The Delicious Oyster Pie Recipe From Carrie Morey of How She Rolls

Oyster pie is a traditional Southern recipe that is a staple at many Thanksgiving dinners. Carrie Morey, founder of the Callie’s Charleston Biscuits company shared her family’s treasured oyster pie recipe in an episode of her PBS show “How She Rolls”. In this article I’ll provide a detailed overview of Carrie’s oyster pie, including the ingredients, instructions, and some background on this classic dish.

Oyster pie is a casserole-style dish that consists of layered crackers oysters butter, and a milk-based sauce. It emerged in the American South in the 19th century as a way to stretch expensive oysters into a hearty main course or side dish. The pie is baked until the crackers have absorbed the rich, briny oyster juices, resulting in a crunchy, creamy, and deeply savory flavor.

While oyster pie was once commonplace, it has faded from popularity over the past century. However, many Southern families still maintain oyster pie as a treasured heirloom recipe served at holiday meals. Carrie Morey is keeping her family’s own oyster pie tradition alive by passing down the recipe and techniques to the next generation.

Carrie Morey’s Background and PBS Show

Carrie Morey is the founder of Callie’s Charleston Biscuits, a Charleston, South Carolina-based company selling handmade biscuit mixes and products. She started the business in 2005 using her family’s generations-old biscuit recipe.

Morey successfully grew Callie’s into a national brand while also raising three daughters as a single mom. Her journey to balance family, career, and preserving Southern food traditions led to her hosting the PBS show “How She Rolls,” which premiered in 2021.

“How She Rolls” provides an inside look at Morey’s life and work. She visits local food producers, shares family recipes, and brings viewers along as she expands her biscuit company. Highlighting forgotten dishes like oyster pie allows Morey to continue preserving her Southern culinary heritage.

The Oyster Pie Recipe from How She Rolls

In the Thanksgiving episode of How She Rolls, Carrie visits her Aunt Gail at the family’s historic Rockville property to learn how to make oyster pie. Gail shares the recipe that was passed down from her mother, using a vintage recipe box filled with handwritten family recipes like Carrie’s own meatloaf.

Ingredients:

• 2 sleeves of saltine crackers
• 1 pint of oysters, drained and juice reserved
• 1⁄2 cup (1 stick) butter, cut into pieces
• 1 cup half-and-half
• 1⁄2 cup reserved oyster juice
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.

2. Layer the bottom of a casserole dish with crackers, covering the entire surface.

3. Sprinkle 1/3 of the oysters over the crackers.

4. Dot the oysters with 1/3 of the butter pieces.

5. Season with salt and pepper.

6. Repeat layers two more times with remaining crackers, oysters, and butter.

7. In a small bowl, combine the half-and-half and oyster juice. Whisk together until frothy.

8. Slowly pour the half-and-half mixture over the layered pie. Try to evenly distribute without displacing the oysters and butter.

9. Bake for 55 minutes until golden brown and bubbling.

10. Allow to cool for 5-10 minutes before serving warm.

The rich, briny oyster filling soaks into the salty crackers as it bakes, almost like a savory bread pudding. The half-and-half sauce provides a wonderfully creamy binding for each bite. It’s an indulgent, comforting dish perfect for chilly fall and winter meals.

Tips for Making Oyster Pie

Carrie and Gail provide some helpful tips for successfully making oyster pie:

• Allow the oyster juice to drain thoroughly so the pie doesn’t become soggy.

• Use stale crackers or toast saltines to ensure they maintain their crunch once baked.

• Layer the butter generously between each layer for maximum richness.

• Pour the half-and-half mixture slowly and evenly to prevent the oysters from displacing.

• Bake at 350°F for exactly 55 minutes for the perfect texture.

• Serve warm so the filling stays creamy and the crackers are crisp.

The Significance of Oyster Pie at Thanksgiving

On How She Rolls, Carrie makes it clear how important oyster pie is to her family’s Thanksgiving traditions. She brings her youngest daughter, Sarah, into the kitchen to teach her how to make the pie from scratch, emphasizing its significance as a beloved heirloom recipe.

Oyster pie represents the bounty of the Lowcountry estuaries, where generations of Carrie’s ancestors fished, hunted, and foraged. It celebrates the rich autumn oyster harvest that was once essential to coastal Southern communities. And it honors the frugal ingenuity of making expensive oysters stretch into a hearty, satisfying dish.

Most importantly, Carrie continues passing oyster pie down to honor all the matriarchs represented in her Aunt Gail’s recipe box. It allows her to share her familial roots and foodways with her own daughters.

Give Carrie Morey’s Oyster Pie a Try

Oyster pie stands out as a rustic, homey recipe that graces many Southern holiday tables. Carrie Morey’s version using her Aunt Gail’s method shows both the technique and significance of preserving this heritage recipe.

I hope you’ll give baking your own oyster pie a try this Thanksgiving or for a family meal anytime this fall or winter. Let this savory bake connect you to generations past while creating new food traditions and memories of your own.

If you don’t have access to fresh oysters, you can substitute canned or jarred oysters for similar briny flavor. Just make sure to thoroughly drain the oysters and use their reserved juice as part of the sauce.

You can also experiment with crackers beyond saltines. Some people enjoy oyster pie made with buttery round crackers or crushed Ritz for variation. And consider serving any leftover pie for breakfast – oyster pie pairs deliciously with fried eggs.

Most of all, think of all the loved ones, past and present, you’re honoring each time you sit down for a slice of oyster pie. The rich tastes of the Lowcountry, family, and nostalgia will have you rolling out a new tradition to last for generations to come.