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Oyster Rarebit
1 cup oysters 2 tablespoons butter 1/2 lb. soft mild cheese, cut in small pieces 1/4 teaspoon salt Few grains cayenne 2 eggs Clean, parboil, and drain oysters, reserving liquor; then remove and discard tough muscle. Melt butter, add cheese and seasonings; as cheese melts, add gradually oyster liquor, and eggs slightly beaten. As soon as mixture is smooth, add soft part of oysters. Serve on unsweetened wafer crackers or bread toasted on one side, rarebit being poured over untoasted side.
A stovetop cheese sauce enriched with egg and oysters, meant to be spooned over toast the moment it turns smooth. Everything depends on keeping the heat low.
- Gentle heat is the hingeOnce the eggs go in, the mixture must stay below a simmer or it will scramble and weep fat. Use a heavy pan over the lowest flame, or set a bowl over barely steaming water, and stir constantly.
- Parboil means seconds, not minutesOysters are done when the edges just ruffle, about 30 seconds to a minute in their own liquor. Longer and they tighten into rubber, which no amount of cheese sauce will hide.
- The tough muscleThis is the small pale adductor where the oyster was attached to the shell. If you feel a firm nub, pinch it off.
- "Soft mild cheese"Probably a young, high-moisture cheese that melts without stringing: a mild young cheddar, or, as a modern equivalent, something like Monterey Jack or Colby. Aged cheddar is more likely to break and turn grainy.
- Half a pound is a lot of cheeseEight ounces of cheese to a cup of oysters gives a very rich sauce. Cut it into small dice as directed so it melts before the pan gets hot enough to trouble the eggs.
- Oyster liquorStrain it through a fine sieve or a coffee filter first; there is nearly always grit. Add it a spoonful at a time so the cheese emulsifies rather than seizing.
- Toasting on one sideThe untoasted face soaks up the sauce while the toasted underside keeps the bread from collapsing. It is worth following rather than using fully toasted bread.
- YieldThe recipe gives no yield; these quantities would make roughly four small servings. Serve immediately -- it does not hold or reheat well.