Name: Oysters in Champagne Sauce
Ingredients: 24 Raw oysters - in shell; 1 1/2 tb Unsalted butter; 1 1/2 tb Flour; 1/2 c Oyster juice - from above; 1/2 c Champagne - or other dry sparkling wine; 1/4 ts Celery seed - ground; Freshly ground white pepper; 2 c Rock salt - or coarse salt for the broiler pan

The modern altar call further runs the risk of confusing the idea of mediatorship. Who is our only mediator? With whom does the sinner need to do business if he is to be saved? Must he talk to you? To me? No, he must do business with Christ, for He alone is the one who can bring us to God. But instructing a man to 'come and talk to a personal worker' may well confuse matters. It again distracts from the One of Whom he should be thinking. The sermon itself is the invitation, and it gives direction to Christ and to no one else.

Fred Zaspel

CATEGORY	CUISINE	TAG	YIELD
Grains		Appetizers, Sauces	4	Servings

INGREDIENTS

24		Raw oysters – in shell
1 1/2	tb	Unsalted butter
1 1/2	tb	Flour
1/2	c	Oyster juice – from above
1/2	c	Champagne – or other dry sparkling wine
1/4	ts	Celery seed – ground
		Freshly ground white pepper
2	c	Rock salt – or coarse salt for the broiler pan

INSTRUCTIONS

CHAMPAGNE SAUCE
* 2 cups rock salt - or coarse salt for the broiler pan
*DIRECTIONS*
PREPARATION: Open the oysters as instructed in previous recipe ("Opening
Oysters in the Microwave"). Measure 1/2 cup of the strained cooking liquid
and reserve.
CHAMPAGNE SAUCE: Melt the butter in a 1-quart glass or ceramic measure or
bowl, uncovered, on high for 2 minutes. Stir in 1/2 cup reserved oyster
juices and Champagne and cook, uncovered, on high, stirring twice during
cooking, for 4 minutes or until thickened. Recipe can be made to this point
a few hours ahead.
COOKING AND SERVING: Heat the broiler with rack set at its highest level.
Stir celery seed and white pepper to taste into the sauce. Spread 2 cups of
coarse or rock salt in the bottom of a broiler pan to steady oysters.
Nestle reserved shells into salt.  Put each oyster in a shell and
thoroughly coat the tops with sauce. Put under preheated broiler until just
golden, about 2 minutes.
Makes 4 first-course servings.
NOTE:  This is a simple and elegant classic.  You can prepare the oysters
and sauce ahead in the microwave, and then broil for a minute or two just
before serving. The obvious wine to serve is Champagne. If you choose
another dry sparkling wine to drink instead, use the same one in the sauce.
Recipe from Barbara Kafka, Cook's Magazine, September/October, 1987.
From Gemini's MASSIVE MealMaster collection at www.synapse.com/~gemini

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