• 6 strips lean bacon
• 1½ pints fresh shucked oysters, liquor included
• 1½ cups half-and-half
• 2½ cups crumbled soda crackers
• 12 tablespoons (1½ sticks) butter, melted
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• Tabasco sauce to taste

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter a 1½-quart casserole and set aside.

In a medium skillet, fry the bacon over moderate heat till almost crisp, drain on paper towels, and crumble.

Drain the oysters, saving about ½ cup of the liquor. In a medium mixing bowl, combine the liquor and half-and-half, stir well, and set aside. In another medium bowl, combine the cracker crumbs and butter, season with salt and pepper and Tabasco, and set aside.

Sprinkle about a third of the cracker crumbs over the bottom of the prepared casserole, arrange half the oysters on top, sprinkle half the bacon over the oysters, and pour half the liquor mixture over the top. Add another third of the crumbs, arrange the remaining oysters on top, sprinkle on the remaining bacon, pour on the remaining liquor mixture, and top with the remaining crumbs. Bake till bubbly and lightly browned, about 35 minutes.