Old-Fashioned Scalloped Oysters
Recipe by Damon Lee Fowler, featuring
Tybee Island Coastal Blend
Tybee Coastal Blend makes this simple, traditional gratin a snap to make, since the separate seasonings that usually go into it are all contained in one convenient grinder, with the added flavor bonus of other seafood-enhancing seasonings such as mustard, dill, shallots, green onions, and chives.
Serves 8-12
INGREDIENTS:
- 2 pints standard oysters
- 2 sleeves saltine crackers (half a 16 ounce box)
- ½ cup (¼ pound or 1 stick) unsalted butter
- Salt Table Tybee Island Coastal Grinder Blend
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, optional
- 2-2½ cups half and half or light cream
HOW TO MAKE IT:
- Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat it to 350° F. Drain the oysters, reserving half a cup of their liquor. Pick through the oysters for bits of shell.
- Roughly break the crackers into very coarse crumbs. Melt the butter over medium heat in pan large enough to hold cracker crumbs. Add the crumbs and toss until they’ve evenly absorbed the butter and are toasty, about 2 minutes.
- Lightly butter a 9-inch square baking dish or 10-12-inch oval gratin dish. Sprinkle a fourth of the crumbs over the bottom. Spread half the oysters over the crumbs, season lightly with Tybee Island Blend and sprinkle with 1 tablespoons of the parsley and a third of the remaining cracker crumbs. Spread the rest of the oysters over the top, lightly season with more Tybee Island Blend, and sprinkle with the remaining tablespoon of parsley and half the remaining crumbs.
- Pour the oyster liquor around, then add half and half just to top of crackers. Cover with the remaining crackers, finish with another sprinkle of Tybee Island Blend, and bake 35-40 minutes or until puffed and golden. Serve at once.