The Myrtle Reed Cook Book Part 50

Make a light biscuit dough, roll thin, and cut into inch squares.

Scald a quart can of oysters in their own liquor and when it boils, skim out the oysters and set aside. Add to the liquor two cupfuls of boiling water, a tablespoonful of b.u.t.ter, and salt and pepper to season. Cook and stir with a teaspoonful of flour rubbed smooth in a little cold milk. When boiling hot, put in the dumplings, cover closely, boil for forty minutes, add the oysters, reheat, and serve at once.

OYSTERS WITH GREEN PEPPERS

Put a tablespoonful of b.u.t.ter into a frying-pan and fry in it a sweet pepper and a small onion both chopped fine. Add a pint of oysters with their liquor, season with salt and paprika, and cook for five minutes.

Serve on hot b.u.t.tered toast.

OYSTER STEW

Drain one quart of oysters and put the liquor to heat in a saucepan.

Add one cupful of cream, and salt and red pepper to taste. Bring to the boil, add two tablespoonfuls of b.u.t.ter, and thicken with one teaspoonful of flour rubbed smooth in a little cold milk. Cook and stir until it thickens, add the oysters, simmer until the edges curl, take from the fire, add the juice of half a lemon, and pour over thin slices of the b.u.t.tered toast.

OYSTERS a L'INDIEN

Strain the juice from a quart can of tomatoes, and add enough water to make two cupfuls. Heat to the boiling point, add half a cupful of well washed rice, and cook for twenty minutes, stirring as needed. Add two tablespoonfuls of b.u.t.ter, two teaspoonfuls of curry powder, salt and pepper to taste, and two dozen large oysters. Cook until the oysters ruffle. Serve with thin brown bread sandwiches and bananas.

OYSTERS a LA MADRID

b.u.t.ter individual baking-dishes. Put a layer of drained oysters in the bottom, season with salt and pepper, dot with b.u.t.ter, sprinkle with finely chopped pimentos, cover with crumbs, and repeat until the dish is full, having crumbs and b.u.t.ter on top. Bake in a quick oven.

_SCALLOPS_

FRIED SCALLOPS

Trim off the beards and black parts, rinse well, and drain. Saute in hot lard, drain on brown paper, and serve at once. Or, dip in egg and crumbs and fry in deep fat.

PIGS IN BLANKETS

Parboil scallops, drain and dry on a cloth. Roll a thin slice of bacon around each one and fasten with a wooden tooth-pick. Fry until the bacon is crisp and serve on thin slices of b.u.t.tered toast.

_SHRIMPS_

CREAMED SHRIMPS

Melt one tablespoonful of b.u.t.ter, add one tablespoonful of flour, and cook thoroughly. Add one cupful of milk, and cook until thick, stirring constantly. Add two cupfuls of sh.e.l.led shrimps broken into small pieces, season to taste, reheat, and serve.

CURRIED SHRIMPS

Melt one heaping tablespoonful of b.u.t.ter, add one tablespoonful of flour and cook thoroughly. Add one cupful of boiling water and cook until thick, stirring constantly. Add a tablespoonful of curry powder and a teaspoonful of grated onion. Heat thoroughly and add a can of shrimps well-washed and drained. Cook for five minutes longer and serve with boiled rice and ice-cold bananas.

JELLIED SHRIMPS

Open a large can of shrimps and soak in ice-water for an hour.

Dissolve half a box of powdered gelatine in cold water to cover, add to it one cupful of boiling water, the juice of two lemons and a pinch of salt. Strain into a ring mould and put in half the shrimps. Set on ice. When the jelly is firm, loosen from the mould by dipping for an instant in boiling water. Turn out on a round platter, and put the rest of the shrimps in the middle with the small hearts of lettuce.

Serve with mayonnaise.

MAYONNAISE OF SHRIMPS

Prepare two cupfuls of shrimps, and break each one in two pieces. Mix with mayonnaise and serve with a border of lettuce leaves. A little finely cut celery may be added if desired.

SHRIMPS BAKED IN GREEN PEPPERS

Cut the stem ends from half a dozen green peppers and carefully remove the seeds and veins. Soak the green peppers in cold water for half an hour. Melt one tablespoonful of b.u.t.ter, add half a teaspoonful of mixed mustard and salt, pepper, celery salt, and grated nutmeg to season. Add one egg well-beaten and mix thoroughly. Add two cupfuls of sh.e.l.led and broken shrimps and enough grated bread-crumbs to make a smooth paste. Fill the peppers, cover with crumbs, dot with b.u.t.ter, and arrange in a baking-pan with the open side up. Bake for twenty minutes.

SHRIMPS a LA CReOLE

Put into a saucepan two cupfuls of sh.e.l.led shrimps, one heaping tablespoonful of b.u.t.ter, half a small onion chopped fine, and a bruised bean of garlic. Heat thoroughly, add one cupful of canned tomatoes, and salt and cayenne to season. Cook for ten minutes and add one-half cupful of French peas just before serving.

SHRIMP WIGGLE

Prepare according to directions given for Creamed Shrimps, using equal quant.i.ties of broken shrimps and French peas.

TOMATOES STUFFED WITH SHRIMPS

Take half a dozen large tomatoes, cut off the tops, and scoop out the pulp, leaving a thin sh.e.l.l. Melt a tablespoonful of b.u.t.ter, add the tomato tops and pulp and cook until thick, seasoning with salt, pepper, minced parsley, and grated onion. Add one small can of shrimps cut fine and enough crumbs to make a paste. Fill the tomato sh.e.l.ls, cover with crumbs, dot with b.u.t.ter, and bake in the oven. Serve with a border of boiled rice.

SIXTY WAYS TO COOK FISH

COURT BOUILLON

Put into the bottom of the fish-kettle a thick layer of sliced carrots and onions, and a sliced lemon. Season with parsley, thyme, a bay-leaf, half a dozen whole peppers, and three or four whole cloves.

Lay the fish on top of this and cover with equal parts of cold water and white wine, or with water and a little lemon-juice or vinegar. Put the kettle over the fire and let it heat slowly. The fish must always be put into it while cold and after boiling allowed to cool in the water.

BAKED Ba.s.s