Categories: Seafood, Holiday 
      Yield: 6 servings 
  
           INGREDIENTS: 
      4 c  Firm white bread (Italian or 
           -French or sourdough) 
    1/2 c  Butter 
           Salt and cayenne pepper 
      1 pt Raw oysters, well-drained 
      1 tb Lemon juice 
      1 sm Onion, grated 
    1/2 c  Whipping cream 
  
  paprika (TIP:) This dish can be made with oysters of *any* size. While 
  fresh ones ARE best,  thawed, frozen oysters *may*  be used.   If you 
  wish, prepare  the dish and refrigerate it for several hours before 
  baking.   Or, on  the  other hand,  you can cut and brown the bread 
  cubes ahead of  time. The rest can be finished in minutes, once the 
  bread is browned. 
   
  Remove the crusts from the bread.  Cut the bread into quarter-inch 
  cubes; in a large skillet, melt half the butter.  Add 2 cups of bread 
  cubes and toss  over LOW HEAT until they're golden-brown.   Sprinkle 
  the  cubes lightly with salt and caynne, stirring constantly. 
   
  Brown the remaining cubes in the remaining butter.  Sprinkle again 
  with the cayenne and the salt. 
   
  Cover  the bottom of a 2-quart baking dish with 1/3  of the  bread 
  cubes; top the bread evenly with half the oysters,  sprinkle with 
  salt and cayenne,  half the lemon juice and half the onion.   Cover 
  with 1/3  of the bread  cubes and sprinkle with salt,  cayenne,  the 
  rest of the lemon juice and the onion.  Pour in the cream, and top 
  with the last third of the bread cubes.  Sprinkle with paprika to 
  make pretty. 
   
  Bake at 325 degrees for 25 to 35 minutes and serve *immediately*.