Oyster Pie

Directions

1. Have a clear, hot fire.
2. Put the oysters to drain while you make the crust.
3. Put the lard and salt into the flour, cut fine with a sharp knife, and mix as thoroughly as possible.
4. Add the ice water a little at a time, still using the knife until all the flour is wet.
5. Then use the hands as lightly as possible, making it into a ball for your board, which you must dredge lightly.
6. Roll out the dough and baste it with little bits of butter, using the knife, in close rows ; dredge a little ; turn the ends over, and roll up as you would a sheet of paper.
7. Roll out, and baste, repeating this until the butter is used up.
8. Line the sides of a pudding dish (about 9 inches diameter) and fill with an inverted cup and bits of stale bread, or, if the bread is not available, a clean napkin.
9. Roll the top out, about an inch thick, cover your mock pie, ornamenting the edge heavily, as this makes it easier to remove.
10. It is now ready for the oven.
11. While it is baking, stew your oysters.
12. Put the milk and the liquor over the fire in separate vessels, rub the butter and flour smooth, skim the liquor as soon as it boils, add the hot milk, the thickening, seasoning, and last the oysters, which should only be allowed to come to a boil, and then drawn away from the fire.
13. In the meanwhile watch your fire and don't let your mock pie burn, as that would spoil the look of it.
14. Time the baking and stewing so as to have them both done at the same time.
15. Remove the pie from the oven to the board, take off the top with a long, broad-bladed knife, take out your mock filling and replace with the oysters, re-cover and send to the table hot.
16. If you have more oysters than the dish will hold, send them to the table in a sauce boat.
17. The pie should bake and the oysters stew in about fifteen minutes.