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Preserved Oysters

A historical recipe from The Cook and Housekeeper's Complete and Universal Dictionary, by Eaton, Mary, active 1823-1849 (1822).

A historical recipe

The Cook and Housekeeper's Complete and Universal Dictionary; Including a System of Modern Cookery, in all Its Various Branches, Adapted to the Use of Private Families, by Eaton, Mary, active 1823-1849 (1822). Project Gutenberg eBook #29084.

From an old book: a historical recipe, not current advice. Its methods, additives and storage may be unsafe by today's standards. Its words name: preserving or pickling. Check current food-safety guidance before following this.

Source and licence

From The Cook and Housekeeper's Complete and Universal Dictionary, by Eaton, Mary, active 1823-1849 (1822). Digitised by Project Gutenberg, eBook #29084 (https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/29084). Public domain in the USA; its status may differ elsewhere.

Read the original Public domain in the USA

What was changed: As printed, from the book's text; Project Gutenberg's header and licence removed. Ingredient lines were read out of the text by a program. A historical recipe, not current advice.

  • Preserving. Old preserving methods may not make food safe to keep. Use current tested guidance.

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Ingredients

Method

  1. Open the oysters carefully, so as not to cut them, except in dividing the gristle which attaches the shells.
  2. Put them into a mortar, and add about two drams of salt to a dozen oysters.
  3. Pound and then rub them through the back of a hair sieve, and put them into the mortar again, with as much well-dried flour as will make them into a paste.
  4. Roll it out several times, and at last flour and roll it out the thickness of a half crown, and divide it into pieces about an inch square.
  5. Lay them in a Dutch oven, that they may dry gently without being burnt;
  6. turn them every half hour, and when they begin to dry, crumble them.
  7. They will take about four hours to dry, then pound them fine, sift and put them into bottles, and seal them down.
  8. To make half a pint of oyster sauce, put one ounce of butter into a stewpan, with three drams of oyster powder, and six spoonfuls of milk.
  9. Set it on a slow fire, stir it till it boils, and season it with salt.
  10. This powder, if made of plump juicy natives, will abound with the flavour of the fish;
  11. and if closely corked, and kept in a dry place, will remain good for some time.
  12. It is also an agreeable substitute when oysters are out of season, and is a valuable addition to the list of fish sauces.
  13. It is equally good with boiled fowl, or rump steak;
  14. and sprinkled on bread and butter, it makes a very good sandwich.