Preserved Oysters (No. 280)

The Cook's Oracle; and Housekeeper's ... · Kitchiner, William · 1817
Source
The Cook's Oracle; and Housekeeper's Manual
Status
success · extracted 13 days ago
Not a recipe
No
Ingredients (9)
Instructions (22)
  1. Open the oysters carefully, so as not to cut them except in dividing the gristle which attaches the shells.
  2. Put the opened oysters into a mortar.
  3. When you have got as many as you can conveniently pound at once, add about two drachms of salt to a dozen oysters.
  4. Pound the oysters and salt.
  5. Rub the pounded mixture through the back of a hair-sieve.
  6. Put the sieved mixture into a mortar again.
  7. Add enough thoroughly dried flour to make the mixture into a paste.
  8. Roll out the paste several times.
  9. Lastly, flour the paste and roll it out to the thickness of a half-crown.
  10. Divide the paste into pieces about an inch square.
  11. Lay the pieces in a Dutch oven.
  12. Dry the pieces gently so they do not get burnt, turning them every half hour.
  13. When they begin to dry, crumble them.
  14. Continue drying for about four hours.
  15. Pound the dried pieces fine.
  16. Sift the pounded powder.
  17. Put the powder into bottles and seal them over.
To make sauce
  1. Put one ounce of butter into a stew-pan.
  2. Add three drachms of oyster powder and six table-spoonfuls of milk.
  3. Set the stew-pan on a slow fire.
  4. Stir until it boils.
  5. Season with salt.
Original Text
Preserved Oysters.234-*—(No. 280.) Open the oysters carefully, so as not to cut them except in dividing the gristle which attaches the shells; put them into a mortar, and when you have got as many as you can conveniently pound at once, add about two drachms of salt to a dozen oysters; pound them, and rub them through the[235] back of a hair-sieve, and put them into a mortar again, with as much flour (which has been previously thoroughly dried) as will make them into a paste; roll it out several times, and, lastly, flour it, and roll it out the thickness of a half-crown, and divide it into pieces about an inch square; lay them in a Dutch oven, where they will dry so gently as not to get burnt: turn them every half hour, and when they begin to dry, crumble them; they will take about four hours to dry; then pound them fine, sift them, and put them into bottles, and seal them over. N.B. Three dozen of natives required 7 1/2 ounces of dried flour to make them into a paste, which then weighed 11 ounces; when dried and powdered, 6 1/4 ounces. To make half a pint of sauce, put one ounce of butter into a stew-pan with three drachms of oyster powder, and six table-spoonfuls of milk; set it on a slow fire; stir it till it boils, and season it with salt. This powder, if made with plump, juicy natives, will abound with the flavour of the fish; and if closely corked, and kept in a dry place, will remain good for some time. Obs.—This extract is a welcome succedaneum while oysters are out of season, and in such inland parts as seldom have any, is a valuable addition to the list of fish sauces: it is equally good with boiled fowl, or rump steak, and sprinkled on bread and butter makes a very good sandwich, and is especially worthy the notice of country housekeepers, and as a store sauce for the army and navy. See Anchovy Powder, No. 435.
Notes
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