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Aw shucks, Oysters!

Kentucky Oyster Casserole
Oysters Romano
Oysters Annapolis
Skipjack Oyster Dressing
Roasted Oysters Nanticoke
Traditional Oyster Stew
Oyster Bisque
Creamed Oysters
Oyster and Wild Rice Strata
Oysters Bingo
Oyster 'n' Fennell Chowder
Fried Oysters
Beer Batter Fried Oysters
Hickory Smoked Herb Oysters
Oyster Wellington with Spinach Pesto
Rockefeller Chowder
Crumb-Topped Oyster Pie
Grilled Oysters Athena

Kentucky Oyster Casserole
From S.S.E. of Kent Island

One package of saltine crackers
One stick of butter
One pint of oysters with juice
1/4 cup half and half
Salt and pepper
Deep dish pie plate

Butter deep dish pie plate. Take about 6 saltines and crumble with your hands. Spread in pie plate. Top with a third of the oysters, salt, pepper and dot of butter. Next layer another 6 crumbled saltines, then oysters and butter.

Continue until you have about 3 layers. Finish with saltines and dot with butter. Mix oyster juice with half and half and pour over the casserole. Salt and pepper to taste. Bake in 375 degree oven for 20 minutes.

Oysters Romano
From Maryland Seafood Cookbook III

1/3 cup margarine, melted
1 1/2 teaspoons bread crumbs
1 teaspoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons green onion, chopped
3 tablespoons almond slivers, chopped
2 teaspoons anisette
1 teaspoon pimiento, chopped
Pinch salt and white pepper
1/2 teaspoon seafood seasoning
4 teaspoons parsley, finely chopped
1 pint or 16 oysters, raw
Romano cheese, grated
Parsley for garnish

In a small bowl, blend together margarine and bread crumbs. Mix in lemon juice, green onion, almonds, anisette, pimiento, spices and chopped parsley. Place 16 raw oysters on the half shell. Spoon about 1 tablespoon mixture over each oyster. Sprinkle each oyster with 1 teaspoon romano cheese. Garnish with parsley and chopped pimiento. Place oysters in baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes at 425 degrees. Serve. Yields 16 oysters at 82 calories per oyster.

Oysters Annapolis
From Maryland Seafood Cookbook III

18 oysters in shell
1 egg yolk
1/2 cup green pepper, chopped
2 tablespoons pimiento, chopped
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
1 pound regular crabmeat

Open oyster and separate from shell, or use fresh shucked oysters. Cut each one into 4 small pieces and place in the half of shell. In a medium mixing bowl, combine remaining ingredients, except for crabmeat and mix well. Add crabmeat and stir gently and thoroughly. To bake, top each oyster with about 3 tablespoons of crab meat mixture. Place shells on a baking pan and bake in oven for 20 minutes on 350 degrees. Makes 18 oysters of 68 calories per oyster.

Skipjack Oyster Dressing

2 large stalks celery
1/2 cup margarine or butter
1/8 teaspoon mace
1/8 teaspoon tarragon
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
8 slices day-old bread, cubed
1 medium onion
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon lemon and pepper seasoning
1/8 teaspoon poultry seasoning
1 pint shucked Maryland oysters, with liquor.

Finely chop celery and onions. Saute in margarine or butter until tender. Mix in seasonings. Add oysters with liquor and simmer until edges of oysters just begin to curl. Remove from heat and gently mix in bread cubes. Adjust moistness with water, as desired. Makes about 4 cups dressing.

Roasted Oysters Nanticoke
By H. Henry Ward

2 dozen fresh oysters
1 cup finely chopped leeks, white inner leaves
1/2 cup chopped walnut pieces
1/4 cup walnut or corn oil
3 tablespoons white cornmeal
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
Rock Salt
Deep cookie sheet

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. carefully split leeks and rinse. Trim off heavy green outer leaves, chopping tender inner leaves. Place nuts on cookie sheet and toast in oven about 5 minutes. Place leeks, nuts and cornmeal in mortar or food processor and grind into a smooth paste, adding oil gradually. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Spread deep cookie sheets with layer of rock salt. Rinse oysters in cold water and scrub shells clean. Place on rock salt with deeper half of shell down. Bake on middle rack until shells start to open, about 5 minutes. Remove from oven and remove top shell of oysters. Replace shell with oyster on salt. Spread top with leeknut mix. Return to top rack and broil until browned, approximately 10 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool slightly. Serves 6.

Traditional Oyster Stew

1 pint shucked Maryland oysters, with liquor
1 quart milk
1/4 cup, 1/2 stick margarine or butter
Salt and pepper to taste
Seafood seasoning, if desired

In a 4-quart pan, cook oysters, with liquor, over low heat until edges of oysters just begin to curl. Add milk, margarine or butter, salt and pepper. Heat slowly until hot; do not boil. For an extra xip, sprinkle seafood seasoning on each serving. Makes bout 6 cups stew.

Oyster Bisque
From 'Maryland's Way'

Salt, pepper to taste

Dash of tabasco sauce

1 pint oysters

Paprika In top of double boiler cook chopped onion and celery in butter until tender. Blend in flour, then gradually stir in milk, making a smooth, thin cream sauce; add mace, salt and pepper and Tabasco. Let this steep over hot water for 1/2 hour or more, then puree vegetables and cream sauce in blender or put through sieve. Return to double boiler. Put oysters and their liquor in blender or chop fine. Add to cream mixture in double boiler about 15 minutes before serving time. Adjust seasoning. Heat through and serve with dash of paprika on each cup.

Creamed Oysters
From 'Maryland's Way'

1 quart oysters
1 pint milk
1 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons flour
Salt and cayenne pepper, to taste
Chopped parsley
Good sherry

Put oysters in double-boiler on hot fire. When oysters curl, take them out and put in a strainer for 10 minutes. Put on milk; as soon as it comes to a boil, add butter and flour, which must be creamed together, then add salt and pepper and parsley. Add oysters and let all boil for 5 minutes. Just as you're ready to serve, add sherry. Serve in covered dish and have it very hot.

Oyster and Wild Rice Strata
By Sally Brassfield

1 quart Maryland oysters, drained, liquor reserved
1/2 cup wild rice
1 1/2 cups long-grain white rice
1/2 cup pine nuts
2 cups unsalted butter, divided, or less may be used
1 bunch leeks, thinly sliced
6 to 8 shallots, thinly sliced
2 cups sliced mushrooms
2 cups chopped parsley
1 cup dry, white wine
1 cup milk
Salt, pepper, cayenne pepper and fresh grated nutmeg as seasonings

Topping:

1/2 cup fresh white bread crumbs
1 cup grated Swiss and Parmesan cheese, mixed

Put wild rice in pan and cover with water. Bring to boil and cook 30 to 40 minutes until rice is just starting to split, but still crunchy. Drain and put aside. Boil white rice in large pan of lightly salted boiling water over medium heat for 10 to 15 minutes, then drain. Let rice stand in colander for about 5 minutes before fluffing with a fork; set aside.

Brown pine nuts lightly in cup butter. Use small saute pan and watch closely so as not to burn nuts. Heat 1 cup butter in heavy Dutch oven-type pan. Saute leeks, shallots and mushrooms in butter. Season with salt, pepper and cayenne pepper to taste. Add freshly grated nutmeg. Saute vegetables about 5 minutes. Add white wine and simmer until vegetables are wilted. Add oysters and half the parsley; mix carefully.

Butter larger glass casserole dish. Mix wild rice, white rice and pine nuts together, Layer of rice mixture in bottom of casserole dish, layer of oyster, vegetable mixture on top of rice, and continue layering until all ingredients are used. Combine oyster liquor and milk together and pour over casserole to moisten. You may not need all of the liquid.

Spread topping mixture over casserole Drizzle cup melted butter over casserole. Put casserole in preheated 350-degree oven for about 20 to 30 minutes until thoroughly heated and oysters have curled on edges. Sprinkle with more parsley and garnish as desired.

Oysters Bingo

1 cup flour
Salt and pepper, to taste
6 fresh oysters
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon white wine
1 tablespoon oyster juice
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon shallots
6 oyster shells, cleaned

Combine flour with salt and pepper. Lightly coat oysters in flour. Saute in butter until golden brown. Remove from pan.

To make sauce: Remove pan from heat and add wine, oyster juice, lemon juice and shallots to butter in pan. Put each oyster in a shell and pour sauce over it. Serve hot. Serves 1 to 2.

Oyster 'n' Fennell Chowder
From Alex DeSantis

1 quart Maryland oysterscup dry white wine
1 large fennel bulb, halved and very thinly sliced; reserve some of the leafy fronds for garnish
1 onion, chopped
2 teaspoons olive oil
3 cups chicken broth or stock, lowfat, low-sodium
1 cup grated carrots
teaspoon dried thyme
teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste
Salt and pepper, to taste
cup evaporated milk

Drain oysters, reserving liquor. Put oysters in shallow dish and add white wine; toss to coat and let marinate until needed. In Dutch oven or large saucepan, saute fennel and onions in oil over medium heat for 5 minutes or until wilted. Add chicken broth, carrots, thyme, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes or until vegetables are tender.

Add evaporated milk; heat about 3 or 4 minutes. Add oysters and cook about 3 minutes, just until oysters begin to curl but don't boil. If mixture is too thick, add some reserved oyster liquor as needed. Garnish as desired with reserved feathery fennel fronds. Serves 4 to 6.

Fried Oysters

2 eggs
2 tablespoons milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 pint shucked select oysters, drained
1 to 1 1/2 cups fine cracker meal
Fat or oil for frying

In small bowl, beat eggs. Stir in milk, salt and pepper. Dip each oyster in egg mixture, then in cracker meal, back in egg mixture and then again in cracker meal. Repeat process until all oysters are coated. Fry in deep fat at 350 degrees until golden brown. Makes about 2 dozen fried oysters.

Serve with cocktail sauce, if desired. Cocktail sauce is made by adding horseradish, lemon juice and Worcestershire sauce to ketchup. Regulate amounts according to taste.

Beer Batter Fried Oysters

2 cups Bisquick mix
2 teaspoons parsley
1/4 teaspoon seafood seasoning
1 cup beer
2 large eggs, beaten
1/4 cup oil
2 pints shucked standard oysters, drained
1/2 cup oyster liquor
1/4 cup oil for frying

Mix Bisquick and seasonings in bowl. Add beer, eggs and oil and mix well. Cover with plastic and let mixture stand at room temperature for 1 hour. Add cup oyster liquor to beer batter mixture. Heat oil in electric skillet at 275 to 300 degrees. Dip oysters in batter and drop onto hot skillet. Fry several at a time until golden brown on both sides. Drain and serve. Yields 6 servings. Note: Soft-shell clams may be fried in the same batter.

Hickory Smoked Herb Oysters
By Marty Hyson

12 freshly shucked Maryland oysters in the shell
1/4 cup dry sherry
2 teaspoons crushed garlic
2 teaspoons crushed basil
Juice from 1 large lemon
1/2 stick butter
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup finely crushed walnuts
1 bag hickory chips for grill

Melt butter with sherry, garlic, basil and walnuts until nuts are toasty brown. Squeeze lemon on oysters and top with butter mixture. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese on all oysters. Prepare grill. When coals are hot, top with hickory chips. Place oysters on grill and cook until they're bubbling hot, 6 to 10 minutes. Serve immediately.

Note: This recipe came in third in the Outdoor Cookery category at the National Oyster Cook-Off.

Oyster Wellington with Spinach Pesto

1 pint oysters
¼ cup each, diced carrot, celery, onion, red bell pepper
2 ounces prosciutto, finely shredded
1 tablespoon olive oil
¼ cup white wine
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
Salt and pepper to taste
1 package Pepperidge Farms Puff Pastry sheets
1 egg, beaten
3 ounces cream cheese
3 tablespoons finely chopped walnuts

Pesto

1 cup packed spinach leaves, stems removed
2 tablespoons fresh chives
½ teaspoon lemon rind
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 clove garlic
Salt and pepper to taste
1/3 cup walnuts
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
¼ cup olive oil

Red oil

½ cup olive oil
3 tablespoons sun-dried tomatoes, finely diced
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Fresh herbs, diced bell pepper and grape tomatoes for garnish

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Briefly saute the vegetables and prosciutto in oil until sizzling hot. Add the wine and cook until wine is about evaporated. Season with fresh cilantro, salt and pepper. Drain oysters well. Open pastry and roll slightly to thin and lengthen. Cut each sheet into eight 4-inch rounds.

Place eight rounds on a cookie sheet. Place a spoonful of the vegetable mixture on each round. Divide the oysters among the rounds. Brush edges with beaten egg. Divide cream cheese into eight pieces and put one on top of each Wellington.

Top with the remaining circles and seal well. Brush tops with beaten egg, sprinkle lightly with finely chopped walnuts. Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until puffed and deep golden.

Put pesto ingredients, except olive oil, in food processor. With machine running, drizzle olive oil into mixture until desired consistency is reached. For red pepper oil, combine the ingredients and heat until about 180 degrees. Remove from heat. Place in a clean bottle and chill overnight. Strain.

To serve: Drizzle some of the red oil on a plate. Place an oyster Wellington on the plate, add a few small dollops of the pesto and some fresh herbs, diced bell peppers and grape tomatoes. Serves 8.

Note: This recipe is by Terry Ann Moore of Oaklyn, N.J., and was the grand prize winner in the National Oyster Cook-Off held Oct. 20 in Leonardtown.

Rockefeller Chowder

12 select oyster and liquor
6 strips bacon
1 russet potato
1 tablespoon minced shallots
6 ounces Pernod
1 cup fresh spinach, chopped fine
1 quart heavy cream
½ tablespoon white pepper
½ teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon salt
½ cup white cheddar cheese, shredded

Shuck oysters and reserve liquor. Cook bacon, reserving the fat. Dice the bacon. Peel potato, cut into inch cubes. Hold in water. In large saute pan, heat bacon fat. Add shallots and saute. Add pernod and flame. Add bacon and spinach and saute briefly.

Add heavy cream, oyster liquor, potato cubes, white pepper, nutmeg and salt. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 5 minutes. Slowly whisk in white cheddar cheese until melted. Add oysters and simmer for 3 minutes. Adjust seasonings, if necessary. Serve with oyster crackers. Serves 4.

Note: This recipe by Greg Taylor of Crofton was the grand prize winner in the 2000 Oyster Cook-off.

Crumb-Topped Oyster Pie

1 purchased pie crust
3 cups oysters
3 potatoes, pared and diced
3 carrots, pared and sliced
2 ribs celery, sliced thinly
½ cup sliced white mushrooms
½ cup oyster liquor
2 tablespoons cornstarch
½ cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro
Few drops hot pepper sauce, optional

Crust

1/3 cup crushed mustard-flavored pretzels
2/3 cup dry breadcrumbs
¼ cup melted butter

Line a deep-dish pie with the pie crust and crimp edge. Chill. Parboil the potatoes, carrots, celery and onion, drain, reserving liquid. Cool vegetables slightly. Arrange vegetables in pie shell. Arrange mushrooms and oysters over vegetables. Measure one cup vegetable cooking liquid, bring to boiling. Dissolve cornstarch in oyster liquor and stir into boiling liquid. Cook and stir until thickened.

Remove from heat and stir in the cream, cilantro and hot pepper sauce. Pour over the oysters. Mix crumb crust ingredients and sprinkle over top of pie. Bake at 375 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes or until bubbling hot. Serves 4.

Note: This recipe by Terry Ann Moore was the first place in the main dish category in the 2000 National Oyster cook-off.

Grilled Oysters Athena

1 dozen select oysters
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 small shallot, chopped
2 pounds fresh spinach leaves
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 tablespoon pine nuts, toasted and chopped
Feta cheese to sprinkle
Bechamel sauce topping, recipe below

Saute shallot and garlic in olive oil until shallots are trans lucent. Add spinach and continue to saute until spinach is tender and reduced in size. Add ground cinnamon and pine nuts, mix and set aside. Depending on the size of the oysters, arrange 1 or 2 per oyster halfshell. Place a portion of the spinach mixture over the oysters. Spoon Bechamel sauce over spinach mixture. Sprinkle feta cheese over all. Grill on the half-shell over a medium high heat fire for 5 to 10 minutes, or until oysters are done. Serve immediately.

Bechamel sauce

3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
1½ cups hot milk
Salt and pepper to taste
Pinch nutmeg
1 egg yolk
½ cup feta cheese, crumbled

Melt butter in saucepan and whisk in flour until well blended. Cook 1 to 2 minutes to remove the starchy taste of the flour. Gradually add milk, stirring until mixture comes to a boil. Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Simmer until sauce thickens. Beat egg yolk slightly. Add 3 tablespoons of the sauce to egg yolk, stirring well. Pour egg yolk mixture back into saucepan, stirring constantly. Add crumbled feta cheese and stir until cheese is melted and fully incorporated. Remove sauce from heat and use immediately.

Note: This recipe by Dawn L. Brown of Baltimore was the first-place winner in the outdoor cookery category at the 2001 Oyster Cook-off.

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