Oyster Pancakes

A thick drop batter carrying whole oysters, meant to be cooked on a greased griddle or in a skillet over a camp fire. The one thing to watch is that the oysters need almost no cooking — they are done as soon as the batter is.

• Oyster liquorThe liquid in the container of shucked oysters, strained through a fine sieve to catch shell grit. A pint of shucked oysters will often yield roughly this much, though it varies with the packing; if you are short, make it up with more milk rather than water, or with bottled clam juice.
• Oyster sizeA dozen oysters means a dozen shucked ones, roughly 8-10 oz. Small East Coast or Olympia oysters go in whole; anything larger than a walnut should be cut in two or three pieces so the batter can set around them.
• Fat and panThe original assumes you know to grease the pan. Use a well-heated cast-iron skillet or griddle with a tablespoon or two of bacon fat, butter or oil — enough to keep the cakes from sticking, not enough to deep-fry them.
• Heat and timingMedium heat. Two to three minutes a side, turning once when the edges look dry. The oysters plump in that time; pushing on to a deeper brown makes them rubbery.
• Batter thicknessOne cup of flour to one cup of liquid plus an egg gives a batter about as thick as an ordinary pancake batter, thick enough to carry the oysters. If it will not spread at all, thin it a spoonful of milk at a time.
• Baking powderTwo teaspoons to one cup of flour is a generous ratio by modern standards but still works. Mix the batter and cook it promptly rather than letting it stand long.
• Yield and servingThe recipe says it serves four. Good with lemon, hot pepper sauce or a spoon of tartar sauce; in camp, alongside fried potatoes.