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Oysters, Broiled
Take a dozen large oysters, dry them in a soft cloth, and dip them into beaten egg, and afterwards into finely-grated bread-crumbs. Rub the bars of a double wire gridiron with a little butter, place the oysters upon it, and broil them over a clear, but not fierce fire. When one side is done, turn them upon the other. Put a small lump of fresh butter upon a hot dish, lay the oysters upon it, sprinkle a little pepper over them, and serve. Time to broil, one or two minutes. Probable cost, 1s. 6d. to 3s. per dozen. Sufficient for one or two persons.
A one-pan Victorian savoury that survives translation almost intact, provided the oysters are large and the heat is right.
- The hinge: brief, dry heatOne to two minutes total is not an understatement. The moment the edges ruffle and the crumb colours, they are done; a further minute turns the meat to rubber.
- Double wire gridironA hinged wire basket that clamps food between two grids so it can be flipped in one motion. A hinged fish grill over charcoal does the same job, or use a heavy skillet or the oven broiler with the rack close to the element.
- "A clear, but not fierce fire"Coals burned down past the flames, glowing and even. On gas or under a broiler, aim for a hot but not blasting surface, well preheated.
- Which oystersShucked, drained and patted genuinely dry, or the egg will slide off. Large Pacific or Gulf oysters hold up far better than small delicate natives, which vanish under crumbs.
- Bread-crumbs"Finely-grated" means dry crumbs grated from stale crumb, not fresh soft ones and not panko. Dry fine crumbs from a day-old loaf, sieved, give the closest result.
- Cost note1s. 6d. to 3s. per dozen is the Victorian price as printed. Ignore it as guidance for buying today.
- YieldA dozen serves one as a light supper or two as a first course, as the original says. Scale by the dozen and cook in batches rather than crowding the grid.
Cassell's was compiled when oysters were far more widely eaten in Britain — dredged in quantity from Essex, Kent and the Solent and sold in cities, which is why a Victorian dictionary of cookery can devote pages to them and quote a price of eighteen pence a dozen. Overfishing, pollution and disease collapsed the native beds late in the century, and by the 1920s the oyster had largely completed its move from common food to delicacy. Broiling, or grilling, was one of the standard treatments alongside stewing, scalloping and frying: the egg-and-crumb coating protects the meat from direct radiant heat for the few seconds it needs.