Shellfish Soup Recipe

Note: Small Helford or Portuguese oysters would do, it is not necessary to use expensive Colchester "Natives".
Heat the white wine, add to it the cockles or mussels, their shells well scrubbed and washed free of grit and all weed; if oysters are used add these ready shelled (don't forget to add their water to the white wine).
Poach the various shellfish for 10 minutes, drain, strain the cooking liquid through muslin or fine tea towel, throw away the empty shells, rinse the shellfish in fresh water, let them drain again and place them in the tureen, trimming the oysters, and cutting them in half if they are big ones.
Melt 2 oz.
butter, stir in 2 oz.
flour and then gently stir in the cooking liquid until it is free from lumps.
Add chopped parsley, 2 pints of water or Court Bouillon,1 and cook gently for 30 minutes.
Add pepper if necessary, and a little curry powder or Cayenne pepper.
Pour into the tureen on top of the shellfish through a fine strainer.
In a bowl, mix the egg yolks with a little of the soup, and pour it as you beat it into the soup which you are keeping hot, but not boiling.
You can add the juice of half a lemon, if you like, and pieces of bread fried lightly in butter.
The liquid used for cooking crabs or crayfish is excellent for making this soup, but be careful about its original seasoning.