Prairie Oyster
The Prairie Oyster was considered a hangover cure by both P G Wodehouse in Jeeves Takes Charge and by Christopher Isherwood in Goodbye to Berlin. In the former, Jeeves doesn’t actually refer to the name of the cocktail but describes it as "a little preparation of my own invention. It is the Worcester Sauce that gives it colour. The raw egg makes it nutritious. The red pepper gives it bite". In Goodbye to Berlin Isherwood describes Prairie Oysters being drunk by Sally Bowles after a heavy night at the Kitcat Club, and in the 1972 film, Cabaret, Sally (played by Liza Minelli) mixes one with a toothbrush stating that they “work instantly, even on the most sinister hangovers”. Although there is a belief by some that the cysteine in eggs helps to break down the acetaldehyde involved in processing alcohol, most scientists state that there is no evidence that this is the case.
Equipment
Measuring jug
Cocktail shaker
Cocktail glass
Preparation method
Fill the cocktail shaker with crushed ice and add all the ingredients except the egg yolk.
Shake and strain into a tumbler.
Carefully add the egg yolk and down in one!
