Oyster soup

This is the first recipe under the category of Retro Recipes and it comes to us from the book “Perfect Cooking by Parkinson” that was printed in 1950 in the United Kingdom and was used by the Parkinson Stove Company as a way of promoting their new gas ranges. The book itself is approximately two inches thick and covers everything from how to properly set the table to the proper positioning of food in the oven. The process of going through this book should prove interesting.

I am going to post the recipes word for word from the book and I will even make one or two as I go along but please don’t expect this to be a Julie and Julia type of experience. Please also keep in mind that there are no pictures for these recipes.

Here’s how we do this one.

Ingredients:

• 1 quart of fish stock or water
• 2 doz. Portuguese Oysters. (or 1/2 pint tin)
• 2 ozs flour
• 1/2 pint milk
• 2 teaspoonfuls anchovy sauce
• 1 teaspoonful salt
• 1/2 oz butter

Method:

– Beard the oysters and cook by putting in a strainer and pouring boiling water through. (if no stock is available, the beards, which are the dark parts of the oysters may be put into a saucepan, and simmered with one quart of water half-an-hour, together with a pinch of mace, salt and peppercorns, and strip of lemon peel). Melt the butter in a large saucepan. Add the flour, then the stock (strained and cooled). Boil five minutes. Add milk or cream. Stir in the oysters and anchovy sauce, and season to taste.

There you have it a “simple but tasty Retro Recipe for the grilling season and beyond.”

Until next time………..

                         Bon Appetit