Ingredients:

  Amount  Measure       Ingredient -- Preparation Method
--------  ------------  --------------------------------
  12                    oysters -- drained *
  12                    mussels -- ** see note
   3      tablespoons   sweet butter
   1                    onion -- peeled and diced
   5                    peppercorns -- freshly ground
     1/2  teaspoon      salt
   2      tablespoons   Calvert's cedar street basil
   1      cup           clam juice
   2      cups          half and half
   3      tablespoons   sherry

Preparation:

* fresh and shelled-or from jar. ** fresh and shelled-or smoked and canned and drained. Melt butter in a saucepan over medium high heat. Add onion and sauté 5 minutes. Add peppercorns, salt and mustard and stir. Add clam juice, bring to boiling and reduce by 1/3. Add oysters, mussels, sherry and half-and-half and heat but do not boil. Continue to cook until oysters begin to curl around the edges. Individual bowls of soup should be garnished with a few fresh basil leaves.