Required: Two dozen sauce oysters, with their liquor. Two quarts of fish stock or milk and water. Two ounces of butter. Two ounces of flour. Half a gill of hot milk.

Half a gill of cream. • The yolks of two eggs. Half a lemon. A bunch of parsley. One bay-leaf. One blade of mace. Ten peppercorns. Salt, pepper, cayenne, nutmeg.

Put the oysters, with their liquor, in a small pan, heat them gently until the edges curl up and the oysters begin to plump out; then beard and halve them, and strain the liquor. Save this, and also the beards.

Melt the butter in a saucepan, add the flour smoothly, and stir it over the fire for a. few minutes, taking care that it does not colour in the least. Now add the stock, oyster liquor, and beards, parsley, bay-leaf, mace, and peppercorns. Stir these over the fire until the soup boils, then let it cook gently for half an hour, keeping it well skimmed. Next strain the soup through a fine sieve or tammy cloth. Pour it back into the saucepan, after first rinsing it out, re-boil it, let it cool slightly, then add the milk with the cream and beaten yolks. Unless the soup is allowed to cool, it will curdle the eggs, and the soup will be spoilt.

Re-heat the soup sufficiently to cook the yolks, but do not let it actually boil. Season it carefully to taste with salt, pepper, cayenne, nutmeg, and a few drops of lemon juice, just before serving add the pieces of oysters. Pour into a hot tureen.

N.B. - A cheaper variety of this soup may be made by leaving out the yolks and cream, and using a little more flour instead to thicken it.

The following are good firms for supplying foods, etc., mentioned in this Section: Messrs. J. S. Fry and Sons. I .td. (Cocoa); Samuel Hanson .and Son (Red, White and Blue Coffee); C. R. Shippam (Tongues, Potted Meats, etc.).