Pepper Roast

This is a one-line variation, so everything depends on the parent recipe it points to — a Fancy Roast of oysters, cooked in butter and cream in a pan rather than in the oven. A few things in it need translating.

• "Roast" means the stovetop"Roast" probably means the stovetop -- In American oyster-house language a roast is usually a pan roast: oysters swirled in butter, seasoning and often cream in a shallow pan or chafing dish, then poured over toast. If the parent Fancy Roast follows that pattern, no oven is involved.
• Green peppersThis means fresh green bell pepper, not chile and not green peppercorns. A tablespoon finely chopped is a small amount; much more and the pepper would take over the oyster liquor. The recipe gives no yield, so the quantity it is scaled to is unstated.
• Soften the pepper firstRaw bell pepper needs longer cooking than an oyster does. If the parent recipe uses butter, sweating the chopped pepper in it for two or three minutes before the oysters go in will keep it from staying crunchy and grassy.
• The hinge is the timingOysters are finished the moment their edges ruffle and they plump — one to two minutes in hot butter. Held longer they tighten and turn rubbery, and the liquor they throw off goes cloudy and thin.
• Oysters and their liquorShucked oysters sold in tubs come in their own liquor; keep it and add it to the pan, as it carries most of the flavour. Drain them briefly first so the pan stays hot enough to cook rather than stew.
• Buttered toast, not breadPan roasts of this kind were commonly served on toast to catch the sauce, though this entry says nothing about serving. If toast is used, choose bread firm enough to hold up.
• YieldThe recipe gives no yield. Pan roasts of this type were typically made to order in single portions, cooked in small batches so the pan does not crowd and cool.