Oysters with Chorizo and Fennel

Chef Pete Evans adds Iberian complexity to his dish. A traditional mignonette of shallots, black pepper, and vinegar gets a note of saffron and olive oil. Chorizo is a nod to the area’s Portuguese fisherman, and fennel is vital in Spanish cooking.

• 
  
  1/2 cup sherry vinegar
  
  


• 
  
  2 Tbs. finely chopped shallots or red onions
  
  


• 
  
  Pinch of saffron threads
  
  


• 
  
  Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  
  


• 
  
  1/2 cup plus 1 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil, preferably Spanish
  
  


• 
  
  1 lb. cured chorizo sausage, cut diagonally into 1-1/2-inch pieces
  
  


• 
  
  1 lb. fennel bulbs (2 large), trimmed and cut lengthwise into 1/4-inch-thick slices
  
  


• 
  
  24 Sydney rock oysters (substitute Wellfleet or Kumamoto), shucked with some liquor reserved, arranged on the half shell
  
  

In a medium bowl, combine the vinegar and shallots. Crumble in the saffron, add 1 tsp. salt, and a few grinds of pepper, and stir until the salt dissolves. Slowly whisk in 1/2 cup of the olive oil until blended.

Heat the remaining 1 Tbs. of oil in 12-inch heavy skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering hot. Add the sausage and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned all over, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate to drain.

Arrange the fennel and sausage on a plate. Spoon some of the vinaigrette into each oyster before serving, and use the remaining vinaigrette for dipping the sausage and fennel slices.

Oysters with Chorizo and Fennel

Chef Pete Evans adds Iberian complexity to his dish. A traditional mignonette of shallots, black pepper, and vinegar gets a note of saffron and olive oil. Chorizo is a nod to the area’s Portuguese fisherman, and fennel is vital in Spanish cooking.

• 
  
  1/2 cup sherry vinegar
  
  


• 
  
  2 Tbs. finely chopped shallots or red onions
  
  


• 
  
  Pinch of saffron threads
  
  


• 
  
  Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  
  


• 
  
  1/2 cup plus 1 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil, preferably Spanish
  
  


• 
  
  1 lb. cured chorizo sausage, cut diagonally into 1-1/2-inch pieces
  
  


• 
  
  1 lb. fennel bulbs (2 large), trimmed and cut lengthwise into 1/4-inch-thick slices
  
  


• 
  
  24 Sydney rock oysters (substitute Wellfleet or Kumamoto), shucked with some liquor reserved, arranged on the half shell
  
  

In a medium bowl, combine the vinegar and shallots. Crumble in the saffron, add 1 tsp. salt, and a few grinds of pepper, and stir until the salt dissolves. Slowly whisk in 1/2 cup of the olive oil until blended.

Heat the remaining 1 Tbs. of oil in 12-inch heavy skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering hot. Add the sausage and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned all over, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate to drain.

Arrange the fennel and sausage on a plate. Spoon some of the vinaigrette into each oyster before serving, and use the remaining vinaigrette for dipping the sausage and fennel slices.

Grilled Mussels, Clams, and Oysters

  Nothing quite matches the sweet, intense,and slightly charred taste of shellfish when it's cooked on the grill. Serve these simple grilled mussels, clams, and oysters with Bloody Mary Cocktail Sauce, Old Bay Dipping Sauce, or Orange-Saffron Aioli.

• 
  
  30 fresh mussels, clams, or oysters in the shell
  
  

Scrub the shellfish with a stiff brush under cool running water. If the mussels have beards, pull them off. Pat dry.

Prepare a medium-high gas or charcoal fire. When the grill is ready, set the shellfish directly on the cooking grate (oysters cupped side down). Grill until the shells pop open, the meat is plump, and the juices are boiling and sizzling in the shell, 3 to 7 minutes for mussels, 6 to 10 minutes for clams, and 4 to 6 minutes for oysters; there’s no need to turn the shellfish. (Cooking times can vary widely, because the larger the shellfish, the longer it will take to cook; on the other hand, the fresher it is, the shorter the cooking time.) Remove the shellfish as they finish cooking, protecting your hands with tongs or hot pads. Discard any that don’t open. Serve on the half shell with the dipping sauce of your choice.

Grilled Oysters Rockefeller

“Hollywood,” as everybody in New Orleans knows him, is the master of the oyster bar at the Acme restaurant in the French Quarter. He is passionate about Gulf Coast oysters and even more so about the proper way to open one. “I’ve been lobbying the state to certify peoples that open oysters. It is an art, just like being a sushi chef,” he bellows. After he showed his technique and schooled me on the New Orleans way to eat a raw oyster (a drop of hot sauce, then slurp it out without your mouth touching the shell), I asked him about his grilled oysters Rockefeller, which I had heard about all over the Quarter. “Damn man, they is good, my neighbors and friends can’t git enough,” answers Hollywood, with his eyes just sparkling. So here it is—one of the best oysters Rockefeller I’ve ever had, and I think you will agree.

• 
  
  2 Tbs. unsalted butter
  
  


• 
  
  2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  
  


• 
  
  1 medium yellow onion, chopped
  
  


• 
  
  1 rib celery, finely diced
  
  


• 
  
  1/2 green bell pepper, seeded and  finely diced
  
  


• 
  
  One 10-oz. box frozen chopped spinach, thawed, drained, and pressed  to remove all the liquid
  
  


• 
  
  1/2 cup milk
  
  


• 
  
  36 Gulf Coast oysters, in shell
  
  


• 
  
  1/4 to 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
  
  


• 
  
  3 Tbs. plain dry breadcrumbs
  
  


• 
  
  Lemon wedges, if desired
  
  

Light a charcoal fire or preheat your gas grill on high. Oil the grill’s cooking surface. Let the coals burn down to a medium-hot fire or adjust the gas grill burners to medium.

Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook until you just smell it. Add the onions, celery, and bell peppers and cook, stirring, until soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in the spinach and milk,  and cook, stirring a few times, another 5 minutes. Remove from the heat.

Shuck the oysters as if you were serving them on the half shell. Pour any liquor from the oysters into the spinach mixture. Place the oysters on a baking sheet. Add about 1 tablespoon of the spinach mixture to each oyster. (You may not use up all the spinach mixture.) Top with some cheese and breadcrumbs. Place the oysters on the grill, cover, and cook until the cheese is bubbling and beginning to brown, about 5 minutes.

 Remove the oysters to a platter and serve with lemon wedges, if desired.

Oysters with Irish Soda Bread and Guinness Stout

I have wonderful memories of being on holiday in Ireland and eating oysters with my family at picnic tables while looking out at the crashing waves. You can dress up the oysters in individual porcelain oyster plates or lay them on crushed ice on a big platter and have everyone gather around. The soda bread is great with any Irish meal.

for the soda bread

• 
  
  2-1/2 cups whole wheat flour
  
  


• 
  
  1/2 cup all-purpose or pastry flour
  
  


• 
  
  1 tsp. baking soda
  
  


• 
  
  1 tsp. salt
  
  


• 
  
  2 cups buttermilk
  
  


• 
  
  1 egg
  
  


• 
  
  1 Tbs. vegetable oil
  
  


• 
  
  1 tsp. honey
  
  


• 
  
  1/2 cup butter, for serving
  
  

for the mignonette

• 
  
  1 cup malt or cider vinegar (or Champagne vinegar or red wine vinegar if you cannot find the others)
  
  


• 
  
  3/4 cup minced shallot
  
  


• 
  
  1/4 tsp. sea salt
  
  


• 
  
  1 to 1-1/2 Tbs. coarsely cracked black peppercorns
  
  

• 
  
  36 fresh oysters, scrubbed
  
  


• 
  
  Crushed ice, for serving
  
  


• 
  
  Lemon wedges, for serving
  
  


• 
  
  Tabasco sauce, for serving
  
  


• 
  
  Guinness stout, for serving
  
  

To make the soda bread:

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Butter a 9 by 5-inch loaf pan.

In a large bowl, stir together the flours, baking soda, and salt, mixing well. In a separate bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, egg, oil, and honey until well blended. Pour the buttermilk mixture into the flour mixture and stir until a dough forms.

Pour the dough into the prepared loaf pan and smooth the top as well as you can. Bake for 45 to 60 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean and dry. Alternatively, protecting your non-dominant hand with a hot pad, invert the loaf onto the pad and tap the bottom with your other hand. If the loaf sounds hollow, it is ready. Let the loaf cool completely on a rack.

Make the mignonette:

In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, shallot, salt, and pepper to taste. Cover and refrigerate until serving.

Prepare the oysters:

Line a large platter with a layer of crushed ice. Using an oyster knife, shuck each oyster carefully: protect the hand that is holding the oyster with a thick towel and position the oyster with the flatter side up, the rounded end pointing toward your thumb and fingers, and the pointed end—the hinged end—pointing toward you. Insert the knife at the oyster’s hinge and twist sharply to snap the hinge. Slip the knife along the inside of the top shell and lift off and discard the shell. Then slide the knife under the oyster to sever the adductor muscle, freeing the oyster from the shell. Leave the oyster in the bottom (deeper) shell and try not to spill any of the oyster liquid. Check for shell fragments and remove any that you find. Nest the oyster in the bed of ice and shuck the remaining oysters the same way.

Serve the oysters with the lemon wedges and Tabasco on the side. Demitasse spoons are handy for spooning on the Tabasco. Seafood forks are optional, as the oysters have been freed from the shells. Slice the soda bread and place in a bread basket or let your guests slice their own pieces, as you see fit. Serve with plenty of Irish butter and Guinness Stout!