This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1906 edition. Excerpt: ... CHAPTER XII PREPARING RAW OYSTERS AND CLAMS ON SHELLS OR IN COCKTAILS Scrub the shells thoroughly, using a brush, rinse, and wipe dry. Now, if there be a "handy" man around the house, induce him to open the shells for you; in an emergency you can do it yourself. Push a thin flat knife under the flat upper shell, cut the adductor muscle that holds the shells together, and take ofF the upper shell; with a soft bit of clean cloth wipe off any sand on the edge of the shell; clean the upper shells if needed, and put them back in place, or set the oysters in a pan, and cover this, to keep the oysters from drying off on top. Let them chill on ice. Make ready shaved ice to fill the requisite number of plates. Just before announcing dinner, put ice on the oyster plates, fit five or six of the deep shells on each plate of ice, and put a quarter of a lemon or a cocktail glass with cocktail liquid in the centre of the plate. Set in place and announce the dinner. Or, set the oysters in place after the guests are seated. If the waitress be serving the dinner without assistants, the oysters should be in place when dinner is announced, or some of the guests will have to wait too long for the brown-bread sandwiches and pepper and salt to complete the dish. Little-neck clams are prepared in the same way. COCKTAIL MIXTURE FOR RAW OYSTERS OR CLAMS Mix one teaspoonful of grated horseradish, six or eight drops of tabasco sauce, half a tablespoonful of Worcestershire sauce, a tablespoonful of tomato catsup, one fourth a teaspoonful of salt, and the juice of half a lemon. This mixture may be poured over the oysters in the cocktail glass, or the oysters on the deep shell may be taken up with the fork and dipped into the mixture turned into cocktail glasses set...