Oysters 2013

Oysters are in season and I am always looking for new ways to use them. They just taste saltier during the colder months so I try to take advantage of the short cold season when they are at their best.

I have subscribed to Louisiana Cookin’ magazine and they have at least 60 new recipes in every issue. This new oyster recipe which I tried is from that magazine and from the restaurant Le Creolé, a restaurant in Baton Rouge. This recipe is somewhat different because you sauté the oysters in an oyster butter and then put them in a hot oven for a few minutes. The secret for the wonderful taste is the “bacon”. Now, I have talked about this many times before, but a good quality, salty, smoky bacon is important and the best is Benton’s bacon which can be ordered online. I ordered a double amount around Christmas, and it just really changes the quality of the flavor of any food using bacon.

My son gave me a new cookbook for Christmas called Southern Comfort. I have mentioned this book before, and I was happy to have the book since it has a lot of good recipes. It is a new take on old favorites. He had earmarked everything he wanted me to cook. Since I was looking for oyster recipes, I tried oysters with Swiss chard and bacon. Again, the bacon is the thing. Swiss chard is a winter green that is in season just as oysters are at their peak. This dish was a wonderful combination of the chard that is sweet and the oysters which were salty.

These are two really wonderful oyster recipes if you are looking for something different. They are easy and would make good use of the oysters in season.

Cast-Iron Oysters

Courtesy of Chef Ryan André, Le Creolé Restaurant in Baton Rouge.

Makes 4 servings

1 cup Japanese bread crumbs (panko)

¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

8 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled (about ¼ cup) [I only used 4 slices]

3 tablespoons Oyster Butter, recipe to follow

1 dozen oysters, clean shells to contain oysters

Garnish: Fresh Thyme

In the work bowl of a food processor, pulse together bread crumbs, cheese, and bacon until well blended; set aside.

Preheat oven to 400ᴼ. In a small cast-iron skillet, heat Oyster Butter over medium-high heat until completely melted. Add oysters, and cook, stirring often, until they begin to crinkle around the edges; remove from the pan.

Spoon oysters into reserved shells. Sprinkle each with 2 teaspoons bread crumb mixture. Bake in a rimmed baking dish for 6-8 minutes or until bread crumbs are golden brown. Garnish with fresh thyme, if desired. Serve immediately.

Oyster Butter

Makes about ½ cup

½ cup unsalted butter, softened

½ cup chopped green onions

2 tablespoons chopped garlic

1 ½ tablespoons white wine

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon hot sauce

2 teaspoons Creole seasoning

1 ½ teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

¾ teaspoon dried thyme

¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper

In medium bowl, beat butter or medium-high speed with a mixer until creamy, about 4 minutes.

In the work bowl of a food processor, combine green onion, garlic, wine, lemon juice, hot sauce, Creole seasoning, Worcestershire, thyme, and red pepper; pulse until fine. Add mixture to butter. Beat on medium speed until combined. Store in an airtight container in refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Oyster-Swiss Chard Gratin with Country Bacon

From the cookbook Southern Comfort by Allison Vines-Rushing and Slade Rushing.

Serves 8

3 thick slices smoky bacon, cut into small dice

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 small onion, minced

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 bunches Swiss chard, stemmed, leaves chopped into ½ -inch dice

2 cups heavy cream

1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

18 oysters, coarsely chopped

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1 cup fresh bread crumbs

Preheat the oven to 400ᴼF.

Brown the bacon in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the butter, onion, garlic, and Swiss chard and sauté until the chard is completely wilted. Remove from the heat. Pour the mixture into a colander set in the sink and squeeze out all excess liquid. Reserve.

Return the pan to the stove and add the cream and nutmeg. Bring to a boil over high heat, then decrease the heat to medium-low so the cream does not boil over. Cook the cream until it reduces to 1 cup. Set aside to cool

In a bowl, combine the chard mixture, cooled cream, and oysters. Mix well and season with salt and pepper. Spoon the mixture into a 3-quart dish. Using the back of a spoon, spread the mixture evenly. In a small bowl, mix together the Parmesan cheese and bread crumbs and sprinkle the topping evenly over the gratin.

Bake until the mixture is bubbling around the sides and the crust is lightly golden brown, about 12 minutes.

Remove from the oven and let cool slightly before serving.