A very merry Christmastide to you! Yes, it's still Christmas—the third day of it, also known as the Feast of Saint John the Evangelist.
If you've already put away your Christmas decorations, the last of the eggnog, and all your holiday tableware—and are now contemplating that New Year's resolution to diet, well, bless your heart: You're missing out on ten more days of celebratory feasting.
This is a good time for intimate celebrations that are just two of you—or just yourself, as you wind down from a big family gathering. The eleven days of Christmastide after the big feast are when my husband and I enjoy little ones that are just for the two of us.
Last night, we celebrated the second day with a nice, fat roasted chicken, sage and onion cornbread dressing, a spinach soufflé (the Southern gratin kind, not the French one) and these scalloped oysters.
I've just about finished paring and fine-tuning the recipe down to two servings. They're perfect to start an intimate celebratory dinner for two, or to accompany a New Year's Eve toast when it's just two of you.
Scalloped Oysters for Two
Serves 2
1 dozen fresh standard oysters, with their liquor
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
8-9 saltine crackers
Salt and whole black pepper in a mill
1 beaten egg yolk
2 tablespoons heavy cream
About ¼ cup whole milk
Worcestershire and hot sauce
1. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat it to 375° F. Drain the oysters, reserving their liquor. Melt the butter in a 9-inch skillet over medium heat. While it's heating, roughly crumble the crackers (you'll need a generous half cup) and then add them to the pan, stirring until the butter is evenly absorbed and they're nice and hot, then remove them from the heat.
2. Butter an 8-inch gratin dish well and then sprinkle the bottom with a couple of tablespoons of the buttered cracker crumbs. Cover them with the drained oysters and season lightly with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with about half of the remaining crumbs.
3. Whisk together a couple of tablespoons of the oyster liquor, the egg yolk, cream, and milk and season it with a dash or so each of Worcestershire and hot sauce. Pour it evenly over the oysters, then evenly sprinkle on the remaining crumbs. Bake until it's an even golden brown, about half an hour. Let it settle for at least five minutes before serving, but serve hot.