They say before you marry you need to find out how your new family spends Thanksgiving morning. Are they a “Bloody Marys” or a “5K Turkey Trot” kind of family? I like that sound advice. Well, back in the 60s in Iowa neither one was a thing. Our mother spent Thanksgiving morning feverishly preparing the blessed meal at the crack of dawn so everyone would sit down for the feast…precisely at noon. And the Thanksgiving feast was precisely the same meal year after year…after year. Turkey with stuffing, green bean casserole, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes and scalloped oysters. Now it just occurred to me, having spent the past 35 years in Chesapeake Oyster Country, I haven’t had scalloped oysters since I left the midwest. Well, that is about to change, and I am offering you the coveted recipe for this super easy, traditional dish. Maybe it will make your Thanksgiving table this year!

Looking forward to celebrating our granddaughter’s FIRST Thanksgiving onboard Night Town in two weeks! Nothing beats Thanksgiving dinner in a sailboat cabin!

Scalloped Oysters

8 Tbsp. cold butter, plus more for greasing dish
1 pint fresh shucked oysters, in their liquid
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup milk
5 cups roughly crushed saltine crackers (from 2 cracker sleeves)
Salt and cracked black pepper

Some recipes call for 2 pints of oysters. I prefer just one pint but if you “want an oyster in every bite” go for 2 pints. Price of shucked oysters may dictate your preference as well. This pint of fresh shucked oysters went for $24.

Preheat your galley oven to 350º. Butter a casserole dish or a 13- x 9-inch baking pan.

Melt 2 tablespoon of the butter in a small dish and set aside. You can do this in your microwave if you have one on board. Cut the rest of the butter into small pieces and set aside.

Drain the oysters, reserving the liquid in a separate bowl. Stir the cream and milk into the oyster liquid and set aside.

Rough crush the crackers with your hands into a large bowl. There’s something satisfying about crushing crackers; not sure how to explain it. Place one cup of the crushed crackers in a small bowl and stir the melted butter into that cup of crackers. That will be the last layer of the scalloped oysters and will brown nicely with the butter in it.

Now begin the layering. Sprinkle bottom of buttered baking dish with 1 cup of the crushed crackers. Arrange one-fourth of the oysters, spaced a few inches apart, over the crackers. Dab some butter pieces around the oysters and sprinkle with salt & pepper. (remember the saltines already have salt on them so go easy on the salt.

Repeat layers 3 times using remaining crushed crackers, oysters, butter pieces and slat & pepper. Sprinkle evenly with reserved melted butter-cracker mixture.

Pour oyster liquid-cream mixture over layered mixture in baking dish. Bake in preheated oven until puffed up, firm, and and golden on top, 30 to 35 minutes. Serve hot or warm.

PRINT RECIPE

Scalloped Oysters

Could this be your next Thanksgiving tradition?

Servings: 8 people

Author: GalleyPirate

Ingredients

• 1 pint Oysters in their liquid
• 8 tbsp Cold butter, plus more for greasing dish
• 1 cup Heavy cream
• ½ cup Milk
• 5 cups (2 cracker sleeves) Saltine Crackers, roughly crushed
• Salt & cracked black pepper

Instructions

• Preheat your galley oven to 350º. Butter a casserole dish or a 13- x 9-inch baking pan.
• Melt 2 tablespoon of the butter in a small dish and set aside. Cut the rest of the butter into small pieces and set aside.
• Drain the oysters, reserving the liquid in a separate bowl. Stir the cream and milk into oyster liquid and set aside.
• Rough crush the crackers with your hands into a large bowl. Place one cup of the crushed crackers in a small bowl and stir the melted butter into that cup of crackers. That will be the last layer of the scalloped oysters and will brown nicely with the butter in it.
• Begin the layering. Sprinkle bottom of prepared baking dish with 1 cup of the crushed crackers. Arrange one-fourth of the oysters, spaced a few inches apart, over crackers. Dab some butter pieces around the oysters and sprinkle with salt & pepper. Repeat layers 3 times using remaining crushed crackers, oysters, salt-pepper mixture, and butter pieces. Sprinkle evenly with reserved melted butter-cracker mixture. add a few more dabs of butter on top.
• Pour oyster liquid-cream mixture over layered mixture in baking dish. Bake in preheated oven until puffed up, firm, and heated through, 35 to 40 minutes. Sprinkle with parsley. Serve hot or warm.

Notes