Oyster Garnishing for Shells and for a Patties with Mushrooms

The first step to take is to open the oysters, detach them from their shells, and poach them in their own juice, after this is done, drain them off. They can be bread-crumbed and baked in their own shells if needed whole, or in small scollop shells if they are in salpicon (No. 165), or else they are used to garnish bouchees. To prepare them for the patties proceed as follows: Blanch thirty-two medium sized oysters in their own juice in a saucepan, drain and dry them on a napkin. Fry a finely chopped shallot in two ounces of butter, moisten with the oyster juice, add a pint of bechamel sauce (No. 409), reduce and then strain the whole through a tammy (No. 159), cut the oysters into small squares and fry them in two ounces of butter over a brisk fire, and add them to the prepared bechamel, also two tablespoonfuls of chopped mushrooms.