Here are two excellent Christmas Oyster Stew recipies from our friend Oysterman on the Chesapeake Bay.
http://oysterloversparadise.blogspot.com/2008/12/locally-grown-oyster-stew-christmas-eve.html.
Happy Holidays!!!
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Thursday, December 25, 2008
Christmas Eve Fried Oysters
This is the recipie for the saltine crusted fried oysters that were served at the oysterman household on Christmas eve. Enjoy:
Merry Christmas Eve Fried Oysters
1. lightly dust each oyster in flour, salt, and pepper and let them dry on a couple folded paper towels.
Crumble Saltine Crackers with a rolling pin in the long bags they come in.
You don’t want to pulverize the crackers too much or you will get cracker powder rather than the desirable quarter inch size crumbs.
Separate the cracker crumbs from the dust and pour the crumbs into a wide shallow bowl.
Dip each oyster in a bath of eggs beaten with a little whole milk or cream and then cover it in Saltine Cracker crumbs.
Let stand for a minute or so on folded paper towels on a platter then fry in a thick frying pan at medium high heat in about a half an inch of salted (or unsalted) butter until golden brown on each side.
Remove onto another plate with folded paper towels before presenting on a serving platter garnished with lemon wedges and parsley sprigs. Serve with plenty of freshly made Oyster Sauce."
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Saturday, December 20, 2008
Famous Christmas Oyster Stew
By: Cremon (from Recipie Zaar)
Oysterman says: "I made this stew and it was incredible. It is a nice twist on an old recipie. Try it this year"!
Cremon: For years, its been a tradition in my family to eat oyster stew at the start of dinner Christmas night (not Christmas eve). The celery salt and paprika give the stew that red and green Christmas color too. Oyster stew always makes me think of Christmas no matter where or when I eat it. We always had 10 or more people at the table and there were never leftovers of this stew. I still love this recipe and it is my favorite - I've never had anything close, even at fine restaurants.
SERVES 10 -12 (change servings and units)
Change to: Servings US Metric
Ingredients:
2 cups butter, separated
1 1/2 cups finely minced celery
5 tablespoons finely minced shallots
1 gallon half-and-half
2 (32 ounce) containers fresh shucked oysters, undrained
salt & fresh ground pepper (at least 2 round tablespoons)
6 dashes Tabasco sauce
celery salt
10-12 pinches paprika, 1 pinch per bowl
Directions:
Melt 2 sticks of butter in a large skillet over medium heat, add the celery and shallots and saute until the shallots are translucent.
Pour half-and-half into a large pot over medium-high heat.
Mix in 2 sticks of butter, celery, and shallot mixture.
Stir continuously.
When the mixture is almost boiling, pour the oysters and their liquid into the pot.
Season with salt, pepper and Tabasco sauce.
Stir continuously until the oysters curl at the ends. When the oysters curl the stew is finished cooking; turn off the heat and serve.
Add celery salt and paprika to each bowl along with a 1 1/2 - 2 tablespoon square of butter from the remaining sticks.
Happy Holidays!
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Oysterman says: "I made this stew and it was incredible. It is a nice twist on an old recipie. Try it this year"!
Cremon: For years, its been a tradition in my family to eat oyster stew at the start of dinner Christmas night (not Christmas eve). The celery salt and paprika give the stew that red and green Christmas color too. Oyster stew always makes me think of Christmas no matter where or when I eat it. We always had 10 or more people at the table and there were never leftovers of this stew. I still love this recipe and it is my favorite - I've never had anything close, even at fine restaurants.
SERVES 10 -12 (change servings and units)
Change to: Servings US Metric
Ingredients:
2 cups butter, separated
1 1/2 cups finely minced celery
5 tablespoons finely minced shallots
1 gallon half-and-half
2 (32 ounce) containers fresh shucked oysters, undrained
salt & fresh ground pepper (at least 2 round tablespoons)
6 dashes Tabasco sauce
celery salt
10-12 pinches paprika, 1 pinch per bowl
Directions:
Melt 2 sticks of butter in a large skillet over medium heat, add the celery and shallots and saute until the shallots are translucent.
Pour half-and-half into a large pot over medium-high heat.
Mix in 2 sticks of butter, celery, and shallot mixture.
Stir continuously.
When the mixture is almost boiling, pour the oysters and their liquid into the pot.
Season with salt, pepper and Tabasco sauce.
Stir continuously until the oysters curl at the ends. When the oysters curl the stew is finished cooking; turn off the heat and serve.
Add celery salt and paprika to each bowl along with a 1 1/2 - 2 tablespoon square of butter from the remaining sticks.
Happy Holidays!
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Fantastic Christmas Oyster Recipe
Tis the season to eat oysters!!! falalalalala.
This is what they should look like. Yum.
This recipe for Christmas Oysters serves: 8
Ingredients:
48 fresh oysters (in shells)
4 tablespoons (60 mL) butter
2 tablespoons (30 mL) extra-virgin oil
4 shallots, finely minced
4 garlic cloves, finely minced
1 teaspoon (5 mL) 'herbs de Provence'
4 tablespoons (60 mL) all purpose flour
2/3 cup (160 mL) warm milk
2/3 cup (160 mL) vegetable broth
2/3 cup (160 mL) dry white wine
Salt and pepper, to taste
Few drops Tabasco sauce
2 tablespoons (30 mL) butter
2 tablespoons (30 mL) oil
30 oyster mushrooms, cut into strips
Grated Cheddar cheese
Fresh parsley
How to cook:
Open-up oysters, reserving juice refrigerate both, oysters in half-shells and juice, separately.
Into a casserole, heat together 4 tablespoons (60 mL) butter and extra-virgin oil brown together shallots, garlic and 'herbs de Provence'.
Well stir in flour.
Stirring, pour in warm milk, vegetable broth, dry white wine and reserved oyster juice stir until boiling.
Lower heat to low simmer until smooth.
Salt, pepper and stir in Tabasco sauce.
Into a fry pan, in hot 2 tablespoons (30 mL) butter and oil, brown oyster mushrooms strips.
Preheat oven at 'broil'.
Stir mushrooms strips into sauce.
Evenly coat each oyster with sauce sprinkle with grated cheese.
Brown under broiler.
Decorate each oyster with fresh parsley and serve immediately.
Note:
Herbs de Provence: a mixture of rosemary, thyme, basil, marjoram and savory.
This recipe for Christmas Oysters serves/makes: 8
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This is what they should look like. Yum.
This recipe for Christmas Oysters serves: 8
Ingredients:
48 fresh oysters (in shells)
4 tablespoons (60 mL) butter
2 tablespoons (30 mL) extra-virgin oil
4 shallots, finely minced
4 garlic cloves, finely minced
1 teaspoon (5 mL) 'herbs de Provence'
4 tablespoons (60 mL) all purpose flour
2/3 cup (160 mL) warm milk
2/3 cup (160 mL) vegetable broth
2/3 cup (160 mL) dry white wine
Salt and pepper, to taste
Few drops Tabasco sauce
2 tablespoons (30 mL) butter
2 tablespoons (30 mL) oil
30 oyster mushrooms, cut into strips
Grated Cheddar cheese
Fresh parsley
How to cook:
Open-up oysters, reserving juice refrigerate both, oysters in half-shells and juice, separately.
Into a casserole, heat together 4 tablespoons (60 mL) butter and extra-virgin oil brown together shallots, garlic and 'herbs de Provence'.
Well stir in flour.
Stirring, pour in warm milk, vegetable broth, dry white wine and reserved oyster juice stir until boiling.
Lower heat to low simmer until smooth.
Salt, pepper and stir in Tabasco sauce.
Into a fry pan, in hot 2 tablespoons (30 mL) butter and oil, brown oyster mushrooms strips.
Preheat oven at 'broil'.
Stir mushrooms strips into sauce.
Evenly coat each oyster with sauce sprinkle with grated cheese.
Brown under broiler.
Decorate each oyster with fresh parsley and serve immediately.
Note:
Herbs de Provence: a mixture of rosemary, thyme, basil, marjoram and savory.
This recipe for Christmas Oysters serves/makes: 8
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Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Skipjack Oyster Dressing
2 large stalks celery
1 medium onion
1/2 cup (1 stick) margarine or butter
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon lemon and pepper seasoning
1/8 teaspoon mace (or nutmeg)
1/8 teaspoon tarragon
1/8 teaspoon poultry seasoning
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
1 pint shucked Virginia oysters, with liquor
8 slices day-old bread cubed
Finely chop celery and onions. Saute in margarine or butter until tender. Mix in seasonings. Add oysters with liqor and simmer until edges of oysters just begin to curl. Remove from heat and gently mix in bread cubes. Adjust moistness with water as desired. Makes about 4 cups dressing (allow about 1/2 cup per pound for fish; 1 cup per pound for poultry). Note: For an extra special tangy taste, core and finely chop 2 medium apples and add with celery and onions when cooking. Yield will increase about 1/2 cup.
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Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Oysters with Mignonette Granité
By Roy Finamore
Link to original post:
Total: 10 mins, plus 8 hrs freezing and time to open the oysters
Active: 10 mins, plus time to open the oysters
Makes: About 1 cup (enough for 48 oysters)
Transforming a sharp mignonette sauce into icy shards certainly makes serving oysters with cocktails simpler. You garnish the oysters with the frozen sauce and make the rounds with a platter. No forks, no dipping—just a quick slurp.
What to buy: We liked small Kumamoto oysters with this dish, but any other variety will work. Plan on buying at least three oysters per person. The mignonette recipe makes plenty of granité for this many oysters, but if you’d like more, simply add up to 1/2 cup additional red wine vinegar to the recipe.
The raspberries in this dish add a punch of bright color to the mignonette granité. We highly recommend using them, but you could leave them out.
Game plan: The acid in the vinegar causes slow freezing, so make this a day ahead.
This recipe was featured as part of our Neo-Classic Holiday Dinner menu.
INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup raspberries (about 1/2 of a 6-ounce container)
3/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/3 cup minced shallots
1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
Pinch kosher salt
3 to 4 dozen oysters in their shells, scrubbed
INSTRUCTIONS
Work raspberries through a mesh sieve with a wooden spoon or a rubber spatula to remove the seeds. (You should have about 2 tablespoons of purée.)
In a small bowl, combine raspberry purée with vinegar, shallots, and pepper. Season with a pinch of salt. Pour into a small container (a 2-cup-capacity Tupperware works great) and freeze for at least 8 hours, stirring once or twice with a fork.
When granité is completely frozen and guests are due to arrive soon, use an oyster knife to open the oysters. Loosen them from their shells, but leave them sitting in the bottom “cupped” side of the shell. Set them on a bed of ice to keep them cold and upright.
Right before serving, rake the mignonette with a fork and stir it, breaking any big, icy chunks into shards. Spoon about 1 teaspoon granité onto each oyster and serve. Keep additional mignonette granité in the freezer to top oysters as needed.
Beverage pairing: Gosset Brut Excellence Champagne, France. Oysters are good with any high-acid, racy white wine, but the delicate and pungent ice crystals of the granité will find their textural counterpart in the effervescence of Champagne. A Champagne in the brut style, such as this one, is dry enough to match the brininess of the oysters but still has the richness to be enjoyed on its own. Oysters with Mignonette Granité
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Link to original post:
Total: 10 mins, plus 8 hrs freezing and time to open the oysters
Active: 10 mins, plus time to open the oysters
Makes: About 1 cup (enough for 48 oysters)
Transforming a sharp mignonette sauce into icy shards certainly makes serving oysters with cocktails simpler. You garnish the oysters with the frozen sauce and make the rounds with a platter. No forks, no dipping—just a quick slurp.
What to buy: We liked small Kumamoto oysters with this dish, but any other variety will work. Plan on buying at least three oysters per person. The mignonette recipe makes plenty of granité for this many oysters, but if you’d like more, simply add up to 1/2 cup additional red wine vinegar to the recipe.
The raspberries in this dish add a punch of bright color to the mignonette granité. We highly recommend using them, but you could leave them out.
Game plan: The acid in the vinegar causes slow freezing, so make this a day ahead.
This recipe was featured as part of our Neo-Classic Holiday Dinner menu.
INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup raspberries (about 1/2 of a 6-ounce container)
3/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/3 cup minced shallots
1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
Pinch kosher salt
3 to 4 dozen oysters in their shells, scrubbed
INSTRUCTIONS
Work raspberries through a mesh sieve with a wooden spoon or a rubber spatula to remove the seeds. (You should have about 2 tablespoons of purée.)
In a small bowl, combine raspberry purée with vinegar, shallots, and pepper. Season with a pinch of salt. Pour into a small container (a 2-cup-capacity Tupperware works great) and freeze for at least 8 hours, stirring once or twice with a fork.
When granité is completely frozen and guests are due to arrive soon, use an oyster knife to open the oysters. Loosen them from their shells, but leave them sitting in the bottom “cupped” side of the shell. Set them on a bed of ice to keep them cold and upright.
Right before serving, rake the mignonette with a fork and stir it, breaking any big, icy chunks into shards. Spoon about 1 teaspoon granité onto each oyster and serve. Keep additional mignonette granité in the freezer to top oysters as needed.
Beverage pairing: Gosset Brut Excellence Champagne, France. Oysters are good with any high-acid, racy white wine, but the delicate and pungent ice crystals of the granité will find their textural counterpart in the effervescence of Champagne. A Champagne in the brut style, such as this one, is dry enough to match the brininess of the oysters but still has the richness to be enjoyed on its own. Oysters with Mignonette Granité
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Thursday, November 6, 2008
Oysters in the Half Shell
I have never tasted Oysters like this before. I wonder if it was the paprika? Try this recipie.
Ingredients:
36 live Oysters
Salt and Pepper, to taste
1/2 cup Bread Crumbs
2 Tbsp Butter
pinch of Paprika
fresh Parsley, finely chopped
Cocktail Sauce
3 Lemons, cut into thin wedges
Directions:
Shuck and clean oysters, retaining the larger half of shell with oysters. Melt butter in sauté pan. Reduce heat and add bread crumbs to butter and mix well. Place oysters in shells and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cover each oyster with buttered bread crumbs and add a dash of paprika on top. Place shells with oysters in oven about 3 inches down from broiler. Broil for 5 minutes until golden brown. Sprinkle each oyster with a pinch of parsley. Serve with lemon wedges and cocktail sauce.
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Ingredients:
36 live Oysters
Salt and Pepper, to taste
1/2 cup Bread Crumbs
2 Tbsp Butter
pinch of Paprika
fresh Parsley, finely chopped
Cocktail Sauce
3 Lemons, cut into thin wedges
Directions:
Shuck and clean oysters, retaining the larger half of shell with oysters. Melt butter in sauté pan. Reduce heat and add bread crumbs to butter and mix well. Place oysters in shells and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cover each oyster with buttered bread crumbs and add a dash of paprika on top. Place shells with oysters in oven about 3 inches down from broiler. Broil for 5 minutes until golden brown. Sprinkle each oyster with a pinch of parsley. Serve with lemon wedges and cocktail sauce.
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Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Oysters Rockefeller
Ingredients:
1 pound butter
1 rib celery, finely chopped
2 bunches green onions, finely chopped, about 2 cups
1 bunch parsley, fine chopped
3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1/2 to 1 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
1/2 cup Pernod, Anisette, or Herbsaint
1 1/4 cups seasoned bread crumbs
4 dozen oysters in their shells
rock salt
Preparation:
Melt the butter in a large skillet and add the celery, scallions and parsley.
Saute for 5 minutes, then add the Worcestershire and Tabasco.
Reduce heat to medium and cook for 10 minutes.
Add the Herbsaint or Pernod and bread crumbs; cook for 5 minutes more.
Remove the pan from the heat and transfer the mixture to a bowl.
Chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour, until cold but not firmly set.
Shuck oysters.
Discard the top shells; scrub and dry the bottom shells.
Drain the oysters.
Arrange several oyster shells in baking pans lined with about 1 inch of rock salt.
Arrange several pans in advance, if desired. Place 1 oyster in each shell.
Heat oven to 375°.
Remove the chilled Rockefeller topping from the refrigerator and beat it with an
electric mixer to evenly distribute the butter and infuse air into the mixture;
transfer the mixture to a pastry bag fitted with a large plain tip.
Pipe a tablespoon of the mixture onto each oyster, then bake in a 375° oven for 5 to 8 minutes.
Allow about 6 oysters for each guest.
If possible, bake these in batches of 6 in oven-safe pans, so each person can be served a pan of hot Oysters Rockefeller right out of the oven.
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Fried oysters
Fried oysters with flour and a seasoned egg and bread crumb coating. These turned out fantastic.
INGREDIENTS:
2 cups oysters, drained and dried thoroughly
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon paprika
2 eggs
2 tablespoons water
fine dry bread crumbs
PREPARATION:
In a bowl, combine flour, salt, and paprika. In another bowl, whisk eggs with water. Put bread crumbs in a third bowl. Dip oysters in the flour mixture, then dip in egg, then in the bread crumbs. Fry in hot oil at about 370° until nicely browned, about 2 minutes.
Serves 6.
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INGREDIENTS:
2 cups oysters, drained and dried thoroughly
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon paprika
2 eggs
2 tablespoons water
fine dry bread crumbs
PREPARATION:
In a bowl, combine flour, salt, and paprika. In another bowl, whisk eggs with water. Put bread crumbs in a third bowl. Dip oysters in the flour mixture, then dip in egg, then in the bread crumbs. Fry in hot oil at about 370° until nicely browned, about 2 minutes.
Serves 6.
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Fried Oyster Po' Boy
By Diana Rattray, About.com
Oyster Po' Boy
This oyster po' boy would also be delicious with Come Back Sauce instead of mayonnaise.
Ingredients:
1 quart oysters
3 large eggs
3 cups cornmeal
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon Cajun Seasoning
1 teaspoon black pepper
4 French bread rolls, about 6-inches each, or 2 baguettes, cut in half crosswise
2 medium tomatoes
shredded lettuce
mayonnaise or Come Back Sauce
dill pickle slices
salt and pepper
Preparation:
In a medium bowl, beat the eggs; stir in oysters and let stand for 5 minutes.
In a large food storage bag, combine the cornmeal, flour, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, Cajun seasoning, and 1 teaspoon pepper.
Take an oyster from the beaten egg, let excess drip off, and toss in the bag. Shake until well coated. Repeat with remaining oysters.
Fry the oysters in batches for about 3 minutes, or until golden brown.
Split 1 roll or section; spread with mayonnaise or Come Back Sauce. On the bottom of the roll, arrange layers of shredded lettuce, oysters, tomato slices, and sliced pickles. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Repeat with remaining rolls, oysters, and filling ingredients. Enjoy!
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Oyster Po' Boy
This oyster po' boy would also be delicious with Come Back Sauce instead of mayonnaise.
Ingredients:
1 quart oysters
3 large eggs
3 cups cornmeal
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon Cajun Seasoning
1 teaspoon black pepper
4 French bread rolls, about 6-inches each, or 2 baguettes, cut in half crosswise
2 medium tomatoes
shredded lettuce
mayonnaise or Come Back Sauce
dill pickle slices
salt and pepper
Preparation:
In a medium bowl, beat the eggs; stir in oysters and let stand for 5 minutes.
In a large food storage bag, combine the cornmeal, flour, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, Cajun seasoning, and 1 teaspoon pepper.
Take an oyster from the beaten egg, let excess drip off, and toss in the bag. Shake until well coated. Repeat with remaining oysters.
Fry the oysters in batches for about 3 minutes, or until golden brown.
Split 1 roll or section; spread with mayonnaise or Come Back Sauce. On the bottom of the roll, arrange layers of shredded lettuce, oysters, tomato slices, and sliced pickles. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Repeat with remaining rolls, oysters, and filling ingredients. Enjoy!
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Monday, November 3, 2008
WATERMAN'S SEAFOOD CHOWDER
This is a fantastic recipie from Cantler's waterfront restaurant and crab house. I recommend DOUBLING the amount of oysters used. If you are ever in Anapolis, stop by Cantler's. (unsolicited plug - send me a t-shirt).
1 pound Maryland rockfish fillets, cut into cubes
1 pound Maryland crabmeat, fresh or pasteurized
1 pint Maryland oysters, standards
slices bacon
1 cup onion, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
1 clove garlic
1 10 oz can Irish potatoes
1 8 oz jar clam juice
1 cup white wine
1 quart water
1 can 14oz chicken broth
2 tablespoons parsley
1 10 oz can tomatoes
1 tablespoon seafood seasoning
1 lb bag frozen corn
1 lb bag frozen carrots
salt and pepper, to taste
In large pot, cook bacon until crisp, set aside, drain grease. In same pot, sauté onion, celery, and garlic until soft. Do not brown. Add remaining ingredients. Cook until vegetables are tender, add seafood. Simmer and serve.
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1 pound Maryland rockfish fillets, cut into cubes
1 pound Maryland crabmeat, fresh or pasteurized
1 pint Maryland oysters, standards
slices bacon
1 cup onion, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
1 clove garlic
1 10 oz can Irish potatoes
1 8 oz jar clam juice
1 cup white wine
1 quart water
1 can 14oz chicken broth
2 tablespoons parsley
1 10 oz can tomatoes
1 tablespoon seafood seasoning
1 lb bag frozen corn
1 lb bag frozen carrots
salt and pepper, to taste
In large pot, cook bacon until crisp, set aside, drain grease. In same pot, sauté onion, celery, and garlic until soft. Do not brown. Add remaining ingredients. Cook until vegetables are tender, add seafood. Simmer and serve.
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Saturday, November 1, 2008
Famous Oyster Bisque
INGREDIENTS:
1/2 cup rice, uncooked
4 cups bottled clam juice
1/4 cup butter
2 dozen oysters
1/4 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
2 cups whipping or heavy cream
3 tablespoons brandy or Cognac
salt and freshly ground black pepper
chopped fresh parsley
PREPARATION:
Put rice and clam juice in a saucepan. Cover and cook until rice is tender. Add butter. Blend the mixture until smooth or force through a sieve.
Finely chop about 16 of the oysters and add to the rice mixture with their liquid. Add Tabasco sauce. Add the cream and heat just to the boiling point. Add remaining whole oysters and heat until the edges curl. Add brandy or Cognac and heat 1 minute longer. Add salt and pepper to taste. Ladle into serving dishes, placing 1 or 2 whole oysters in each bowl or cup. Garnish with chopped celery.
Serves 6 to 8, depending on size of servings.
.
Enjoy!
Friday, October 31, 2008
CREOLE OYSTER SOUP
Ingredients:
1 stick of butter
1/2 small onion
1 rib celery
3 cloves garlic
3/4 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon white pepper
1/8 teaspoon paprika
1/8 teaspoon ground thyme
2 dozen fresh shucked oysters
1 pint oyster liquor
1 cup canned chicken broth
1 quart Half-N-Half
6-8 pats of butter
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/4 cup fresh parsley
2 cups oyster crackers
In a 12-inch skillet, melt down the butter over medium-high heat and sauté onion, celery and garlic until the pureed mixture is smooth (which should take about five minutes). Then, whisk in the seafood seasoning, white pepper, paprika and thyme, taking care to make certain it all thoroughly combines in the butter base. Add the oysters, the oyster liquor, and the chicken broth and swoosh everything around a couple of times. Then, when the oyster edges curl, reduce the fire to low and continue to simmer the contents of the skillet for about four minutes more. Meanwhile, pour the Half-N-Half cream into the top of a large double boiler. Then, place it over simmering water and cook until the cream becomes very hot. (This step prevents curdling.) Next, stir into the cream all the oysters and oyster liquids and continue to heat the soup in the double boiler for another 15 minutes. When you're ready to eat, ladle the chopped oysters and the creamed soup into large bowls. Then top each bowl with a pat of butter and a dash of paprika. When the butter melts, garnish the soup with a sprinkling of minced parsley and a handful of oyster crackers and serve piping hot.
Yum Yum Yum
http://www.OysterLoversParadise.blogspot.com
1 stick of butter
1/2 small onion
1 rib celery
3 cloves garlic
3/4 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon white pepper
1/8 teaspoon paprika
1/8 teaspoon ground thyme
2 dozen fresh shucked oysters
1 pint oyster liquor
1 cup canned chicken broth
1 quart Half-N-Half
6-8 pats of butter
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/4 cup fresh parsley
2 cups oyster crackers
In a 12-inch skillet, melt down the butter over medium-high heat and sauté onion, celery and garlic until the pureed mixture is smooth (which should take about five minutes). Then, whisk in the seafood seasoning, white pepper, paprika and thyme, taking care to make certain it all thoroughly combines in the butter base. Add the oysters, the oyster liquor, and the chicken broth and swoosh everything around a couple of times. Then, when the oyster edges curl, reduce the fire to low and continue to simmer the contents of the skillet for about four minutes more. Meanwhile, pour the Half-N-Half cream into the top of a large double boiler. Then, place it over simmering water and cook until the cream becomes very hot. (This step prevents curdling.) Next, stir into the cream all the oysters and oyster liquids and continue to heat the soup in the double boiler for another 15 minutes. When you're ready to eat, ladle the chopped oysters and the creamed soup into large bowls. Then top each bowl with a pat of butter and a dash of paprika. When the butter melts, garnish the soup with a sprinkling of minced parsley and a handful of oyster crackers and serve piping hot.
Yum Yum Yum
http://www.OysterLoversParadise.blogspot.com
Panko Crusted Oysters with Napa Cabbage Slaw and a Spicy Wasabi Cream Sauce
Chef Shane Stark
Kenichi
Napa Cabbage Slaw
1 Medium head Texas napa cabbage, shredded
1 Small Texas carrot, finely julienned
1 Red Texas fresno pepper, finely julienned
4 Pieces green onion, finely julienned
½ Teaspoon grated ginger
¼ Cup sugar
¼ Cup rice vinegar
1 Ounce soy sauce
Combine all ingredients and let stand at room temperature for at least 30 minutes, stirring ocassionally.
Spicy Wasabi Cream
2 Tablespoons powdered wasabi
1 Tablespoon water
1 Tablespoon soy sauce
3 Tablespoons heavy cream
1 Tablespoon sour cream
Combine all ingredients and whisk until smooth. Adjust seasoning with additional soy sauce as desired.
Panko Crusted Oysters
12 Texas Gulf oysters in shell
1 Egg
2 Tablespoons heavy cream
½ Cup all purpose flour
Fresh ground black pepper
2 Cups panko (Japanese bread crumbs)
1 Cup peanut oil
Kosher salt
1 Bunch Texas cilantro
Shuck the oysters and reserve the bottom part of the shell. Whisk together the egg and cream. Season flour with black pepper. Dredge the oysters in flour and shake off excess. Egg wash and coat with panko. Refrigerate oysters. Heat peanut oil to 350ºF in a large saute´ pan – do not allow to smoke. Fry oysters until golden brown on both sides, approximately 2-3 minutes. Remove and drain on paper towel.
To plate: Put a small pile of slaw in each of the reserved oyster shells. Top with a fried oyster. Drizzle with wasabi cream and garnish with cilantro sprig.
Complement this dish perfectly with a Texas Chardonnay or other Texas white wine.
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Kenichi
Napa Cabbage Slaw
1 Medium head Texas napa cabbage, shredded
1 Small Texas carrot, finely julienned
1 Red Texas fresno pepper, finely julienned
4 Pieces green onion, finely julienned
½ Teaspoon grated ginger
¼ Cup sugar
¼ Cup rice vinegar
1 Ounce soy sauce
Combine all ingredients and let stand at room temperature for at least 30 minutes, stirring ocassionally.
Spicy Wasabi Cream
2 Tablespoons powdered wasabi
1 Tablespoon water
1 Tablespoon soy sauce
3 Tablespoons heavy cream
1 Tablespoon sour cream
Combine all ingredients and whisk until smooth. Adjust seasoning with additional soy sauce as desired.
Panko Crusted Oysters
12 Texas Gulf oysters in shell
1 Egg
2 Tablespoons heavy cream
½ Cup all purpose flour
Fresh ground black pepper
2 Cups panko (Japanese bread crumbs)
1 Cup peanut oil
Kosher salt
1 Bunch Texas cilantro
Shuck the oysters and reserve the bottom part of the shell. Whisk together the egg and cream. Season flour with black pepper. Dredge the oysters in flour and shake off excess. Egg wash and coat with panko. Refrigerate oysters. Heat peanut oil to 350ºF in a large saute´ pan – do not allow to smoke. Fry oysters until golden brown on both sides, approximately 2-3 minutes. Remove and drain on paper towel.
To plate: Put a small pile of slaw in each of the reserved oyster shells. Top with a fried oyster. Drizzle with wasabi cream and garnish with cilantro sprig.
Complement this dish perfectly with a Texas Chardonnay or other Texas white wine.
BACK TO OYSTER RECIPIES HOMEPAGE:
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Seasoned oysters wrapped in bacon: what a grand union
Rob Kasper
As soon as weather forecasters mention "frost on the pumpkin," I crave oysters.
By happy coincidence, the arrival of cool weather usually coincides with cooks convening in St. Mary's County, devising new ways to prepare Maryland's favorite mollusk. On a recent weekend, cooks at the National Oyster Cook-Off shared the stage of the St. Mary's County Fairgrounds with contestants in the National Oyster Shucking Championship.
William "Chopper" Young Jr. of Wellfleet, Mass., won the shucking contest, opening 24 oysters in an adjusted time of 2 minutes, 49 seconds, or 7 seconds per oyster.
Brendan Cahill, who lives in Lusby and is the chef and owner of the Old Field Inn in Prince Frederick, won the cooking contest with a dish called Oysters en Brochette.
Even if I employed my favorite oyster-opening trick - keeping the oysters in a warm oven until they pop open - I could not rival the speed of the champion shucker.
However, after looking over Cahill's winning recipe, I figured it was something I could tackle.
Basically, it consisted of seasoned oysters wrapped in bacon, skewered and cooked in butter, then dabbed with a spicy remoulade sauce.
The simplicity of the preparation appealed to me. That and the fact that I would eat almost anything - short of an oyster shell - if it were wrapped in bacon and cooked in butter.
"Oysters and bacon are a natural marriage," said Cahill when I spoke to him by phone at his restaurant. "Then I add some spices to heat the marriage up," he said. The dish, he said, would soon be on the restaurant's menu. "In Southern Maryland, the two dishes you have to have on your menu are crab imperial and oysters," he said.
The spices, Cahill added, were in a homemade Cajun seasoning. His mixture, he said, has "about 15 to 18 spices in it." The bottle of Cajun seasoning I bought at the grocery store had eight.
The Cajun seasoning was added both to the flour that coated the raw oysters and to the remoulade sauce that accompanied them at the dinner table.
The bacon Cahill used had been smoked over apple wood. I couldn't find that type in the grocery store, so I settled for the hickory-smoked variety. "Use the thin-sliced bacon," Cahill had told me. "Thick slices will overwhelm the oysters."
Giving the bacon a head start in cooking is a good idea, he said. Oysters cook faster than raw bacon, he said, and by precooking the bacon strips you even out the cooking times when they are together in the pan.
Having fetched the ingredients for this dish, I set to work in my kitchen. I drained a pint of Chesapeake Bay oysters. I dredged them in a mixture of 1 cup of flour and 3 tablespoons of Cajun spice.
Then I wrapped them in strips of bacon that were about two-thirds done.
I had never skewered an oyster before. They were slippery critters, but when confined by the bacon they were easier to nail with a skewer.
I had heated a couple of tablespoons of butter in a skillet and, if truth be told, I also had a little bit of bacon grease in there, left over from frying the bacon.
I cooked the skewered oysters quickly, over a medium fire. The skewers that held large oysters were cooked about three minutes a side. The skewers holding smaller oysters spent about two minutes per side in the pan.
"You don't want to overcook the oysters," Cahill had warned me. "They are done when the oysters shrivel up a bit and get plump."
The oysters and bacon splattered so much that I ended up putting a lid on the skillet. But I kept my eye on them, and when the oysters were shriveled at the edges and plump in the middle, I got them off the fire.
On my plate, the golden oysters, the russet bacon and the pale-yellow remoulade sauce looked like an edible autumnal painting.
In my mouth, they were stupendous. The rich meat of the oyster melded with crisp bacon, followed by the creamy and spicy flavors of the sauce.
A cold wind was blowing and the oyster-eating season was off to good start.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Oysters en Brochette with Remoulade Sauce
(Serves 6)
Oysters:
1 pint Maryland shucked oysters
1 cup Cajun flour (1 cup flour and 3 tablespoons Cajun spice, combined)
12 pieces precooked apple-wood-smoked bacon
6 wooden skewers
butter for sauteing (about 1 to 2 tablespoons)
lemon wedges for garnish
Remoulade sauce:
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 pinch Cajun spice (see note)
1 tablespoon capers
juice of 1 lemon
pinch fresh tarragon
For oysters: Lightly drain oysters, then dredge in Cajun flour and set aside. Cook bacon in pan or microwave until it is 2/3 done. Cut bacon into equal lengths approximately 3 inches long and wrap 1 piece around each oyster. Skewer 4 to 5 oysters on each skewer. Heat butter in a skillet and saute skewers 3 minutes per side. Drizzle remoulade sauce on plates and top with oysters and garnish with fresh lemon.
For sauce: Combine all ingredients and gently mix with a large spoon.
Note" Cahill's homemade Cajun spice has a more peppery bite than commercial versions. If you want more heat, add more spice and taste the sauce until you are satisfied.
Courtesy of Brendan Cahill of Lusby
Per serving: 311 calories, 8 grams protein, 22 grams fat, 5 grams saturated fat, 18 grams carbohydrate, 1 gram fiber, 32 milligrams cholesterol, 573 milligrams sodium
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Here is another idea for bacon wrapped oysters:
Link to source:
Angels on Horseback
24 medium raw oysters, shucked and drained
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 clove garlic, minced
Coarse salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Hot sauce or Tabasco sauce (to taste)
6 slices lean bacon, cut in half
12 buttered toast rounds (optional)
Lemon wedges
In a bowl, mix the wine, garlic, salt, pepper, and hot sauce together. Add oysters and toss to coat; let marinate 20 minutes.
Cut the bacon in half and cook in a microwave oven for approximately 1 minute or pan fry until the edges begin to curl but the bacon is still flexible. Drain well.
Remove oysters from marinade, Wrap each oyster in a bacon strip and secure with a damp toothpick or cocktail pick. Place the bacon-wrapped oysters on a frying or oven proof pan. Cook, until the bacon is crisp and the edges of the oysters have curled, turning once to cook both sides evenly. Remove from oven or grill
NOTE: You may also cook these "angels" on an outdoor bbq or range top grill.
Serve with the cocktail pick, or the pick can be removed and the oyster placed on a buttered toast round. Serve with lemon wedges.
Makes 24 appetizers.
Buon appetito!
As soon as weather forecasters mention "frost on the pumpkin," I crave oysters.
By happy coincidence, the arrival of cool weather usually coincides with cooks convening in St. Mary's County, devising new ways to prepare Maryland's favorite mollusk. On a recent weekend, cooks at the National Oyster Cook-Off shared the stage of the St. Mary's County Fairgrounds with contestants in the National Oyster Shucking Championship.
William "Chopper" Young Jr. of Wellfleet, Mass., won the shucking contest, opening 24 oysters in an adjusted time of 2 minutes, 49 seconds, or 7 seconds per oyster.
Brendan Cahill, who lives in Lusby and is the chef and owner of the Old Field Inn in Prince Frederick, won the cooking contest with a dish called Oysters en Brochette.
Even if I employed my favorite oyster-opening trick - keeping the oysters in a warm oven until they pop open - I could not rival the speed of the champion shucker.
However, after looking over Cahill's winning recipe, I figured it was something I could tackle.
Basically, it consisted of seasoned oysters wrapped in bacon, skewered and cooked in butter, then dabbed with a spicy remoulade sauce.
The simplicity of the preparation appealed to me. That and the fact that I would eat almost anything - short of an oyster shell - if it were wrapped in bacon and cooked in butter.
"Oysters and bacon are a natural marriage," said Cahill when I spoke to him by phone at his restaurant. "Then I add some spices to heat the marriage up," he said. The dish, he said, would soon be on the restaurant's menu. "In Southern Maryland, the two dishes you have to have on your menu are crab imperial and oysters," he said.
The spices, Cahill added, were in a homemade Cajun seasoning. His mixture, he said, has "about 15 to 18 spices in it." The bottle of Cajun seasoning I bought at the grocery store had eight.
The Cajun seasoning was added both to the flour that coated the raw oysters and to the remoulade sauce that accompanied them at the dinner table.
The bacon Cahill used had been smoked over apple wood. I couldn't find that type in the grocery store, so I settled for the hickory-smoked variety. "Use the thin-sliced bacon," Cahill had told me. "Thick slices will overwhelm the oysters."
Giving the bacon a head start in cooking is a good idea, he said. Oysters cook faster than raw bacon, he said, and by precooking the bacon strips you even out the cooking times when they are together in the pan.
Having fetched the ingredients for this dish, I set to work in my kitchen. I drained a pint of Chesapeake Bay oysters. I dredged them in a mixture of 1 cup of flour and 3 tablespoons of Cajun spice.
Then I wrapped them in strips of bacon that were about two-thirds done.
I had never skewered an oyster before. They were slippery critters, but when confined by the bacon they were easier to nail with a skewer.
I had heated a couple of tablespoons of butter in a skillet and, if truth be told, I also had a little bit of bacon grease in there, left over from frying the bacon.
I cooked the skewered oysters quickly, over a medium fire. The skewers that held large oysters were cooked about three minutes a side. The skewers holding smaller oysters spent about two minutes per side in the pan.
"You don't want to overcook the oysters," Cahill had warned me. "They are done when the oysters shrivel up a bit and get plump."
The oysters and bacon splattered so much that I ended up putting a lid on the skillet. But I kept my eye on them, and when the oysters were shriveled at the edges and plump in the middle, I got them off the fire.
On my plate, the golden oysters, the russet bacon and the pale-yellow remoulade sauce looked like an edible autumnal painting.
In my mouth, they were stupendous. The rich meat of the oyster melded with crisp bacon, followed by the creamy and spicy flavors of the sauce.
A cold wind was blowing and the oyster-eating season was off to good start.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Oysters en Brochette with Remoulade Sauce
(Serves 6)
Oysters:
1 pint Maryland shucked oysters
1 cup Cajun flour (1 cup flour and 3 tablespoons Cajun spice, combined)
12 pieces precooked apple-wood-smoked bacon
6 wooden skewers
butter for sauteing (about 1 to 2 tablespoons)
lemon wedges for garnish
Remoulade sauce:
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 pinch Cajun spice (see note)
1 tablespoon capers
juice of 1 lemon
pinch fresh tarragon
For oysters: Lightly drain oysters, then dredge in Cajun flour and set aside. Cook bacon in pan or microwave until it is 2/3 done. Cut bacon into equal lengths approximately 3 inches long and wrap 1 piece around each oyster. Skewer 4 to 5 oysters on each skewer. Heat butter in a skillet and saute skewers 3 minutes per side. Drizzle remoulade sauce on plates and top with oysters and garnish with fresh lemon.
For sauce: Combine all ingredients and gently mix with a large spoon.
Note" Cahill's homemade Cajun spice has a more peppery bite than commercial versions. If you want more heat, add more spice and taste the sauce until you are satisfied.
Courtesy of Brendan Cahill of Lusby
Per serving: 311 calories, 8 grams protein, 22 grams fat, 5 grams saturated fat, 18 grams carbohydrate, 1 gram fiber, 32 milligrams cholesterol, 573 milligrams sodium
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Here is another idea for bacon wrapped oysters:
Link to source:
Angels on Horseback
24 medium raw oysters, shucked and drained
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 clove garlic, minced
Coarse salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Hot sauce or Tabasco sauce (to taste)
6 slices lean bacon, cut in half
12 buttered toast rounds (optional)
Lemon wedges
In a bowl, mix the wine, garlic, salt, pepper, and hot sauce together. Add oysters and toss to coat; let marinate 20 minutes.
Cut the bacon in half and cook in a microwave oven for approximately 1 minute or pan fry until the edges begin to curl but the bacon is still flexible. Drain well.
Remove oysters from marinade, Wrap each oyster in a bacon strip and secure with a damp toothpick or cocktail pick. Place the bacon-wrapped oysters on a frying or oven proof pan. Cook, until the bacon is crisp and the edges of the oysters have curled, turning once to cook both sides evenly. Remove from oven or grill
NOTE: You may also cook these "angels" on an outdoor bbq or range top grill.
Serve with the cocktail pick, or the pick can be removed and the oyster placed on a buttered toast round. Serve with lemon wedges.
Makes 24 appetizers.
Buon appetito!
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