Baked Oysters

Creamy, ocean-y baked oysters from 1880

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City/Region: New York City

Time Period: 1880

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During the height of the oyster craze in New York in the 1800s, everyone was eating them at oyster saloons, oyster stalls, and at home. This recipe from 1880 is one of the many, many ways that people prepared them. The sauce is creamy and delicious and complements the oysters wonderfully.

Never shucked an oyster before? Neither had I! There are instructions in the recipe and in the accompanying episode, but do seek out the advice of experts if you feel so inclined.

“The shells may be tin, granite-ware, or silver-plated, or, the natural oyster or scollop shells. The ingredients are : one quart of oysters, half a pint of cream or milk, one pint of bread crumbs, one table-spoonful of butter, if cream is used, or three, if milk ; salt and pepper, a grating of nutmeg and two table-spoonfuls of flour. Drain all the liquor from the oysters into a stew-pan. Let it come to a boil, and skim ; then add the cream or milk, with which the flour should first be mixed. Let this boil two minutes, and add the butter, salt, pepper and nutmeg, and then the oysters. Take from the fire immediately. Taste to see if seasoned enough. Have the shells buttered, and sprinkled lightly with crumbs. Nearly fill them with the prepared oysters ; then cover thickly with crumbs. Put the shells in a baking-pan, and bake fifteen minutes. Serve very hot, on a large platter, which garnish with parsley. The quantity given above will fill twelve common-sized shells. ”

— Miss Parloa's New Cook Book and Marketing Guide by Maria Parloa, 1880

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Ingredients:

• 12 to 18 large oysters
• 1 cup (235 ml) cream
• 1 cup (120 g) dried bread crumbs
• 1/2 tablespoon (7 g) butter, plus extra for greasing oyster shells
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 tablespoon flour

Instructions:

1. Full disclosure, I had not shucked oysters before making this recipe, so I am in no way an expert, but this worked for me. Wear a protective glove on your off hand and set the oyster on a folded up towel and hold it by the big end. Insert the tip of an oyster knife into the joint at the back. Don’t insert it too far in or you’ll pierce the oyster, but just far enough so that when you twist the knife, the joint pops open. Gently run the knife around the edge of the oyster to open it up. Pour off the juices (oyster liquor) into a saucepan for later, then use the knife to cut the oyster from the shell. Save the oyster and the shell.
2. Wash out and dry the deep side of the shell, then lightly grease it with softened butter and sprinkle it with bread crumbs. If you don’t have a special oyster-baking pan like I used, then simply put some dried rice or rock salt into a baking dish and nestle the oyster shells into it (this is a lot cheaper and more practical than the oyster dish unless you plan on making a LOT of oysters).
3. Add the flour to the cream and whisk until well mixed and smooth.
4. Preheat the oven to 400°F (205°C).
5. Put the saucepan of oyster liquor over medium heat and bring it to a simmer. Skim off anything that rises to the top.
6. Add the cream and flour mixture to the oyster liquor and whisk until combined. Cook until it's bubbling just around the edges, then whisk constantly for 2 minutes.
7. Add in the butter, salt, pepper, and nutmeg and whisk well.
8. Add the oysters and immediately take the saucepan off the heat.
9. Spoon an oyster into each of the prepared oyster shells and fill with the sauce. Sprinkle the top generously with bread crumbs.
10. Bake the oysters for 15 minutes.
11. Broil for 1 minute just to brown the bread crumbs.
12. Grab your champagne (if you’re fancy) or lager (if you’re not) and serve them forth.

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