Review of last recipe (photo above) - I almost tossed the recipe thinking that it probably wouldn't be that great (and used only chicken breasts for that reason; figured I could use them for something in the end with less overall waste).  And, I was right.  It's ok if you're not any type of cook and want to make something easy in a crockpot, but it's just not that tasty.  I'll probably scrape off the sauce and make a chicken salad out of it.

TODAY'S RECIPE - POACHED OYSTERS AND SCALLOPS from Glorious Food
This caterer has been in existence in NYC since 1971, and the recipe was clipped out of The Boston Globe Magazine on October 16, 1983 (and the paper is yellowed).  It sounds delicious!

Serves 6 as a first course

2 cups heavy cream (do not use ultra-pasteurized)
1 cup very finely cut matchsticks of carrot
1 cup very finely cut matchsticks of leek
12 large oysters, shucked with their juices
12 sea scallops
dash of cayenne
1/4 tsp saffron
1 tbsp french mustard with seeds

Preheat over to 250 degrees.  In a deep saucepan, boil the cream over medium heat to reduce it by half.  Set it aside.

Have ready a bowl with a strainer set over it.  Bring 2 cups of water to a boil in a saucepan and drop in the carrots.  Cook them for 1 minute, or until the raw texture is gone, then pour them at once into the strainer set over the bowl.  Lift off the strainer, pass the carrots under cold water, and transfer them to a large heat-proof platter; cover it with foil to keep it warm.

Return the cooking liquid to the saucepan and bring it to a boil again.  Add the leeks, cook them for 1/2-1 minute, or until they are just done, and treat them the same way as the carrots, placing them on the platter and covering the platter. 

Add the oysters and their liquid to the cooking water and return the mixture to the saucepan.  Cook the oysters for 1 minute, lift them out with a slotted spoon and transfer them to the platter.

Add the scallops to the cooking liquid, cook them for 1-2 minutes, or until they are opaque in color (never allowing the liquid to bubble hard).  Lift the scallops from the pan and transfer them to the platter.

Put the platter into the oven for 5 minutes so the various ingredients will warm through.  Meanwhile, bring the cooking liquid to a rolling boil and let it bubble vigorously until it is reduced by half, then strain it into a clean pan.  Strain in the reduced cream, add the cayenne and saffron, and whisk the mixture to incorporate them.

Divide the oysters, scallops, and vegetables among 6 dinner or soup plates.  Tip any juices from the platter into the sauce and return the sauce to a boil.  Whisk in the mustard, taste the sauce for seasoning, and spoon some of the sauce over the fish and vegetables on each plate.

Serve immediately.