Linda Stradley, a cookbook author and culinary historian, launched the What's Cooking America website in 1997 after she published a cookbook with the same name. The website is a melting pot of Ms. Stradley's original recipes and reinterpretations. She also knows not to mess with a great dish, so she includes recipes (with credit) from restaurants, websites and chefs "as is." Ms. Stradley says she and/or her family and friends have tested every recipe on the website, and most recipes include Ms. Stradley's helpful tips for a perfect result.
I looked through the What's Cooking America collection of oyster recipes on the website, and, finally, with much difficulty, decided on one for our Thanksgiving table. (Scroll to the end of this post to find out which one.) Ms. Stradley has graciously allowed us to share six of her oyster recipes here. Perhaps you and your family can choose one to serve at your Thanksgiving table.
- Creamed Oysters in Acorn Squash
- Hangtown Fry (Great for Thanksgiving Day breakfast)
- Pickled Oysters
- Oyster Casserole
- Oyster Bruschetta
- Scalloped Oysters
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| Creamed Oysters in Acorn Squash Image courtesy of: What's Cooking America |
Ingredients:
4 medium acorn squash1/4 cup butter, cut up
2 (12-ounce) containers fresh fresh (live) oysters*
1 (10 3/4-ounce) can cream of celery soup, undiluted
2 lean bacon slices, cooked and crumbled
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley
Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Cut squash in half crosswise around the middle. Use a spoon to scoop out the seeds and stringy stuff in the center of each squash half; discard. Place squash halves, cut side up, in a greased 15- x 10-inch baking pan; divide butter pieces evenly between each squash halve. Bake approximately 45 minutes to 60 minutes or until tender when pierced with a fork. Remove from oven. While the squash is cooking, drain oysters, reserving half of liquid. Place oysters and reserved liquid in a large saucepan; cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until oysters just begin to curl. Stir in cream of celery soup, and then spoon the oyster/soup mixture evenly into warm squash halves. Sprinkle with crumbled bacon and minced parsley. Bake for an additional 5 minutes. Remove from oven and serve. Makes 8 servings.
Recipe from What's Cooking America.
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| Hangtown Fry Image courtesy of: What's Cooking America |
Hangtown Fry
"This recipe has been adapted from the Blue Bell Cafe (no longer in business)."
Ingredients:
1 egg, beaten
1 tablespoon milk or cream
3 raw shucked fresh (live) oysters*
Breading Mixture (mixture of cracker crumbs and bread crumbs)
Vegetable Oil or butter (I like to use butter)
2 slices thick-sliced bacon
2 whole eggs
Preparation:
Pat the shucked oysters dry with paper towels to remove moisture. In a small bowl, beat egg with the milk or cream. Dip the oysters in the egg/milk mixture and then the Breading Mixture. In a frying pan, heat the vegetable oil or butter. Add the oysters and fry approximately 30 seconds on each side or until three-fourths (3/4) cooked, remove from heat and set aside. While frying the oysters, fry the bacon in another skillet until just before the bacon becomes crisp. In a small bowl, beat the eggs lightly; set aside. Place the bacon (like railroad tracks off-center) in a large frying pan over low heat, pour a small amount of the beaten egg over the top of the bacon. Place the partially cooked oysters on top of the bacon and then pour the remaining beaten eggs over the top. Cook approximately 2 minutes or until the eggs are set (eggs are done when creamy, soft and a bit runny; do not overcook). Then fold the omelets over the oysters. Place a lid over it and cook just until the steam blends together all the flavors. Makes 1 serving.
Recipe from What's Cooking America.
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| Pickled Oysters Image courtesy of: What's Cooking America |
Pickled Oysters
Original recipe from Mary and Vincent Price's 1969 cookbook "Come into the Kitchen Cookbook: A Collector's Treasury of America's Great Recipes."
Ingredients:
4 dozen small fresh oysters, shucked*8 whole peppercorns
1 teaspoon sea salt or coarse salt
1/4 teaspoon ground mace
3 tablespoons white wine
1/4 cup cider vinegar or fresh-squeezed lemon juice**
2 tablespoons sherry wine
6 drops Tabasco sauce
** I like to use fresh-squeezed lemon juice.
Preparation:
Shuck the oysters and put them, along with their liquor, into a sauté pan; simmer over medium heat until they begin to curl around the edges. Using a slotted spoon, remove the cooked oysters and plunge into a bowl of ice cubes and cold water to stop the cooking process; drain the oysters and set aside. Add peppercorns, salt, mace, wine, vinegar or lemon juice, sherry, and Tabasco sauce to the hot oyster liquor; simmer over low for 10 minutes. Remove pickling sauce from heat and let cool. Put the cooked oysters into a quart container with a lid, then pour the cooled pickling sauce over. Cover tightly and refrigerate at least 24 hours before serving to allow flavors to blend. Will keep in the refrigerator up to 5 days.
Recipe from What's Cooking America.
Preparation:
Preheat over to 400 degrees F. Generously grease a shallow 1 1/2-quart casserole dish. Sprinkle 1/2 of the saltine cracker crumbs over the bottom of prepared casserole dish. Lay half of the oysters on top of the cracker crumbs, then sprinkle with 1/2 of the onions, 1/2 of the parsley, 1/2 of the lemon juice, salt, pepper, and 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce. Dot generously with 1/2 of the butter and pour 1/2 of the cream over the top.
Repeat layers with the remaining oyster, onions, parsley, lemon juice, salt and pepper, and Worcestershire sauce. Dot with the remaining 1/2 of the butter Spread the remaining 1/2 cup of cracker crumbs for the top. Pour the remaining 1/2 of the cream over the top. Add a dash of Tabasco if desired before covering with the remaining saltine cracker crumbs. Dust the top with paprika, using enough to make it really red. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and serve hot. Makes 6 servings.
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| Oyster Casserole Image courtesy of: What's Cooking America |
Ingredients:
1 quart (30 to 40 oysters depending on size) fresh shucked oysters, drained and divided
1 cup coarsely-crumbled saltine cracker crumbs, divided
1/4 cup chopped scallions or green onions, divided
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley, divided
2 tablespoons freshly-squeezed lemon juice, divided
Salt to taste
Freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce, divided
1/4 cup butter, divided
1 cup light cream or half & half cream, divided
Dash Tabasco sauce (optional)
Paprika for dusting
1 cup coarsely-crumbled saltine cracker crumbs, divided
1/4 cup chopped scallions or green onions, divided
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley, divided
2 tablespoons freshly-squeezed lemon juice, divided
Salt to taste
Freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce, divided
1/4 cup butter, divided
1 cup light cream or half & half cream, divided
Dash Tabasco sauce (optional)
Paprika for dusting
Preparation:
Repeat layers with the remaining oyster, onions, parsley, lemon juice, salt and pepper, and Worcestershire sauce. Dot with the remaining 1/2 of the butter Spread the remaining 1/2 cup of cracker crumbs for the top. Pour the remaining 1/2 of the cream over the top. Add a dash of Tabasco if desired before covering with the remaining saltine cracker crumbs. Dust the top with paprika, using enough to make it really red. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and serve hot. Makes 6 servings.
Recipe from What's Cooking America.
Oyster Bruschetta
Stradley adapted this recipe from the Goose Point Oysters of Willapa Bay web site.
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| Oyster Bruschetta Image courtesy of Food Network. |
Ingredients:
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon freshly chopped parsley
1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
6 slices French bread, cut at an angle
6 slices prosciutto (parma ham)
18 small-size shucked fresh (live) oysters*
6 thin slices fresh mozzarella cheese**
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon freshly chopped parsley
1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
6 slices French bread, cut at an angle
6 slices prosciutto (parma ham)
18 small-size shucked fresh (live) oysters*
6 thin slices fresh mozzarella cheese**
Preparation:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. In a small bowl, combine olive oil, garlic, parsley, and pepper. Brush each bread slice with the mixture on both sides and arrange on a baking sheet.
Place 1 slice of prosciutto on each slice of bread and top each with 2 to 3 oysters (depending on the size of your oysters). Bake for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and top each piece with a slice of mozzarella; return to the oven to melt the cheese. Remove from oven and serve hot. Makes 6 oyster bruschettas.
Recipe from What's Cooking America.
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| Scalloped Oysters Photo courtesy of: What's Cooking America |
Ingredients:
6 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon chopped shallots
2/3 cup fresh bread crumbs
2/3 cup Saltine cracker crumbs*
1 pint shucked fresh oysters in their liquor
1/4 cup pinot gris wine (may substitute any dry white wine)
2 tablespoons half and half cream
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
Dash Tabasco or similar hot sauce
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
4 sprigs parsley, garnish
1 teaspoon chopped shallots
2/3 cup fresh bread crumbs
2/3 cup Saltine cracker crumbs*
1 pint shucked fresh oysters in their liquor
1/4 cup pinot gris wine (may substitute any dry white wine)
2 tablespoons half and half cream
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
Dash Tabasco or similar hot sauce
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
4 sprigs parsley, garnish
* Make your own cracker crumbs by crushing saltines in a zippered plastic bag using your hands or a rolling pin, but don't pulverize them into dust.
Preparation:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. In a medium frying pan, melt butter. Add shallots and sauté until golden brown; set aside. Add bread and cracker crumbs to frying pan, stirring until just moistened with butter; remove from heat. Spread half the buttered crumbs over the bottom of a 9-inch square baking dish or 1 1/2-quart shallow baking dish. NOTE: Can also be baked in individual ramekins. Pick oysters free of any shells. Drain oysters, reserving liquor. Measure 2 tablespoons oyster liquor in a heavy, small saucepan. Stir in pinot gris wine, half and half cream, Dijon mustard, and Tabasco sauce. Add reserved shallots. Over medium heat, bring to a simmer; reduce heat to low and cook gently, stirring until mixture is reduced by 1/3. Arrange oysters in a single layer over the crumbs in the baking dish. Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Evenly pour the wine sauce over the oysters; cover with remaining buttered crumbs. NOTE: Never allow more than two layers of oysters for Scalloped Oysters; if three layers are used, the middle layer will be underdone, while others are properly cooked. Bake approximately 15 to 25 minutes until oysters turn opaque throughout and crumbs are a golden brown. NOTE: Depending on the size of your oysters, cooking time can vary. Remove from oven. Garnish with parsley sprigs and serve immediately. Makes 4 servings.
Recipe from What's Cooking America.
Recipe from What's Cooking America.
After much debate, the Oyster Bruschetta will start off our Thanksgiving meal. Yum! Can't wait. Good luck with the Thanksgiving planning. Need some inspiration for your early American holiday? Check out Linda Stradley's cookbook What's Cooking America.
Thank you Linda for your help with this post!
What's Cooking America is a copyrighted web site and an Oregon corporation (LLC), wholly owned by Linda Stradley.
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