HOW WE COOK IN TENNESSEE

another. Fry them to a good brown in boiling lard, cooking only a few at a time, and draining them on soft paper before putting them in the dish.

Oyster Loaf. — Very good for supper or luncheon. Buy a stale loaf of Vienna bread, and after cutting off a slice from the top, scoop out the crumbs, or most of them. There should be a good half -inch of bread left inside the crusty shell. Drain a quart of oysters, season with salt, a little Tabasco or red pepper, and a tablespoonful of catsup. Pill the loaf with the oysters, and dot well with bits of butter. Replace the slice cut from the top. Bake in a rather quick oven for twenty-five minutes, basting frequently with the oyster liquor. Better moisten the loaf with the oyster liquor before placing in the oven. Serve with a cream sauce.

Oyster Loaves. — Cut off carefully the end of a loaf of baker's bread, reserving the end; scoop out the crumb inside the loaf, leaving the crust entire. Fill the loaf with hot oysters, fried as in No. 1, leaving room for slices of pickle. Carefully replace the end cut off. If the oysters are hot, and the loaf well cov- ered, they can be carried quite a distance, or eaten some time after being prepared, without getting cold. This is nice for a hasty lunch or a late supper. One dozen oysters will fill an ordinary sized loaf. — Gulf City Cook Book.

Oyster Stew. — Take one quart of oysters, put the liquor in a stew pan, let it boil up and skim carefully ; put in two quarts of milk, let come to a boil. Add the oysters; as soon as they begin to curl up, take off the fire ; put in one tablespoonful of butter and salt to taste.

Stewed Oysters— No. 2. — Take one hundred oysters and strain the liquor to remove any fragments of shell. Measure the liquor, and take an equal quantity of sweet milk ; boil them in separate vessels. To the oyster liquor add a teacupful of cracker crumbs, salt and pepper to taste, and a large table- spoonful of butter. When this has boiled a few minutes add the

24 HOW WE COOK IN TENNESSEE.

oysters, which require about five minutes to cook. Pour in a dish, and add the boiling milk last.

Oyster Bisque. — Heat the liquor from one quart of oysters, and cook in it the oysters chopped to a medium fineness. Three minutes should cook them. Have ready in another vessel one cupful of milk which has been thickened with one heaping tablespoonful of flour and butter, and stir the oysters and liquor into this. Add one-half cupful of cracker crumbs, boil up once, season with salt and pepper, and serve.

Scalloped Oysters. — Do not drain the liquor from the oysters but fork them out as you use them ; in that way as much liquor as you require adheres to them. Oysters part with a good deal of moisture in cooking, and if the mixture is too wet it is not good. Cover the bottom of a well buttered dish with cracker crumbs, dust over a little salt and pepper, and put bits of but- ter over the crumbs; next put a layer of oysters, alternating with cracker crumbs till the dish is filled, putting crumbs on top at last. Bake till brown. — Mrs. Sam Lancaster.

Grilled Oysters. — Drain oysters in a colander and drop them with a little butter into a hot pan on the range. They will ruffle in a few moments ; then toss them lightly about that they may ruffle and plump on both sides. On a platter arrange toast which has been browned and nicely buttered. On each slice of toast place a small heap of oysters which have been kept hot ; then pour over all the liquid and melted butter, seasoned with a pinch of pepper and salt. — Mrs. J. E. Ryley.

Broiled Oysters. — Dip fresh oysters into half bread and half cracker dust, broil in butter for nearly two and one-half minutes on each side. Season to taste and serve on toast.

Steamed Oysters. — Put nice oysters in round dish, season with butter, salt and pepper; set in a steamer over boiling water, steam until they begin to curl.

Steamed Oysters. — Turn the oysters into a steamer over a pot of boiling water; let them steam for half an hour, stirring