Orlys of oysters, or huîtres à la Orly

Common-sense cookery for English hous... · Kenney-Herbert, A. R. (Arthur Robert), 1840-1916 · 1905
Source
Common-sense cookery for English households : with twenty menus worked out in detail
Status
success · extracted 12 days ago
Not a recipe
No
Ingredients (32)
For the oysters
For the broth
For the duxelles composition
For the shrimp fritters
For the batter
For vegetable fritters
For beignets / pancake fritters
Instructions (37)
Orlys of oysters
  1. Drain the oysters from their liquid and beard them.
  2. Proceed as recommended at page 60 to make a broth with the beards and liquid of the oysters.
  3. Cook the oysters in the broth in the manner specified.
  4. Wipe the oysters and set them en marinade all the day in a soup plate, with the juice of a lemon, a few thin slices of onion, some whole peppers, and sprigs of parsley.
  5. Turn them occasionally till they are wanted for the friture-pan.
  6. Lift them out and drain on a cloth.
  7. Dip the oysters in the batter you have given.
  8. Fry secundum artem (according to art).
  9. Serve as a hot hors d'œuvre in the French style, or as an excellent garnish for boiled or fried fish, or a dish of filets de bœuf.
Huîtres à la duxelles
  1. Choose large sauce oysters.
  2. Blanch them as explained above.
  3. Press them between two dishes till they are cold.
  4. Split each oyster open, almost as wide as a kidney.
  5. Insert therein a little of the following composition: toss two of salt, a teaspoonful of minced shallot and a dessertspoonful each of minced mushroom and parsley.
  6. Fry this composition for five minutes.
  7. Moisten with a coffee-cupful of good brown sauce.
  8. Give it the yolk of an egg, and let it get cold.
  9. Put a small allowance of this composition in each oyster.
  10. Shut the sides of the oyster together.
  11. Dip it in the batter.
  12. Fry immediately.
Vegetable Fritters
  1. Parboil, cool, and drain the chosen vegetables (asparagus, artichokes, cauliflower sprigs, salsify fillets, seakale, or vegetable marrow).
  2. The process is exactly the same as for other fritters.
  3. Dip the prepared vegetables in the batter.
  4. Fry until golden brown and crisp.
  5. Drain dry and serve.
Shrimp Fritters
  1. Shell and pound half a pint of boiled shrimps in a mortar with an ounce of butter and a little fish broth.
  2. When quite worked to a purée, incorporate it with the batter.
  3. Drop the mixture by dessertspoonfuls at a time into your friture-pan.
  4. Let the fritters cook till they turn a rich golden colour, and are as crisp as biscuits.
  5. Drain dry, and serve them on a napkin with crisply fried parsley.
Beignets or Pancake Fritters
  1. If you omit the shrimp purée, simply fry dessertspoonfuls of the plain batter.
  2. Cook until golden brown and crisp.
  3. Drain dry and serve.
  4. Serve as a savoury entremets, to be eaten with butter, pepper, and salt.
  5. Alternatively, serve as a sweet entremets, dusted over with powdered sugar and sprinkled with lemon juice.
  6. For a sweet version, a spoonful of brandy or liqueur mingled with the batter improves their general effect.
Original Text
Orlys of oysters, or huîtres à la Orly, known also as angels on horseback—i.e., oysters plainly dipped in the batter I have given you, and fried secundum artem, are perhaps as dainty morsels as can be presented in the form of a hot hors d'œuvre in the French style. Drain the oysters from their liquid and beard them. As for the beards and liquid of the oysters, proceed as recommended at page 60 to make a broth, and cook the oysters therein in the manner specified; then wipe them and set them en marinade all the day in a soup plate, with the juice of a lemon, a few thin slices of onion, some whole peppers, and sprigs of parsley; turn them occasionally till they are wanted for the friture-pan, when lift them out and drain on a cloth. Oyster fritters thus treated form an excellent garnish, and may be served with boiled or fried fish, or a dish of filets de bœuf. Here is Gouffés huîtres à la duxelles:—Choose large sauce oysters, blanch them as explained above, press them between two dishes till they are cold, then split each oyster open, almost as wide, comparatively speaking, as you do a kidney, and insert therein a little of the following composition:—toss two of salt, a teaspoonful of minced shallot and a dessertspoonful each of minced mushroom and parsley; fry for five minutes, and then moisten with a coffee-cupful of good brown sauce, give it the yolk of an egg, and let it get cold. After putting a small allowance of this in each oyster, shut the sides together, dip it in the batter, and fry immediately. I have already indicated the vegetables which, after parboiling, cooling, and draining, make good fritters, and here repeat my recommendation of that method of treating them. The process is exactly the same as for other fritters. The best are made of asparagus (all the tender part), artichokes, sprigs of cauliflower (choufler en bouquets), or neat fillets of salsify, seakale, and vegetable marrow. Shell and pound half a pint of boiled shrimps in a mortar with an ounce of butter and a little fish broth; when quite worked to a purée, incorporate it with the batter, and drop the mixture by dessertspoonfuls at a time into your friture-pan: let the fritters cook till they turn a rich golden colour, and are as crisp as biscuits, then drain dry, and serve them on a napkin with crisply fried parsley. If you omit the shrimp purée, and simply fry dessertspoonfuls of the plain batter, you will have beignets, or, as some call them, pancake fritters, which may be either sent up as a savoury entremets, to be eaten with butter, pepper, and salt, or as a sweet one, when they must be dusted over with powdered sugar and sprinkled with lemon juice. In the latter case a spoonful of brandy or liqueur mingled with the better improves their general effect.
Notes
—