Bohemian-American Cook Book/Oysters, Crabs, Shell Fish, Frogs, Etc.
Ústřice, raci, žáby, atd..
397. RAW OYSTERS.
Ústřice syrové..
Oysters are edible from September to April, the “R” months. When eaten raw, they are served with catsup, vinegar, salt, pepper, Worcestershire sauce and lemon juice, and oyster crackers.
398. FRIED OYSTERS.
Ústřice smažené.
Dry the oysters, which should be large. For two dozen oysters beat two eggs and one yolk, dip the oysters in flour, then in the eggs and then in finely powdered cracker crumbs or corn meal. Fry quickly in hot fat, composed of equal parts of butter and lard.
399. BAKED OYSTERS.
Ústřice pečené.
Butter a pan or skillet, dust the bottom with bread crumbs, place in it a layer of oysters, salt and pepper them, dot with bits of butter, cover with a layer of bread crumbs, moisten with the liquor mixed with milk and continue until the dish is full, the top layer being of bread crumbs dotted with butter. Pour over all a cup of milk mixed with a beaten egg and bake fifteen minutes in a hot oven.
400. FRICASSEED OYSTERS.
Ústřice s podpouštkou.
Boil the liquor from two dozen oysters with a tablespoon of butter, a small amount of beef soup and a pinch of pepper and nutmeg. Add the oysters, boil about two minutes, then take them out and strain the liquor. Brown together a tablespoon of flour and one of butter, add enough liquor to make a fairly thick gravy, salt, pepper and simmer about ten minutes. Beat two yolks or one egg with a tablespoon of butter and the juice of one lemon, add this to the gravy, strain and let it come to a boil while constantly stirring, but it must not boil. Place the oysters in a dish, pour the sauce over them and garnish with rice croquettes. The oysters can be kept warm while the gravy is being made by setting the dish in a pan of hot water.
401. CREAMED OYSTERS.
Ústřice s bílou omáčkou.
Bring to a boil the liquor from two quarts of oysters, add the oysters and in a moment or two take them out. Salt the liquor, add a tablespoon of butter, the juice of one lemon, a cup of cream thickened with a tablespoon of flour, two beaten yolks or one egg, and let all simmer gently, stirring constantly; it must not boil. Place the oysters in a hot dish, pour the gravy over them, sprinkle with minced parsley and serve.
402. OYSTER STEW.
Ústřice v mléce.
To a quart of oysters heat a quart of milk to the boiling point, thicken with a tablespoon of butter and a teaspoon of flour. When it begins to bubble, add the oysters with a little of their liquor and as soon as they begin to rise, take off the stove, salt, pepper and serve.
403. BROILED OYSTERS.
Roštěné ústřice.
Drain nice, large oysters, dip each in melted butter and broil quickly. When brown on both sides, add salt, pepper, butter and place on hot buttered toast, which has been slightly moistened with milk. These must be eaten hot.
CLAMS.
Mušle.
Hard clams are small and rounded, soft clams are larger and oblong. They are edible from the beginning of May to the end of Angust, at a time when oysters are not in season. Before cooking in any way, the hard muscle must be taken out of each.
404. BAKED SOFT CLAMS.
Pečené měkké mušle.
On each shell lay one large or two small clams, salt and pepper, sprinkle each with half a teaspoon of minced parsley stems, six small dice of bacon, rub with butter and roast in the oven until a golden brown. Arrange on a platter lined with a napkin, garnish with parsley or cress and serve.
405. FRIED SOFT CLAMS.
Smažené měkké mušle.
Take out of the shells, cut out the large muscle and drain on a napkin, then salt, pepper and dust with flour, dip in a beaten egg and bread crumbs and fry in hot fat. Serve garnished with sliced lemon and parsley.
406. CLAMS WITH CREAM.
Mušle se smetanou.
Boil the liquor, place the clams in it and let them harden a trifle, then take out and drain. Fry slightly one minced onion in butter, add the clams, a pinch of salt and pepper, a wineglass of wine and a tablespoon of cognac, and heat thoroughly, then thicken with cream mixed with beaten yolks and butter. Stir constantly and do not let it boil, then pour over the clams and serve with small pieces of toast.
407. CLAM STEW.
Dušené mušle.
Boil the liquor from 50 clams. In the mean time mince the clams. Skim the boiling liquor, add two cups of water and when it comes to a boil, add the minced clams, pepper and simmer five minutes. Then add two tablespoons of fresh butter, two cups of milk, and serve when it begins to boil, after adding a few crackers broken into small bits.
408. CLAM CHOWDER No. 1.
Dušenina z mušlí.
Place in a deep kettle half a pound of minced bacon or ham, three potatoes cut into small dice, minced onion, a pinch each of thyme, marjoram, green parsley, salt and pepper. Then add a layer of veal (one pound) cut into half inch dice, then a layer of two cups of canned or stewed tomatoes, and finally a layer of 50 clams, minced. Cover with boiling water, cover and simmer gently half an hour, without stirring. Then add two cups of milk, six crackers broken fine, stir thoroughly, boil ten minutes longer and serve hot. The tomatoes may be omitted, if desired.
409. CLAM CHOWDER No. 2.
Dušenina z mušlí na jiný způsob.
Fry three or four slices of bacon cut into dice, add a cup of boiling water, one large onion minced fine and two potatoes cut into dice. Cover and stew until the potatoes and onion are tender, then add one pint of milk, and when it begins to bubble, add the contents of a can of clams, take away from the fire immediately, season with salt and pepper and serve.
410. BOILED CRABS.
Raci vaření.
Wash the crabs, place in a kettle, add caraway seed and pepper, enough salted boiling water to cover, cover well and boil briskly fifteen minutes or longer. Drain, arrange on a dish and garnish with parsley. They should be a bright scarlet color.
411. FRIED CRABS.
Raci smažení.
Boil the crabs as directed above, shell, dust with flour to which you have added salt and minced parsley, and fry in butter over a hot fire. Arrange on a dish and serve with fried parsley.
412. STEWED CRABS.
Raci dušení.
Take the meat out of the claws and tails of large crabs, cut fine and mix with a fourth of the amount of bread crumbs and a bit of minced parsley. Salt and pepper, stuff the shells, place in a pan, dot with bits of butter, sprinkle with the juice of one lemon, a layer of bread crumbs, dot with butter, cover and bake in the oven about twenty minutes.
413. HARD SHELL CRABS.
Krabi tvrdí.
Boil about fifteen minutes in boiling salted water, then serve. Or you may mince the meat, mix it with half the amount of boiled rice, add a pinch each of salt, paprika, nutmeg, thyme, moisten with milk and fill the shells with this. Dust with bread crumbs, put a bit of butter on each crab and bake in the oven,
414. LOBSTER.
Humra.
Tie the claws together, place the lobster in boiling salted water and boil fifteen minutes to the pound. If boiled too long, the meat will be tough. When done, halve and serve with mayonnaise sauce.
415. CANNED LOBSTERS.
Humry nakládané.
These are served with mayonnaise or with vinegar and pepper.
416. SHRIMPS.
Mořští ráčkové.
These are boiled in boiling salted water a few moments and they may then be placed in hot butter a few moments. As far as the inland markets are concerned, they are sold mostly in cans, in which case they should be washed in fresh cold water before using.
417. TURTLE.
Želva.
Kill the turtle as described in the recipe for turtle soup, remove the top shell, take out the meat, being careful to reject all the internal organs and the gall bag, and cut the meat up. Fry a minced onion in butter, add a tablespoon of flour, and when it has browned a little, add beef soup, a wineglass of wine, a bit of pepper, the rind (minced) of two lemons, a bit of minced parsley, the juice of one lemon and boil until smooth. Simmer the meat in this sauce, when done place in a dish, pour over it the strained sauce, and serve with small pieces of toast.
418. FROG LEGS A LA POULETTE.
Zadělávaná žabí stehýnka.
The hind legs of frogs marked with a green stripe on the back are the ony edible kind. Soak them twenty-four hours in fresh water (after being skinned and cleaned), then parboil in hot salted water. Then place them in a skillet with a piece of butter, sprinkle with lemon juice and simmer a while. Then thicken with butter and flour browned together, simmer until tender and before serving add two or three beaten yolks, thinned with beef soup, a tablespoon of minced parsley, and serve.
419. FROG LEGS WITH EGGS.
Žabí stehýnka s vejci.
Skin the legs and salt, leaving them thus a while, then bone and mince the meat fine. Place a piece of butter in a skillet, one minced onion, a tablespoon of minced parsley and a pinch of mace. Add the minced meat to this and simmer uncovered until the liquor that forms is absorbed again, then add a piece of butter, thicken with a few beaten eggs and serve in a hot dish.
420. FRIED FROG LEGS.
Smažená žabí stehýnka.
Skin the legs, place in a deep dish, salt, pour over them lemon juice and olive oil, minced onion and minced parsley and allow to stand thus an hour. Drain, dust with flour, dip in beaten egg and bread crumbs, fry in hot fat and serve with parsley.