Chicken & Oyster Casserole
Submitted by Mari_H
Flour-dredged chicken browned and baked until tender, then finished with heavy cream, plump oysters, and slivered almonds. A classic, old-world surf-and-turf casserole.
YIELD
8 servingsPREP
15 minCOOK
1 hrsREADY
1 hrsChicken and oysters might sound like an unusual pairing, but this combination has deep roots in American and European cooking going back centuries. The briny, mineral sweetness of oysters alongside tender braised chicken creates a richness that’s hard to match.
The chicken gets dredged in seasoned flour and browned in hot fat before baking covered with a splash of boiling water for a full hour. In the final ten minutes, heavy cream and eighteen whole oysters go in, just long enough for the oysters to plump and curl at the edges without overcooking.
A scattering of slivered almonds on top adds crunch. Serve it with hot biscuits to soak up every drop of that cream-and-oyster pan sauce.
Kitchen Tips
- Don’t overcook the oysters. Ten minutes in the oven is all they need. They should be just plump and slightly curled at the edges. Rubbery oysters are a tragedy.
- Use white pepper instead of black. It blends invisibly into the cream sauce and gives a sharper, cleaner heat that complements the delicate oyster flavor.
- Serve immediately after adding the almonds. The almonds lose their crunch quickly in the steam. Get this to the table while everything is at its best.
Ingredients
Directions
Reserve back, wings, and neck of chicken for later use.
Wash remaining pieces and dry.
Dredge with flour mixed with ½ teaspoon salt and ⅛ teaspoon pepper.
Brown on all sides in hot fat. Remove to 2 quart casserole.
Add boiling water, cover, and bake in preheated moderate oven for 1 hour, or until tender. Add cream, remaining salt and pepper, and the oysters.
Cover and bake for 10 minutes longer.
Sprinkle with almonds and serve at once with hot baking powder biscuits, if desired.
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