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Lucy-Mama's Oysters

Source of Recipe

From "Essentials of Southern Cooking" by Damon Lee Fowler


Recipe Introduction

"'Lucy Mama' was the somewhat incongruous pet name of my good friend and fellow cookbook author Ruth Adams Bronz's grandmother. An imperious Louisiana dowager, she never quite got over the scandalous fact that all her grandchildren were born in Texas. ('You don't have to say you're from Texas, dear,' she'd correct them, 'just say your people are from Louisiana.') Ruth added to the scandal by leaving the South altogether and settling in the far northeast corner of Massachusetts. There she hosts a sumptuous Thanksgiving dinner every year for up to thirty people, the menu for which embraces every corner of the globe and changes annually - except for her grandmother's scalloped oysters. The one time she tried to omit them, it moved her guests to near mutiny. Once you taste them, you will understand why. The recipe is exactly as Ruth learned to make it from Lucy-Mama, with one exception: Instead of baking the oysters in one large dish, she divides them among individual scallop shells."

List of Ingredients

◦  1 quart shucked oysters and their liquor
◦  30 saltine crackers
◦  ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, divided
◦  ½ cup chopped parsley
◦  ¾ cup chopped scallions, both white and green parts
◦  1 cup heavy cream
◦  1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
◦  2 tsp Tabasco sauce
◦  Salt and whole black pepper in a mill


Recipe

Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 425° F. Butter eight individual scallop shells or a 10-inch pie plate or 2-quart gratin. If using scallop shells, spread a ½-inch-thick layer of rock salt on a rimmed baking sheet or line it with crumpled foil. Strain the oysters, reserving their liquor. Crush the saltines to medium crumbs.

Melt two-thirds of the butter in a large skillet over medium heat until foamy. Add two-thirds of the saltine crumbs and stir until they're evenly coated. Add the parsley and scallions and toss (the crumbs should be quite dry and just beginning to brown). Add the oyster liquid and cream and simmer, stirring often, until reduced by one-fourth, watching carefully. Stir in the oysters, Worcestershire, and Tabasco; season well with salt and pepper to taste.

Divide the oysters among the shells or pour into the prepared baking dish. Wipe out the skillet, and add the remaining butter, and melt it over medium-low heat. Turn off the heat, add the remaining crumbs, and toss until coated. Sprinkle the crumbs over the oysters. If you've used scallop shells, press them into the salt or foil on the prepared baking sheet. Bake until bubbly, about 10 minutes.


Serves 8