Broiled Oysters

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In honor of National Oyster Day (Wednesday, August 5th), shucking expert Justin Shoults shares a recipe for broiled oysters. The beloved briny little treats come out of the oven bubbling hot, but it’s the jalapeno cream topper that really brings the heat. Shoults is partial to East Coast varieties but you can use whichever ones are your favorite.

Details

Servings: 4

Ingredients

  • 16 East Coast variety oysters
  • 4 jalapeños, seeded and ribs removed
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 8 tablespoons butter
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 1 tablespoon whole grain mustard
  • 1/4 cup white wine
  • 1 shallot, finely minced
  • 1 cup whole buckwheat, or bread crumbs
  • Salt & pepper to taste

Directions

for the jalapeño cream
  1. Cut jalapeños into a short julienne, 1/2 inch sticks.
  2. Melt butter in a sauce pot. Begin sweating the jalapeños in the butter. Add a pinch of salt and cook until the jalapeños begin to soften and become aromatic.
  3. Add the cup of cream and bring to a gentle simmer. Cook the jalapeños in the cream until the cream has reduced by half and becomes thick. Season with salt but keep in mind the oysters will be salty.
 for the mustard butter
  1. Pull butter out to come to room temperature.
  2. Begin by boiling the whole buckwheat in plenty of water until they begin to burst open. Strain the buckwheat and lay out on a pan to cool and steam dry.
  3. Fry the buckwheat in a fine strainer in 350 degree oil then lay out on paper towels to absorb the excess oil.
  4. Take the fried buckwheat and grind until superfine in a coffee grinder or blender. If buckwheat is not available then breadcrumbs work as a non-gluten free alternative.
  5. Begin sweating the shallots in a small amount of butter in a sauté pan. Add the white wine and reduce down until it is almost dry to intensify the flavor. Lay the cooked shallots and wine out on a dish to cool.
  6. In a mixer or in a large bowl, add the soft butter, shallot mixture, Dijon, whole grain mustard and ground buckwheat(or breadcrumbs), and a pinch of salt and pepper. Whip all the ingredients together with a paddle attachment or by hand with a rubber spatula.
to assemble
  1. Shuck the oysters just before serving (check out this video if you need a tutorial), making sure the muscle is detached from the shell and there are no shell fragments. Place the shucked oyster on a pan with some damp salt to insure the oyster stays flat and doesn’t spill its liqueur.
  2. Spoon two teaspoon amounts of creamed jalapeños on top of the oyster then two teaspoons of the mustard butter on top of that (depending on the size of the oysters, they may need more or less).
  3. Place the oysters under the broiler until bubbling and browned on top. Serve immediately.

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