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Oysters, Patties Of

Oyster patties may be served either hot or cold, and should be sent to table piled high on a napkin. They may be either baked in patty-pan or made like small vol-au-vents. When patty-pans are used, line the pans with good puff-paste, rolled out thin, put a crust of bread in each, lay on the cover, brush the top with beaten egg, and bake in a quick oven. When the pastry is sufficiently baked remove the covers, take out the bread, fill the patties with the oyster mixture, lay the covers on again, and serve. If made like small vol-au-vents, roll out some light puff pastry, half an inch thick Stamp it in rounds with a pastry-cutter, two inches and a half in diameter, press a small cutter an inch and a half in diameter on the middle of each round, to the depth of a quarter of an inch. This is intended for the lid of the vol-au-vent. Place the rounds on a buttered tin, and bake them in a quick oven until they are risen and lightly browned; then take them out, remove the smaller centre piece, scoop out a little of the inside, and fill the empty space with the prepared oysters. Put on the lid and serve. The oysters are prepared as follows. Beard a dozen oysters, and cut them into small pieces. Put the liquor from the oysters, and the beards into a saucepan, with an inch of lemon-rind, a quarter of an inch of mace, a quarter of a salt-spoonful of grated nutmeg, a small pinch of cayenne, and a pinch of pepper, and boil for seven or eight minutes. Strain the liquid, and thicken it with a dessert-spoonful of flour and half an ounce of butter; mix with it two table-spoonfuls of thick cream and a dessert-spoonful of lemon-juice, then add the oysters, simmer all gently together for half a minute, fill the patties, and serve. The ragout should be smooth, thick, and delicately flavoured, and should never be put into the patties until they are baked. Time, about twenty minutes to bake the patties. Probable cost, 6d. each. Sufficient for a dozen patties.