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Oysters: Deviled Oysters with Mustard Sauce

Source of Recipe

From "The Glory of Southern Cooking" by James Villas


Recipe Introduction

"It's no secret that Southerners eat mayonnaise on practically everything but chocolate, but one unique trait of Southern cookery that often goes unnoticed by those outside the region is the use of mayonnaise in place of milk and cream products in numerous toppings for baked dishes—large casseroles included. No doubt this would make some cringe, but the truth is that mayonnaise not only binds other topping ingredients like nothing else but it also produces a nice glaze on dishes, such as these deviled oysters. Typically, the ramekins would be served with small country ham biscuits at a genteel luncheon."

List of Ingredients

â—¦ 2 cups mayonnaise
â—¦ 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
â—¦ 1 tablespoon prepared horseradish
â—¦ 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
â—¦ Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
â—¦ 8 strips bacon
â—¦ ½ pound fresh mushrooms, chopped
â—¦ 2 dozen fresh oysters, shucked and drained
â—¦ 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese


Recipe

Preheat the oven to 375° F.

In a bowl, combine the mayonnaise, mustard, horseradish, lemon juice, and salt and pepper, mix till well blended, and set aside. In a large skillet, fry the bacon over moderate heat till crisp, drain on paper towels, and crumble. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of the grease, add the mushrooms to the pan, and cook over moderate heat, stirring, till they release most of their moisture, about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat.

Butter the bottom and sides of six individual 4-ounce ramekins and place four oysters in each. Add equal amounts of mushrooms to each ramekin, then spoon on equal amounts of the mayonnaise mixture. Add the crumbled bacon to each, sprinkle with cheese, and bake till slightly puffy and the cheese begins to brown, about 12 minutes. Serve piping hot.

Makes 6 servings