipt No. G. This will be suffi- cient for thirty covers. NO. 9.--STEVVED SNAPPER A LA BOOTHBY. Place one quart of snapper dressing in a tin-lined copper or block tin saute pan, one pint of sweet cream, a wine glass of sherry and brandy mixed, one pint of snapper meat, snapper eggs and liver. Heat thoroughly and serve immediately. The above is sufficient for ten covers. NO. 10.--STEWED SNAPPER A LA MARYLAND. Proceed exactly as in Receipt No. 9, Snapper a la Boothby, except you use consomme instead of cream. NO. II.--STEWED SNAPPER A LA CREAM. Melt two ounces of butter in a tin-lined sauce AND SERVE SHELL FISH. 27 pan and add two tablespoonfuls of flour, smooth out with small egg-whip and cook five minutes, stirring with egg-whip continuously : then add without removing sauce pan from the fire, one pmt of sweet cream, stirring continuously for ten minutes, and season with salt and pepper and ground mace to taste ; add one pint of snapper meat, eggs and liver. Serve at once. NO. 12-- STEWED SNAPPER A LA ROYAL. To one quart of heavy Royal sauce, add three pints of sweet cream, one pint of sherry and Madeira wine, one quart of snapper meat, eggs and livers. Heat quickly and serve as soon as hot in individual silver tureens or fine china soup plates. The above is sufficient for thirty five covers. NO 13.--SNAPPER PATTL Take pufi" paste shells and heat' hot in a quick oven. Fill with stewed snapper and serve. NO. 14 --SNAPPER CROQUETTES A LA BORDELAISE. Chop fine one-half pint of white meat of snapper, two sweetbreads, twelve mushrooms and onehalf teaspoonful of chopped parsley ; mix well in one pint of ordinary croquette rue and season with red pepper and salt to taste. Roll out any shape that may be desired. Fry in boiling lard or olive oil. When ready to use serve with Ma- deira, Royal or Imperial sauce. 28 300 WAYS TO COOK OYSTEIiS. NO. I.--KINDS OF OYSTERS MOST EASILY SECURED AND MOSTLY DESIRED. Saddle Rocks, Kockaways, Lynn Haven Bays, Shrewsburys, Blue Points, Cherry Stones, Chin- coteagues and Oak Creeks. NO. 2.-- HOW TO SERVE RAW On half shell, (deep or flat) according to fancy. Place the oyster, shell down, on a bank or cone of shaved or fine tracked ice. Serve with lemon and bleached c6lery. Do not commit the common error of putting cracked ice on top of the oyster. NO. 3.--OYSTER BROTH. Pour whatever quantity of oyster liquor that you wish to prepare in a tin-lined sauce pan or pot and place over a quick fire. As soon as it starts to boil, begin to take the scum off as fast as it appears on the surface. After boiling steadily for ten minutes, for every quart oyster liquor, add a small bunch of parsley, a pinch of red pepper, a pinch of salt, three whole cloves, three whole allspice, and four drops of celery essence ; boil one-half hour and strain through flannel or three thicknesses of cheese cloth. If served hot AND SERVE SHELL FISH. 29 add one-half ounce of sweet butter to each pint used. If served cold, place in stone or china vessel in an even temperature. Will keep sweet and pure almost indefinitely. NO. 4-- OYSTER SOUP. Melt four ounces of butter in a tin-lined sauce pan or pot ; add one medium sized onion grated, four ounces of dry flour, a small pinch of ground mace, one-half teaspoonful of celery salt, a pinch of red pepper, cook slowly until all has turned a light brown add two quarts of oyster liquor that ; has been boiled and strained and stir well, one quart of sweet cream, one hundred small blanched oysters and one tablespoonful of chopped parsley. Serve as soon as finished and do not add cream, oysters or parsley until you are ready to serve. The portions given in this receipt is for five quarts of soup, which is sufficient for twenty -five covers, four oysters to the plate. NO. 5.-- PUREE OF OYSTERS. Puree of oysters is made exactly like oj^ster soup, except that ycu use six ounces of flour instead of four, and you grind the oysters (any kind) fine and mash them thoroughly in the oys- ter soup. Press the whole through a pure sieve and serve at once over croutons of bread. NO. 6.--BISQUE OF OYSTERS. Bisque of oysters is a puree with the ground oysters left in and one pint of white wine added. 30 300 WAYS TO COOK NO. 7.--DRY PAN OF OYSTERS. Place eight, ten or twelve strained prime oysters in a tin-lined copper or block tin saute pan with one ounce of sweet butter, light dust of red pepper, a pinch of celery salt, and cook over an open fire one minute ; turn oysters and cook one minute longer and serve it in a hot dish or individual tureen. It can be cooked and served also in a chafing dish with quantities of ingredients the same. -- N. B. The cooking of anything can be greatly improved by the use of the chafing dish instead of the saute pan in connection with any receipt where the latter is mentioned. NO. 8.--WET PAN OF OYSTERS. Prepare the same as diy pan, except you use some oyster liquor with the oysters instead of strained oysters. NO. 9 --BOX PAN. Prepare the same as Receipt No. 8 with oysters opened in the presence of the person to whom it is to be served. NO. 10.-- PAN A LA CROUTON. Prepare the same as Receipt No. 9, and serve in a deep dish, silver or china, over puff paste crouton. NO. II.--PAN A LA COLBERT. Prepare the same as No. 10, except add one- 1 AND SERVE SHELL FISH. 3 fourth of a wine glass of sherry and one-half of a hard boiled egg, chopped fine. Serve quick. NO. 12.-- PAN A LA GERMAIN. Wet panned oysters with six or eight sprigs of chives, chopped fine and cooked with oysters. Serve with thin sliced toasted bread. NO. 13.--PANNED A LA BRETON. Wet pan with blanched chopped celery and petite scallops. When ready to serve add two tablespoonfuls of sherry to each portion. NO. 14.--PANNED 0YSTP:RS WITH OYSTER CRABS. Wet pan with oyster crabs, twenty-four to the portion. Drop the crabs alive (be sure that they are alive) in the pan for one half minute before removing from the fire. -- Note. All styles of panned or stewed oysters shou'd be cooked over an open fire or live steam, because they should start to cook the moment the heat strikes the pan or chafing dish, and continue at a forced rate until finished. NO. 15.-- BROILED OYSTERS A LA ROOTHBY. Grease with butter a thoroughly heated smooth iron or soap-stcne gridiron, drain oysters through a collander, the largest that can be se- cured. Saddle Rock or Rockaways are the best for broiling. Place them on the griddle one-half inch apart, when brown turn and brown reverse side : turn only once Serve on puff paste crou- 32 300 WAYS TO COOK tons or toast, and season with red pepper, salt and a few drops of L. and P. Sauce in melted butter pour over oysters. Decorate with lemon and water-cress or whole parsley. From three to six oysters is a portion, according to what the occasion may be. NO. i6.--BROILED OYSTERS A LA MARYLAND. The process is the same as for a la Boothby, with the addition of two slices of thin braised bacon served with each portion. Substitute cream sauce for melted butter and garnish with petite paste or toast croutons and chopped parsley. NO. 17.-- BROILED OYSTERS A LA MADEIRA. Proceed the same as for broiled oysters a la Boothby. Serve with Madeira sauce instead of melted butter. NO. 18.--BROILED A L ESPAGNOLE. Prepare the same as you would for Broiled Oys- ters a la Boothby. Serve with Spanish sauce. NO 19.--BROILED OYSTERS, BALTIMORE STYLE. Place the oysters one-half inch apart on a grilling iron that has been well greased with olive oil, and place over a strong open hard coal or charcoal fire ; brown both sides and serve a la Boothby. NO. 20. -- BROILED OYSTERS, NEW YORK STYLE. Lift oysters, medium size, out of oyster liquor and roll them in green bread crumbs and broil a la Boothby. Serve with melted butter, oyster or AND SERVE SHELL FISH. 33 celery sauce. Garnish with lemon or water-cress. NO. 21.-- BROILED OYSTERS A LA DELMONICO. Prepare the same as for broiled oysters a la Boothby. Serve with sauce a la Delmonico. -- NO. 22 BROILED OYSTERS A LA ROYAL. Prepare the same as for a la Boothby. Serve with sauce Roval. NO. 23.--BROILED OYSTERS A LA CREAM. Prepare the same as for broiled oysters a la Boothby. Serve with cream sauce. NO. 24.--BROILED OYSTERS A LA BRETON. Detach the eye (or what is commonly called the heart of the oyster) from the body of the oyster called tenderloin of oyster). Broil a la Boothby. Place the oysters on croutons of toasted bread. As you take them from the broiling iron, add blanched chopped celery, petite scallops and sliced truffles to Royal sauce-- one tablespoonful of the ingredients to one-half gill of Royal sauce for each portion desired. Heat hot and pour over oysters. Garnish with chopped parsley. NO. 25.--BROILED OYSTERS WITH CELERY SAUCE. Prepare the same as for broiled oysters a la Boothby. Serve with celery sauce. Garnish with diamond-shaped croutons and chopped parsley. NO. 26.--BROILED OYSTERS GARNISHED WITH OYSTER CRABS. Broil the oysters a la Boothby, and garnish 34 300 WAYS TO COOK with oyster crabs, sauted in butter and chopped chervil. NO. 27.--BROILED OYSTERS A LA DIABLE. Prepare the same as for broiled oysters a la Boothby. Serve with Devil sauce. NO. 28.--BROILED OYSTERS A LA RHINE. Prepare the same as for broiled oysters a la Boothby. Serve with white wine sauce. Garnish with parsley and fine chopped hard boiled eggs. NO. 29. -BROILED OYSTERS A LA BRENNON. Place in a saute pan or chafing dish one ounce of butter, two tablespoonfuls of chopped celery, one tablespoonful of chopped mushrooms and one tablespoonful of Chili sauce. Cook gently ten or twelve minutes, stirring often ; then add one gill of brown sauce, twenty-four oyster crabs (live crabs) and one gill of sherry. Garnish the same as for broiled oysters a la Boothby with the above. Serve on toast. The above quantity is given for four portions. NO. 30.--BROILED IN BREAD CRUMBS. Prepare the same as for New York style (plain). NO. 31.--BROILED OYSTERS IN CRACKER DUST. Place oysters, medium size, without draining, in cracker dust, and broil a la Boothby, and serve with a cream of oysters or celery sauce. NO. 32.--BROILED OYSTERS, BOSTON STYLE. Single, dipped in green bread crumbs ; broil a la Boothby, and serve with tomato sauce. AND SERVE SHELL FISH. 35 NO. 33-BROILED OYSTERS A L' IMPERIAL. Prepare the same as for broiled a la Boothby or Baltimore style, and serve with Imperial sauce. Garnish with crescent shaped paste croutons and chopped parsley. NO. 34._FARCI OF OYSTERS. Chop fine fifty oysters, cullins, four blanched sweetbreads, four hard boiled eggs, twelve mush- rooms, one teaspoonful of fine parsley, one teaspoonful of sweet marjoram, a pinch of celery salt, a pinch of white pepper, a dust of grated nutmeg, one-fourth pound of green bread crumbs, one-half pint of sweet cream, one-half pint of new oyster juice, two ounces of melted butter. Mix thoroughly with a fork or wooden spoon. Fill one dozen of thoroughly cleaned medium-sized oyster shells with the above ingredients, each an inch above the top edge of the shell ; dust with green bread crumbs and pour a little melted butter over the top. Place in the oven and brown to a golden hue. It usually takes from twenty to twenty-five minutes. Serve quickly on a napkin or lace paper mat covered plates. Serve bleached celery or cel- ery salad with Farci of Oysters. Note.--The above is a most elegant course for the service of oysters if prepared according to the receipt in every detail, and it is known to but few chefs. NO. 35.-TRIPE AND OYSTERS SAUTE A LA NEWBURG. Take two ounces of thoroughly cooked honey 36 ' 300 WAYS TO COOK comb tripe, cut it in thin narrow strips or onehalf inch blocks, and place it in a saute pan or chafing dish with six medium-sized or small oys- ters slightly blanched, and one gill of Newburg sauce. Heat three or four minutes and serve in hot individual silver tureen or small soup plate. NO. 36.--TRIPE AND OYSTERS, SAUTE DELMONICO. Prepare the same as Receipt No. 35. Use Delmonico sauce instead of Newburg. NO. 37.--TRIPE AND OYSTERS A LA RHINE. Prepare the same as Receipt No. 35. U^e white wine sauce instead of Newburg. NO. 38.--TRIPE AND OYSTERS SAUTE A LA BOOTH BY. Proceed the same as in Receipt No. 35. Use Royal sauce instead of Newburg, Garnish with chopped parsley. NO. 39 --OYSTER FRITTERS. Chop fine twenty-five oysters stir six whipped ; eggs in two pounds of sifted flour, one-half tea- spoonful of salt, a pinch of pepper, two ounces of melted butter, one pint of sweet cream, one tea- spoonful of chopped parsley and two teaspoonfuls of baking powder ; add oysters and mix well to- gether. Cook in one-half inch of lard in a shal- low braising or frying pan. Turn once, only. Cook light brown. Place fritters on a drainer AND SERVE SHELL FISH. 37 or cloth for one-half minute or so before serving. The above will make twelve portions. NO. 40.-- PAN CAKES. Chop oysters the same as for oyster fritters, add to oysters one pound of sifted flour, the yolks of three eggs, one pint of sweet cream, one ounce of melted butter, salt and pepper to taste, onehalf teaspoonful of chopped parsley and one teaspoonful of baking powder. Mix well and cook in braising pan or on a gridiron, butter greased ; turn only once. The above quantity will make twenty -four pan cakes. NO 41--OYSTER OMELET. Chop from six to eight blanched oysters, add one-half gill of heavy cream sauce to oysters. Heat and All three egg plain omelet, with the oysters ; roll the omelet and place on a platter and pour balance of oysters and sauce around the omelet. Garnish with chopped parsley and serve quickly. NO. 42.--MINCED OYSTERS, SCRAMBLED WITH EGGS. Mince four fresh opened prime, well dried oysters, whip them up with three fresh laid eggs, season to taste with salt and white pepper, pour them into a hot butter greased braising pan. Cook one and one-half minutes and stir with a fork continuously. Serve on hot buttered toast as soon as dished. The above is one portion. 38 300 WAYS TO COOK NO. 43.--OYSTERS EN TIMBAL. For each portion to be served use one shell (course service) otherwise two shells. Make shells hot and place on lace paper mats or in the folds of a napkin. Make a saute of oysters (five oysters to the portion, medium size) a la Royal or a la Newburg, using either Royal or ^STewburg sauce. (See list of sauces.) Fill shells and serve quickly, because timbal shells if properly made, are so delicate that they begin to melt in three or four minutes after being filled. Garnish with fine chopped parsley or truffles. NO. 44.--STEAMED OYSTERS IN SHELL. Place the oysters, the prime of whatever kind you may select, (any one of the following kinds are preferable for steaming or roasting) : Saddle Rocks, Rockaways, Shrewsburys or Lynn Havens. After thoroughly washing the shells in a wire basket or collander, place them in a steam chest and fasten tight and steam until shells part and lips of oysters curl. If served on the half shell, throw off top shell and serve on the deep shell, so as to retain the liquor and aroma. If served out of the shell, sers^e on buttered toast with bleached celery and lemon. -- Note. In the absence of live steam, place the collander containing the oysters over a pot of boiling water, closed tight, to prevent the escape of steam. NO. 45.--ROAST OYSTERS IN SHELL. Place the oysters in an old roast pan and put AND SERVE SHELI, FISH. 39 them in a hot oven and let them remain until the shells part and the lips of the oysters curl. It usually takes from twenty to twenty-five minutes if the oven is very hot. If the oven is not very hot, you will spoil the oysters before the shells part. Serve on toast with melted butter or sauce Maitre d' Hote and bleached celery, NO. 46.-MINCED OYSTERS A LA CROUTON. Hash thirty well drained oysters, cullings will do, unless you wish to use a preferred kind. Place them in a saute pan or chafing dish with two ounces of butter and one gill of hashed cel- ery ; braise five or six minutes and put two tea- spoonfuls of corn starch in one-half pint of sweet cream and the yolks of two eggs ; whip well and pour in oysters, stirring with a fork or a small wooden spoon continuously for three minutes. Serve on top of diamond-shaped, puff paste or toasted bread croutons. Garnish with chopped parsley. NO. 47--OYSTERS A LA GETZ. French fried oysters fried in butter. Serve on toast with Maitre d' Hote sauce. NO. 48.-- OYSTER PATTI A LA CREAM. Braise from five to ten oysters. Drain and add one gill of cream sauce, a pinch of chopped pars- ley. Fill hot puff paste patti shells and serve with celer}^ NO. 49 -OYSTER PATTI A LA ROYAL. Proceed the same as for Oyster Patti a la 40 300 WAYS TO COOK Cream, only use Royal sauce instead of cream. Garnish with chopped truffles. NO. 50.--VOL AU VENTS OF OYSTERS. Prepare the same as for Patties. Fill petite vol au vent shells. Vol au vents of oysters may be made a la cream, a la Royal, a la Newburg, a la Delmonico, a la Rhine, a la Madeira or a 1 Imperial by blanching the oysters and using the sauce, to correspond with the same. NO. 51.-- OYSTER STEW A LA BOOTHBY. A Place twelve No. 1 prime oysters in a tin- lined copper or block-tin saute pan or chafing dish with one ounce of the best creamery butter, a pinch of celery salt and a light sprinkle of red pepper ; saute two minutes over an open fire suf- ficiently hot to start to cook the moment the pan touches the heat. Turn or toss oysters over once aiid add one and one-half gills of milk and cream mixed. Cook one minute longer and serve quickly. NO. 52.--OYSTER STEW WITH CELERY. Proceed the same as for Oyster Stew a la Boothby, with two tablespoonfuls of chopped celery (blanched) added when ready to serve. NO. 53.--BOX STEW. Proceed the same as for Oyster Stew a la Boothby, with oysters opened especially for said stew. Note.-- The above is strictly a Cafe stew. AND SERVE SHELL I^ISH. 41 NO. 54.--OYSTER STEW WITH TRUFFLES. Proceed the same as for Oyster Stew a la Boothby, with tliin sliced truffles added when ready to serve. NO. 55. -OYSTER STEW WITH MUSHROOMS. Proceed the same as for Oyster Stew a la Boothby, with sliced button mushrooms added when ready to serve. NO. 56.--OYSTER STEW A LA DIPLOMAT. Proceed the same as for Oyster Stew a la Boothby, with one tablespoonful of chopped hard boiled eggs, one tablespoonful of chopped celery (blanched) and one teaspoonful of capers added at the same time milk and cream is put in. NO. 57.-- OYSTER STEW WITH OYSTER CRABS. Proceed the same as for Oyster Stew a la Boothby, with twenty-four live oyster crabs dropped in the pan or chafing dish just before the milk and cream is added. NO. 58.-- OYSTER STEW A LA CREAM. Proceed the same as for Oyster Stew a la Boothby, made with pure cream. NO. 59 --OYSTER STEW A LA CREAM WITH CELERY. Proceed the same as for Cream Stew a la Boothby, with two tablespoonfuls of celery (blanched). NO. 60.--OYSTER STEW A h^ CREAM WITH MUSHROOMS. Proceed the same as for Cream Stew a la 42 300 WAYS TO -COOK Boothby, with two tablespoonfuls of sliced button mushrooms. NO. 6i.--CREAM OYSTER STEW WITH CRABS. Proceed the same as for Cream Stew a la Boothby with Oyster Crabs. Drop twenty-four live crabs in a pan or chafing dish just before adding the cream. NO. 62.--CREAM OYSTER STEW WITH TRUFFLES. Proceed the same as for Cream Stew a la Boothby, with one-half dessertspoonful of thin sliced truffles added when ready to serve. NO. 63.--CREAM OYSTER STEW A LA ROYAL. Proceed the same as for Cream Stew a la Boothby, with the yolk of one egg whipped in one-half gill of Madeira wine and added to stew one half minute before removing from the fire. Serve quickly after dishing. NO. 64.~CREAM OYSTER STEW A L' IMPERIAL. Same as Oyster Stew a 1' Imperial, except that you use all cream instead of milk and cream mixed. NO. 65.--RISSOLS OF OYSTERS. Take the eyes (or, what is commonly called, the hearts) out of thirty-six medium sized oysters and cut each in half; place them in a saute pan with two ounces butter pinch celery salt, dust white pepper, one teaspoonful fine chopped parsley, two sweetbreads chopped fine, and one gill AND SERVE SHELL FISH. 43 of cream; saute briskly four or five minutes, add two ounces of green bread crumbs. Mix well together and spread on large platter to cool. Take one and a-half pounds of puff paste dough and divide it in twelve equal parts, roll each piece of dough wafer thin, dampen the edges with whipped egg-yolks and milk; place two full table- spoonfuls of the prepared oysters in the center of each piece of rolled dough; raise the edges of the dough farthest from you with the fingers of both hands and gently bring it toward you over the top of the oysters, covering them entirely, press the edges all around with the thumbs so that they will hold well together, with