Oyster Pie proves delicious, and even better the next day

Editor’s Note: Apologies to readers for the 2 cups of sour milk called for in last weekend’s Graham Rolls recipe. The correct amount is 1 cup of sour milk. Thanks for the calls alerting us to the error.

Way back in June 2005, when oysters “r” not in season, Kathleen Schneider of Lincoln wrote and asked me if I had ever heard of a recipe for a “delicious oyster pie” such as the one her husband’s grandmother made, with two crusts, oysters, potatoes, and hard-boiled eggs. “I have searched many books and [Web] sites but have not found a recipe,” she said.

Some of you found such a pie recipe and sent it along, but I thought I would wait until one of the “r” months to try it. So here we are in “Marrrch”, and I gave this recipe a spin. We sure enjoyed it and it was even better the next day. As it happened, Vivian Stuart in Brooklin and Mary Landis up in Millinocket managed to turn up virtually the same recipe, and Betty in Hampden (whose last name, alas, was undecipherable) sent along the very good news that clams could be used in a very similar version of the pie. Vivian found her version in “Seafood Secrets” edited by Ainslie Turner, and it differed from Mary’s only in that it had one crust over the top, and the eggs in it per Kathleen’s memory.

This recipe makes one honking big pie. It filled my 2-quart casserole practically to overflowing. To tell the truth, I’d rather halve the filling and bake it in a deep pie plate. And I thought lining the casserole with pie dough was awkward. So I have taken Mary’s recipe, added eggs, and deleted one crust. But you can leave out the eggs, and have a top and bottom crust, or halve the recipe or use clams. In short, suit yourself. Isn’t this fun?

Looking for…

Anonymous from somewhere in Maine, whose “most used spices are basil, oregano, parsley, cinnamon and nutmeg,” asks: “I’ve wondered if any of your readers would share a recipe for veal scallopine Calabrese. I’ve been searching for years.”

Send queries or answers to Sandy Oliver, 1061 Main Road, Islesboro 04848. E-mail:

tastebuds@prexar.com. For recipes, tell us where they came from. List ingredients, specify number of servings and do not abbreviate measurements. Include name, address and daytime phone number.

Oyster Pie

Serves four to six

2 potatoes, sliced and cooked

4 carrots, sliced and cooked

2 hard-boiled eggs

1 medium onion

2 tablespoons green pepper, finely chopped (optional)

1 pint oysters, drained, liquor reserved

4 tablespoons butter

8 tablespoons flour

3 cups warm milk

1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

1 tablespoon parsley

1 nine-inch pie crust

Preheat the oven to 375 F and grease a two-quart casserole. Prepare the potatoes and carrots ahead of time. Boil your eggs, peel and chop them and have them ready. Chop the onion and green pepper. Drain the oysters, reserving the liquor to add to the milk later.

Melt the butter in a saucepan, and when it bubbles, whisk in the flour.