Oyster Foch Food

OYSTERS SOUTHERFELLA

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Fill a large bowl with ice water and set aside
• Bring a medium pot of water to boil and submerge the collard greens until they wilt slightly and brighten in color, about 1 minute. Quickly drain in a colander, or remove with tongs, and place directly in the ice bath for a few moments, then remove and strain again. Chop any remaining large pieces a bit more and place in a medium mixing bowl. Add the breadcrumbs, Parmesan, butter, garlic, lemon juice and some salt and pepper and fold together. Spoon the mixture evenly over the 6 oysters and place on a baking sheet. Bake until golden brown, about 20 minutes. Remove and top with the crumbled bacon.

OYSTERS ROCKEFELLER

Steps:

• For the oysters: Melt butter in a skillet. Saute the garlic for 2 minutes to infuse the butter. Place the bread crumbs in a mixing bowl and add half the garlic butter, set aside. To the remaining garlic butter in the skillet, add shallots and spinach, cook for 3 minutes until the spinach wilts. Deglaze the pan with Pernod. Season with salt and pepper, add a dash of red pepper sauce. Allow the mixture to cook down for a few minutes. Finish off the bread crumbs by mixing in olive oil, Parmesan and chervil, season with salt and pepper. Spoon 1 heaping teaspoon of the spinach mixture on each oyster followed by a spoonful of the bread crumb mixture. Sprinkle a baking pan amply with rock salt. Arrange the oysters in the salt to steady them. Bake in a preheated 450 degree F oven for 10 to 15 minutes until golden. Serve with lemon wedges and red pepper sauce.
• For the sauce: In a small bowl whisk together all ingredients. Cover and chill 1 hour before serving with oysters. Yield: 3/4 cup

TUSCAN WOOD-GRILLED OYSTERS WITH CRISPY PANCETTA-TOMATO-BASIL MIGNONETTE

Steps:

• Put the pancetta in a cast-iron skillet and cook over medium-high heat until crisp and the fat is rendered. Remove to a paper towel-lined plate.
• While the pancetta cooks, combine the vinegar, shallots, peppercorns, basil, tomatoes and season with salt.
• Prepare the charcoal grill using a chimney starter filled with charcoal briquettes. When the coals are red hot and begin to turn grey, add the soaked wood chips evenly over the top of the coals.
• Grip each oyster, flat-side up, in a folded kitchen towel. Find the small opening between the shells near the hinge and pry it open with an oyster knife. Try not to spill the delicious juices, known as the oyster liqueur, in the bottom shell. Cut the oyster meat loose from the top shell, and then loosen the oyster from the bottom shell by running the oyster knife carefully underneath the body. Discard the top, flatter shell, keeping the oyster and juices in the bottom, deeper shell.
• Brush the cooking grates clean. Grill the oysters over direct high heat until the juices start to bubble and the edges of the oyster curl, 2 to 4 minutes.
• Spread 1 1/2 cups kosher salt evenly over the bottom of a large platter. Carefully nestle the cooked oysters in the salt and top each oyster with some of the mignonette, a few cubes of pancetta and some parsley leaves. Drizzle with a little extra-virgin olive oil.

CRISP-FRIED OYSTERS WITH RED CHILE VINEGAR-BLACK PEPPER DIPPING SAUCE

Steps:

• Season oysters with salt and pepper on both sides. Place cornmeal in a medium bowl and season with salt and pepper. Dredge each oyster into the cornmeal and tap off any excess.
• Heat 1 inch of oil in a large cast iron skillet until smoking. Fry oysters in batches until golden brown on both sides, about 1 minutes on each side.
• Serve with the Red Chile Vinegar-Black Pepper Dipping Sauce on the side.
• Bring the vinegar to a boil in medium non-reactive saucepan. Add the chilies, turn off the heat and let steep for 1 hour. Strain into a clean saucepan and bring to a simmer. Remove from the heat and whisk in the honey and pepper and season with salt, to taste. Serve at room temperature.