Oysters Rockefeller

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Oysters Rockefeller

Now that the Holiday season is officially in place (squeal!) we can talk about fancy appetizers. As I mentioned before, oysters are in season here on the Eastern Shore. So naturally they’re something that we always turn to, to enjoy at all those festive and special holiday gatherings!

This is my twist on Oysters Rockefeller. A plump oyster baked with a creamed garlic spinach, garlicky bread crumbs, and a pinch of Parmesan cheese. They’re a breeze to throw together once you have the oysters shucked, and are so darned impressive. I mean, how good do they look just served on a simple wooden cutting board?

The couple of batches I’ve made already this season have been gobbled up in a matter of moments! Looking forward to making these a few more times before New Years! I hope everyone is having a good time decorating, and getting ready for the holidays. We went and got our Christmas tree this past weekend, and I can’t wait to get it up and decorated. Happy Holidays, everyone! 

Oysters Rockefeller

8 Tbsp butter
4 large cloves garlic, minced
1 shallot, minced
1 (10 oz) bag baby spinach
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, finely shredded
1/2 cup Panko breadcrumbs
20 oysters, shucked and on the half-shell

Preheat oven to 425.

Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and shallot, and saute until soft and fragrant – about 2 minutes.

Pour half of the melted butter mixture into a small bowl and combine with the breadcrumbs. Toss to combine and set aside.

To the remainder of the butter in the skillet, add the baby spinach. If it doesn’t all fit, just let it cook down some, and then add more. Season with salt and toss until wilted. Slowly stir in the cream and let reduce for a minute before removing from heat.

Carefully place the oysters on a baking sheet. Spoon a small amount of the spinach mixture onto each oyster, then top with about 2 teaspoons of the breadcrumb mixture and a small pinch of Parmesan cheese.

Place in oven and bake until oysters have plumped up, about 15 minutes.

Remove from oven and serve immediately with lemon wedges and hot sauce, if desired.

Oyster Stuffing

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Oyster Stuffing

Oyster stuffing. I don’t know that you’ll find a dish more unanimously found on Thanksgiving tables here on the Eastern Shore. After a quick web search, it turns out it’s common in many other parts of the country as well – but especially down south around the Gulf, and up north around New England.

It’s basically a homemade stuffing – composed of dry bread cubes, sauteed onions and herbs, chicken stock, and fresh oysters. Some people used canned or smoked oysters – but, I can’t justify using those. Ever. Ain’t nobody got time for that! The oysters plump up in the stuffing, and release their delicious briny juices – adding a ton of flavor to the stuffing, and the bread just soaks it all right up! I loved the addition of nutmeg and clove too, it really made it taste like Thanksgiving.

This was actually my first time making this dish (hey, I am a “come here” after all!) and as I mixed it up before putting it in the casserole dish, I thought it wasn’t going to be something I enjoyed…as it wasn’t much to look at. But when it came out of the oven, and the top was nice and brown – I couldn’t wait to dig in! If you’re looking for something special to add to your Thanksgiving Day table, which is a cut above the standard cornbread stuffing (or my favorite, even though I’m ashamed to admit it – Stove Top!) get yourself a pint of oysters from the seafood market and make this stuffing. Maybe it will become a tradition for your family, as it has for so many others here on the Eastern Shore and elsewhere, on Turkey Day!

Oyster Stuffing

6 cups 1/2-inch cubed French bread
3 slices bacon, cut into small pieces
3 Tbsp butter, melted,
1/2 red onion, finely diced
2 ribs celery, finely diced
3/4 pint shucked oysters, liquid reserved
1/2 cup chicken stock
2 Tbsp. madeira or port
3 Tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped
1 Tbsp. fresh thyme, chopped
1 Tbsp. fresh sage, chopped
1/4 tsp hot sauce
pinch ground nutmeg
small pinch ground cloves
kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper

Heat oven to 250 degrees. Arrange bread cubes on a baking sheet in a single layer and bake, stirring occasionally, until dried but not browned, about 15 minutes. Let cool.

Put bacon into a 12″ skillet; cook over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until crisp and its fat has rendered, about 10 minutes. Add butter and heat. Add onions and celery, reduce heat to medium, and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are soft, about 10 minutes. Add reserved liquid from oysters, stock, madeira or port, parsley, thyme, sage, hot sauce, nutmeg, cloves, and salt and pepper. Bring to a boil over high heat and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Scrape the mixture into a large bowl and stir in the bread cubes and oysters. Set aside to allow the flavors to come together for 10 minutes.

Raise the oven temperature to 400 degrees. Transfer mixture to a buttered 2-qt. oval baking dish and cover with foil. Bake for 30 minutes, remove foil, drizzle with remaining butter, and continue baking until golden brown and crusty, about 15 minutes more. Serve immediately.

Source: adapted from Saveur, October 2008

Oysters with Mignonette Sauce

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Oysters with Mignonette Sauce

There are two things that our little island of Chincoteague, off the coast of Virginia is known for…Pony Penning, and oysters. Since we are a barrier island next to Atlantic Ocean we have extremely high salinity (salt content) in our water, making for some extra-salty and delicious oysters. They ship them all over, to the fanciest restaurants and oyster bars in the country – and people pay top dollar for them. Chesapeake Bay oysters are also world-renowned, but for their sweetness from the brackish waters (part salt, part fresh) as opposed to the briny saltiness. I find it so interesting that they can taste so different, but still be so delicious in their own way…

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again – I’m so thankful to call this little stretch of land between the Chesapeake Bay and the Atlantic Ocean my home. While we have things like clams and blue crabs to look forward to in the summer months, the cooler months is the time for oysters. The rule of thumb is any month that ends in “ember” is the best time to enjoy them.

My best friends aunt has an oyster bed, and dredged up a half a bushel for me on Saturday morning. They are always covered in marsh mud, and require plenty of scrubbing – but they smell of the sea, and to me that’s one of the best smells in the world.

Now, it’s pretty much blasphemy for anything to be served with “Chincoteague Salts” – as they contain so much flavor from the salty brine found inside. But for any other oysters you’ll commonly find a mignonette sauce served with them. It’s a simple vinegar based sauce that usually includes minced shallots, black peppercorns, and fresh herbs.

It’s an extra special appetizer during the Holidays, something that’s easy (provided you have a good fishmonger or husband who is prone to shucking!) and so impressive. If you have access to fresh oysters, even if they aren’t from my neck of the woods, pick up a dozen and give them a try. And if you are lucky to have access to them in abundance (or you are more into cooked renditions of oysters), make sure you check back here in the next week – I have two other oyster recipes coming up that will knock your socks off! 

Oysters with Mignonette Sauce

1 dozen oysters, on the half shell
crushed ice
lemon wedges

For the mignonette:
1/4 cup champagne or white wine vinegar
1 shallot, finely minced
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tsp fresh thyme
1/4 tsp kosher salt

For the sauce, combine all ingredients in a small bowl or ramekin. Mix to combine. Let sit for 20 minutes to let the flavors mingle and meld together.

Meanwhile, place the crushed ice in the bottom of a shallow serving dish. Carefully lay the oysters on top of the ice for serving.

Serve the mignonette alongside the oysters with the lemon wedges. Hot sauce and cocktail sauce are also popular condiments.

Crab Enchiladas

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Crab EnchiladasBlue crab season is winding down to a close here on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. But, it sure has been a great summer for them here at our house! My dad has a couple of crab pots at his boat slip, and he’s been gifting us with a few dozen almost weekly.

Last month I entered my crab and fresh corn chowder into the 49th Annual Hard Crab Derby Cooking Contest in Crisfield, Maryland. It came in 2nd with some stiff competition, which was more than an honor for this Maryland girl. There were actually several crab and corn soups entered. Which, got me to thinking that next year I wanted to do something really off the wall, that I was sure no one else would be making…

That’s where I came up with the idea for these crab enchiladas. These shrimp enchiladas are one of my favorite meals of all time, so it wasn’t a far leap to just replace the shrimp with crab meat. And, oh my lawd…so incredibly good! Richer than the shrimp version, but still extremely filling and different. If you have access to fresh crab meat, definitely give these a try. It’s an impressive dinner that’s sure to please. Can’t wait to enter these babies in next years competition!

Crab Enchiladas

2 Tbsp. butter, divided
1 lb. fresh crab meat, picked clean of shells
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 small onion, diced
1/2 tsp. Old Bay (or another seafood seasoning)
1/2 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
6 tbsp. heavy cream or half-and-half
1/4 cup sour cream
8 oz. Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
1 cup tomatoes, seeded and diced
8-10 (8-inch) flour tortillas
Cooking spray

In a large sauté pan, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter over medium-high heat. Add the diced bell pepper and onion, and cook until just tender, about 5-7 minutes. Add the Old Bay, salt, and flour to the pan; stir well and cook briefly until fragrant, about 30-60 seconds. Lower the heat to medium-low and add the heavy cream to the pan, stirring to scrape any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Cook just until slightly thickened, 1-2 minutes.

Remove the pan from the heat. Stir in the sour cream, half of the shredded cheese, and the tomatoes. Add the crab to the pan, and carefully mix everything together until combined and the cheese is melted.

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Grease a 9 x 13-inch baking dish. Scoop 1/3 cup of the filling mixture down the center of a tortilla. Sprinkle lightly with some of the reserved cheese. Roll the tortilla tightly around the filling and place seam side-down in the prepared baking dish. Repeat with the remaining filling, tortillas and cheese. Spray the tops of the finished assembled tortillas lightly with cooking spray. Bake uncovered for about 30-35 minutes, until lightly browned. Let cool at least 5-10 minutes before serving.