Oyster Soup.
2 quarts of oysters.
1 quart of milk.
2 tablespoonfuls of butter.
1 teacupful of water.
2 eggs.
Cayenne pepper, salt, mace.
1 tablespoonful of corn-starch.
Strain the liquor from the oysters into a saucepan, mixing in the water. Season and spice to taste. When the liquor boils, add a quarter of the oysters chopped fine. Boil five minutes; strain through muslin and put back into the saucepan. Thicken with the butter rubbed up in a tablespoonful of corn-starch. When this boils, drop in the whole oysters. Cook until they “ruffle.” Meanwhile, make a sugarless custard by heating and salting the milk, adding the beaten eggs, and stirring four minutes over the fire. Put some split crackers into the tureen; pour on the custard, then the oyster-soup, stirring all up well. Send around oyster crackers and sliced lemon with it.