Oyster Patties

Puff pastries filled with floured oysters sauteed in butter with mace, cayenne, salt and cream.

Turn a couple of dozen oysters into a basin with their liquor. Put one ounce of butter into a saucepan and work it together with a tablespoonful of flour into a smooth paste; when warm add a little mace, cayenne, and salt, and pour in gradually three tablespoonfuls of cream. Boil for a few minutes and pour in the strained liquor from the oysters, add the oysters last, and boil for a couple of minutes longer. Line some small patty pans with some thin puff paste, put a quantity of rice in each to keep them in shape, cover the top with more of the paste and bake in a brisk oven. Take them out, remove the top, empty out the rice, fill them with the oysters and a little of the liquor, cover and serve.