Holiday parties are the perfect time to serve special, indulgent foods that will leave guests raving until next year. This year, add oysters to your spread. The oysters sold at Ukrop’s come from Kinsale-based company Bevans Oysters, a local business that’s been family owned and operated since Ronald and Shirley Bevans started the company in 1966.

The oysters Bevans shuck and sell come from The Chesepeake Bay, the Potomac River and some of their tributaries. One such tributary is the Yeocomico River in the Northern Neck, which the recipe below is named for. Once they arrive at the Bevans company in the Northern Neck, the oysters are shucked and shipped out to stores as quickly as possible, meaning they usually arrive at Ukrop’s less than 24 hours after they’ve been in the river.

Try this savory oyster recipe for your next party. Oysters in a creamy, perfectly seasoned sauce are stuffed inside a crisp loaf of bread and baked to perfection. It’s the perfect, indulgent holiday treat.

Yeocomico Oyster Loaf

Ingredietns:

1 pint Bevans Shucked Oysters
1 loaf Ukrop’s Artisan French Bread
1 Tbsp. garlic powder
½ cup melted butter
Additional butter
½ cup light cream
1 Tbsp. celery, chopped
1 Tbsp. onion, chopped
2 dashes Tobasco sauce
Salt and pepper, to taste 

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Carefully cut the top off the French bread. Set it aside to use later. Scoop out inside of loaf and set aside. Combine garlic powder with melted butter. Spread mixture over the bread you’ve scooped from the inside of the loaf and toast in the oven. Drain oysters, reserving liquid. Sauté oysters in butter. Add toasted garlic bread, along with cream, celery, onion, Tobasco, and a dash of salt and pepper. Fill the hollowed loaf with mixture, cover, and top with the bread top you removed earlier. Bake for 20 minutes, basting frequently with reserved oyster liquid.