Ingredients

• 1 pint shucked oysters with their liquor
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 1/2 cup chicken stock or milk
• 1/2 cup cream
• Salt and ground black pepper
• Hot sauce
• Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 small eggplant, peeled and diced (about 2 cups)
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 ounces finely chopped tasso (about 3 tablespoons)
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh sage
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
• 1/2 cup dry bread crumbs
• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
• 1 tablespoon butter, melted
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 ounces Grana Padano or Parmesan cheese, grated (1⁄4 cup)

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Butter a 2-quart baking dish and set aside. Pour the oysters into a bowl and check for bits of shell. Strain the oyster liquor through a fine sieve into a small bowl and set aside. Set drained oysters aside in a small bowl.

Melt the butter in a small saucepan over low heat and whisk in the flour. Whisk in the reserved oyster liquor and stock. Increase the heat to medium-high and bring the mixture to a boil, whisking constantly. Whisk in the cream. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer gently, stirring from time to time, until the sauce thickens, about 10 minutes. Season the sauce with salt, pepper, hot sauce, and nutmeg. Remove the pan from the heat and cover to keep the sauce warm.

Heat the extra-virgin olive oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add the eggplant and cook, stirring often, until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Stir in the onion, tasso, garlic, sage, and rosemary. Cook until the eggplant is tender, 5 to 7 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer the eggplant mixture into a colander to drain for 5 minutes. Stir together the crumbs, parsley, melted butter, oil, and cheese in a small bowl and set aside.

To assemble the gratin, spread about one-third of the oyster liquor sauce in the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Spoon the eggplant mixture into the dish. Arrange the oysters in a single layer over the eggplant mixture and drizzle with the remaining sauce. Sprinkle the crumb topping over the entire dish. Bake until golden brown and bubbly, 10 to 15 minutes. Serve hot.

Epicurious

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 large rosemary sprig
• 1 fennel bulb—cored and finely diced, stems finely chopped
• 1 quart heavy cream
• 2 small leeks, white and pale green parts only, thinly sliced
• Eight 1-inch-thick slices of brown bread
• 1 cup frozen baby peas, thawed
• 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 2 1/2 dozen shucked oysters, with their liquor
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• 2 tablespoons minced chives

Preparations

In a small saucepan, melt the butter with the rosemary over low heat. Remove from the heat and let the rosemary butter cool to room temperature; discard the rosemary.

In a large saucepan, combine the chopped fennel stems with the cream and bring to a boil. Simmer over low heat for 20 minutes. Strain the cream and discard the chopped fennel stems. Return the cream to the saucepan. Add the diced fennel and simmer over moderate heat until tender, about 8 minutes. Add the leeks and simmer for 2 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and let stand for 10 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350°. Brush the bread with the rosemary butter and arrange on a baking sheet. Bake the bread for about 8 minutes, until lightly toasted.

Bring the cream back to a boil. Stir in the peas, lemon zest and lemon juice. Remove from the heat and stir in the oysters and their liquor. Let the stew stand for 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper.

Ladle the stew into bowls and stand a piece of toast in each bowl. Garnish with the chives and serve.

Food & Wine

Ingredients

• 3 cups crushed saltine crackers
• 3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
• 4 cups shucked small oysters with liquor
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• salt and ground black pepper to taste
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian flat-leaf parsley
• 1 cup heavy cream

Preparation

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

Combine saltine crackers and butter in a bowl; stir until all crumbs are saturated with butter.

Spread 1/3 of the saltines mixture on the bottom of a 9x13-inch casserole dish. Pour half of the oysters with their liquor over the saltines mixture. Season with cayenne pepper, salt, and black pepper. Repeat with next 1/3 of saltines and remaining oysters. Season with cayenne pepper, salt, black pepper, and Italian parsley.

Sprinkle remaining saltines mixture over the oysters. Drizzle cream slowly and evenly over the top.

Bake in the preheated oven until bubbling and browned, 40 to 45 minutes. Let rest 10 minutes before serving.

Ingredients

• 24 oysters
• 1 pound (4 sticks) unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon finely chopped parsley
• 1/4 teaspoon Cajun seasoning
• 1 ½ cups grated Parmesan cheese

Preparation

Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Turn off heat and add remaining ingredients (except Parmesan). Stir to combine and set aside. Shuck oysters and place on a hot grill until the oysters start to ruffle around the edges. Pour 1 tablespoon of butter sauce onto each oyster and cook for 1 minute. Scoop 1 tablespoon of Parmesan on top of each oyster and cook until melted and bubbling.

Casamento’s, via Thrillist

Ingredients

• 1 pint oysters (in oyster liquor)
• 4 cups chicken stock or broth
• 1 stick unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup all purpose flour
• 1/2 cup chopped onions
• 1/2 cup chopped green onions
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 14-ounce can artichoke hearts, drained, rinsed and chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• Salt and black pepper to taste

Prepration

Strain oysters over a bowl to remove grit and separate them from the oyster liquor; reserve liquor. Chop oysters, cover and refrigerate until needed. Measure oyster liquor and add enough chicken stock to make 4 cups; set aside. In a large saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Gradually whisk in flour. Cook, whisking constantly, until a blond roux is achieved. Add onions and green onions; cook, whisking constantly, until tender, about 3 minutes. Add garlic and artichoke hearts; cook an 2 additional minutes. Gradually whisk in reserved oyster liquor and chicken stock. Add Lea & Perrins, thyme and cayenne pepper; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Add chopped oysters and simmer until oysters are cooked through and edges curl, about 5 minutes. Stir in heavy cream and season to taste with salt and black pepper. Serve immediately. Makes 6 servings.

Raised on a Roux

Ingredients

• 24 fresh oysters
• 1/2 c. corn flour
• 2/3 c. plain flour
• Enough ice-cold sparkling water to make a sticky batter to coat the oysters

For the wasabi cream dip:

• 1/2 cup whipping cream
• 2 tsp wasabi paste

Preparation

In a bowl, pour whipping cream, add the wasabi and whisk till stiff.

Open the oysters and drain the water. With a sharp knife, cut of the oyster off. In a medium pan, heat 3" of oil until approx. 350F. Place each oyster in a teaspoon, dip in the batter until coated all over. Fry in oil until golden. The fritters will puff up instantly. Fry oysters by batches (5 by batch). Drain on kitchen towel before serving.

Drizzle oyster fritters with coarse salt and black pepper. Serve immediately with wasabi cream dip.

Manger

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons butter or coconut oil
• 4 small shallots, finely chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• ½ serrano or Thai chili, seeded and minced
• 1 tablespoon curry powder
• 1 large pinch turmeric
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 3 cloves
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 cup coconut milk
• Salt
• 12 oysters, shucked, liquor reserved
• Juice of 1/2 lemon

Preparation

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the shallots, garlic and chili, and sauté until softened and starting to brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the curry powder, turmeric, cinnamon stick, cloves and bay leaf and cook for 1 minute.

Reduce heat to low and add the coconut milk and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Simmer for 3 minutes. Add the oysters and their liquor; simmer until the oysters are just firm, 3 to 4 minutes. Take the pan off the heat and add lemon juice and salt to taste. Serve over rice – the rice in the fish recipe that follows would go well – or on hoppers (see the recipe at nytimes.com/magazine).

New York Times

Ingredients

• vegetable oil
• 2 eggs, slightly beaten
• 1 cup milk
• 2 cups flour, sifted
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups oysters, drained and chopped

Preparation

Heat about 1/2 to 1 inch of oil in a deep heavy skillet to about 365°. Combine eggs, milk, flour, baking powder, and salt; blend until smooth. Stir oysters into the batter and drop by spoonful into the hot fat. Brown on both sides. Drain on paper towels.

Diana Rattray, About.com