Scalloped Oysters
Fresh oysters nestled between two layers of crumbled biscuits and butter, topped with cream and baked until golden. A celebratory dish both maritime and comforting, emblematic of Boston's winter dinners.
Fresh oysters nestled between two layers of crumbled biscuits and butter, topped with cream and baked until golden. A celebratory dish both maritime and comforting, emblematic of Boston's winter dinners.
Allow me to present the dish with which our winter dinners began. When the oysters from our coast arrived quite fresh, I made sure the cook arranged them in even beds, never drowning them, for an oyster martyred by overcooking is nothing but regret. A hint of nutmeg, a golden crust just right, and the table was ready to receive. I was told I was strict on this point; I confess it willingly, for in music as at table, it is measure that creates grace.
- •Fresh shucked oysters with their liquor — a good pint (heart of the dish)
- •Crumbled sea biscuits (crackers) — two cups (crisp binder)
- •Fresh butter — to taste (richness and browning)
- •Cream — half a glass (creaminess)
- •Grated nutmeg, salt, pepper — a pinch (seasoning)
Scalloped Oysters
Fresh oysters nestled between two layers of crumbled biscuits and butter, topped with cream and baked until golden. A celebratory dish both maritime and comforting, emblematic of Boston's winter dinners.
Why this dish? Amy Beach gave and attended Boston society dinners, where oysters from the Massachusetts coast invariably opened winter meals. This scalloped dish, a classic of affluent New England tables, appears in cookbooks of her time and city.
Allow me to present the dish with which our winter dinners began. When the oysters from our coast arrived quite fresh, I made sure the cook arranged them in even beds, never drowning them, for an oyster martyred by overcooking is nothing but regret. A hint of nutmeg, a golden crust just right, and the table was ready to receive. I was told I was strict on this point; I confess it willingly, for in music as at table, it is measure that creates grace.
Ingredients (period version)
- Fresh shucked oysters with their liquor — a good pint (heart of the dish)
- Crumbled sea biscuits (crackers) — two cups (crisp binder)
- Fresh butter — to taste (richness and browning)
- Cream — half a glass (creaminess)
- Grated nutmeg, salt, pepper — a pinch (seasoning)
Ingredients
- Shucked oysters with their juice — 300 g (about 18 oysters) (heart of the dish)
- Plain crackers or rusks, crumbled — 120 g (crisp binder)
- Butter — 80 g melted (richness and browning)
- Heavy cream — 10 cl (creaminess)
- Nutmeg, salt, pepper — 1 pinch each (seasoning)
Method
- Preheat oven to 200°C and butter a gratin dish.
- Mix crumbled crackers with melted butter.
- Line the bottom of the dish with a layer of buttered crumbs.
- Arrange half the drained oysters, season with salt, pepper, and a little grated nutmeg.
- Add a layer of crumbs, the remaining oysters, then a final layer of crumbs.
- Mix cream with two tablespoons of oyster liquor and pour over the dish.
- Bake 25-30 minutes until the top is well browned. Serve immediately.
How it was made : In Amy Beach's time, oysters were abundant and cheap all along the East Coast: they were sold by the pint, shucked. Scalloped oysters were prepared in a deep dish, baked in a wood-fired oven. The recipe was codified as early as 1896 in the famous Boston Cooking-School Cook Book by Fannie Farmer, the reference manual of Boston kitchens.
The contemporary twist : Serve in individual small cocottes with a grating of lemon zest and a few chervil sprigs to lighten the richness.
Sources : Fannie Merritt Farmer, The Boston Cooking-School Cook Book, 1896
Amy Beach · Charactorium