Main Ingredients:

Serves/Makes:6 servings





Ingredients

Pie Pastry:

2 cups (475 ml) all-purpose flour

1/4 tsp (1 ml) salt

2/3 cup (150 ml) chilled unsalted butter

1/2 to 3/4 cup (175 ml) ice water

Bechamel Sauce:

2 to 2-1/4 cups (525 ml) milk

1 bay leaf

4 tbsp (60 ml) unsalted butter

1/4 cup (60 ml) all-purpose flour

Liquor reserved from oysters

Salt and freshly ground white pepper

Pinch of cayenne pepper

Generous pinch of ground mace

Filling:

2 dozen small (yearling) oysters, drained

3 hard-cooked large eggs, peeled and thinly sliced

1 can (14 1/2 oz) white or golden hominy, drained and rinsed

Salt and freshly ground white pepper

Mace

Cooking Preparation of the Recipe:

Preparation

Pastry:

Combine flour and salt in large bowl and shave fine slices of butter onto the flour and toss with fork to mix.

Sprinkle in 1/2 cup (125 ml) of the ice water while tossing with fork until pastry is moist enough to form into a ball. Add more water if necessary.

Wrap in waxed paper and chill for at least 1 hour.

Roll out two thirds of the pastry, cut to 12 inch circle and line bottom of 10 inch tart pan (type with removable bottom).

Roll remaining pastry into 11 inch circle for top of pie and place on baking sheet. Chill crusts for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 400 deg F.

Cover bottom crust and top crust with foil and weigh down with baking weights or dried beans (keeps flat).

Bake both crusts for 8 minutes then remove foil and weights and contine baking for 8-12 additional minutes uncovered, 'til golden brown, then cool.

Sauce:

In small suacepan, scald 2 cups (475 ml) of milk with the bay leave over med heat.

Let steep (off heat) for 5 minutes then discard bay leaf.

Melt butter in heavy-bottomed pan over med heat being careful not to brown.

Whisk in the flour and cook, whisking constantly, for 3 minutes.

Pour in the warm milk and continue cooking, whisking constantly until thickened.

Whisk in the oyster liquor and additional milk if necessary to make a thick but pourable sauce.

Season with salt, white pepper, cayenne, and mace to taste.

Remove sauce from heat and add oysters, stirring gently to mix in.

Cover bottom crust (still in tart pan) with egg slices.

Sprinkle hominy over the eggs and season with salt and pepper.

Pour in the hot oyster sauce spreading evenly to edge of pastry.

Dust with additional mace.

Gently set the top crust in place and set the pie on a baking sheet. Bake at 400 degrees (200 C.) F. until pie is hot through, (12 to 15 minutes).

Be careful not to brown the pastry or over-cook the oysters.

Remove from oven and remove the sides of tart pan.

Serve immediately.

Comments

This pie is actually named the Sotterley Oyster Pye for the historic Sotterly Mansion in Maryland where lavish banquets served the dish. Oyster pie is wonderful-sounds unusual and is but tastes great. Nice with a fruity white wine. Recipe recreated by William Taylor a Maryland caterer and historian.

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