Shell-fish

Insert a knife into clams and oysters; if the shell instantly closes firmly, they are fresh; if it shuts slowly or not at all, they are dying or dead.

Keep oysters in a cool cellar and occasionally sprinkle them with salt water.

The small-shelled variety has the finest flavor.

For canned oysters, trust the dealer but never buy cans whose sides are swollen.

When preparing oysters for cooking or for table, carefully remove all shell fragments.

Use a wire oyster fork; the short tines hold the oyster at the end of the fork.

When cooking, some people do not skim at all, others skim only slightly, claiming that a great deal of the rich flavor is lost by doing so; with good fresh oysters, this is not necessary.

Never salt oysters for soups or stews until just before removing them.

Roast oysters in shell to preserve natural flavor; always serve immediately after cooking and do not cook long, never boiling more than a minute or two.

Fried Clams: Remove large soft-shell clams from shell; dry them in a towel, single-bread them or dip them in batter and fry in sweet lard or butter; some prepare for cooking by cutting off the black head, splitting the long, tough neck, and scraping.

Fried Crabs: Procure soft-shell crabs, alive if possible; lay the crab on its back, lift up the apron or flap near the back of the shell, take out all spongy and fibrous portions, and by lifting the shell at both sides remove the same substance from the back; cut a semi-circle from the head, including the eyes and sandbags; wash in cold salted water, dry on a clean towel, season inside and out with salt and pepper, and fry light brown in fresh butter or lard; or double-bread them and fry by immersion; some bread them by dipping into milk for first wetting; serve garnished with crisped parsley or sliced lemon.

Clam Chowder: Chop fifty clams, peel and slice ten raw potatoes, dice them, cut six onions, and a half pound fat salt pork; slice six tomatoes; have ready a pound pilot crackers; first fry pork in the bottom of a pot and partially cook onions in the pork fat; remove the pork and onions, then layer ingredients in the pot with pork at the bottom, onions, potatoes, tomatoes, clams, and crackers; season with pepper and salt; pour over the clams' liquor and repeat the process, adding chopped parsley to taste; cover with a lid and boil from half to three quarters of an hour.

Clam Pie: Take three pints of hard or soft-shell clams, put them in a saucepan and bring to boil in their liquor, adding a little water if needed; have ready four medium-sized potatoes, boiled until done and cut into small squares; make a pie paste and line a medium-sized pudding dish half way down the sides; turn a small cup bottom in the middle of the dish to keep the top crust; layer clams, potatoes, butter, salt, pepper, and flour, adding clams' juice and a little water if necessary; cover with a top crust, cut slits for steam to escape, and bake three quarters of an hour.

Clam Stew: Take half a peck of hard-shell clams, wash shells clean, and put them in a kettle with about a cup of water; steam until shells open; take clams out of shells, strain the juice, and return it with clams to the fire; after they come to a boil, add a pint of milk or water, a piece of butter the size of an egg, three fine crackers, pepper, and salt if needed; boil once and serve hot, poured over toast.