Curried Oysters

The book gives quantities only, on the assumption that any reader of the chafing-dish chapter already knows how to build a cream sauce over a spirit lamp. The proportions are sound; the sequence and the timing are what need stating.

• SaltspoonfulA saltspoon is a quarter teaspoon. The salt at a full teaspoon is generous given that oyster liquor is already salty — hold some back and correct at the end.
• A pint of oystersSold shucked in their liquor, roughly 1 lb, or about 16 to 24 medium oysters. Reserve the liquor before parboiling; you need half a cup of it for the sauce.
• Parboiled and drainedBring the oysters just to the point where the edges ruffle, about 1 minute, then lift them out. This is the hinge of the dish: oysters held in heat past two or three minutes tighten into rubber and shed water into the sauce.
• The order of workSoften the chopped onion in the butter, stir in the curry powder for half a minute to take off its raw dustiness, add the flour and cook briefly, then whisk in the oyster liquor and cream. Simmer to thicken, season, and fold in the drained oysters only long enough to heat through.
• Curry powderPeriod curry powder was a mild yellow blend heavy on turmeric, coriander and fenugreek. A modern hot Madras blend at the same measure will overwhelm half a cup of cream; use a mild blend, or start with half and taste.
• Chafing dish or stovetopIf you are using an actual chafing dish, make the sauce in the blazer set directly over the flame, then slide the hot-water pan underneath before the oysters go in. On a stove, a small heavy saucepan on low heat does the same job.
• CreamHeavy cream is closest to the turn-of-the-century article and, being higher in fat, is less likely to break against the salty oyster liquor. Half-and-half works but wants gentler heat.
• Yield and servingServes three or four as a light course. Serve over toast points, in pastry shells, or with plain boiled rice, a common accompaniment to Anglo-American curried dishes of the period.