Oyster Ices Recipes

OYSTER PIE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• In a large saute pan or cast iron skillet add bacon and cook over low heat until rendered and crisp. Remove the bacon from the pan onto a paper towel line plate and keep the bacon fat over low heat. There should be about 1/4 cup of bacon fat left in the pan, canola oil can be added if you need more. Add the onions and the celery and cook until soft, about 2 minutes. Add the green onions, garlic, Essence, salt, and cayenne. Add the flour and cook, stirring, to make a light roux, about 3 minutes. Add the oyster liquor, cream and lemon juice, stirring constantly until the mixture thickens, 3 to 4 minutes.
• Next add the oysters and cook just until the oysters start to curl, about 2 minutes. Remove the oyster mixture from the heat and add the bacon and parsley, let cool slightly.
• Roll the dough out on a floured work surface and split into 2 equal pieces. Transfer half of the dough to a 9-inch pie pan and form into a crust and set aside.
• Pour the oyster mixture into the pie shell and cover with the other half of the rolled out dough. Crimp around the edges to seal and make slits in the top to allow steam to escape. Bake until the crust is golden brown and the filling is bubbly, about 30 minutes. Allow to cool slightly prior to serving.
• In a food processor, combine the flour, diced butter and salt. Pulse the mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs. Drizzle in the ice water and pulse until the mixture comes together. Turn the dough out of the food processor, form into a ball, wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
• 1 pie shell
• Combine all ingredients thoroughly.
• Recipe from "New New Orleans Cooking", by Emeril Lagasse and Jessie Tirsch
• Published by William Morrow, 1993.

OYSTER ICES

Steps:

• Tabasco Ice:
• Pour Tabasco, simple syrup, and 1/2 cup water into a blender and blend until smooth. Pour into a 2 cup container and freeze overnight. A shallow container will flake more easily. Once frozen, flake with a fork and serve alongside raw oysters. Makes 1 cup.
• Horseradish Ice:
• Place horseradish, vinegar, simple syrup, and 1/2 cup water into a blender and blend until smooth. Strain liquid into a 2 cup container and freeze overnight. A shallow container will flake more easily. Once frozen, flake with a fork and serve alongside raw oysters. Makes 1 cup.
• Pickled Red Onion Ice:
• Peel, halve, and very thinly slice red onion. Place in a 1 quart heat-proof container. In a medium pot over medium-high heat, combine vinegar, sugar and 1 cup water. Bring to boil, stir to dissolve sugar, and pour over onion slices. Let stand at room temp until cool. Refrigerate until thoroughly chilled, 10 minutes. Strain liquid into a 2 cup container and freeze overnight. A shallow container will flake more easily. Reserve pickled red onion for another use. Once frozen, flake with a fork and serve alongside raw oysters. Makes 1 1/2 cups.

RAW OYSTERS ON THE HALF SHELL

Steps:

• Scrub the oysters under cold water with a stiff brush to remove the dirt, especially in the hinge area where mud has a tendency to get trapped. Next, find a durable thick cloth and fold it over several times to create a square; this will steady the oysters as you shuck them and also protect your hand. Using the towel as a mitt, place the oyster, cup-side down in the palm of your towel-covered hand with the hinge facing you; have a small bowl handy to catch the delicious juice. Insert the tip of an oyster knife or dull butter knife as far into the hinge as it will go; don't jab it in there or you could break the shell. With gentle force, twist the knife back and forth to pry the shell open. Using the knife, cut the muscle away from the top shell, bend the shell back, and discard it. Run the knife underneath the oyster to detach it completely, but leave it in its shell. Tip out the briny liquor into the bowl and pour it back over the shucked oysters. Nestle the oysters in a bed of crushed ice or rock salt to keep them steady. Spoon the Cucumber Mignonette on top and serve as part of a raw shellfish bar.
• In a small bowl, combine the rice wine vinegar, shallots, ginger, cucumber, black pepper, and cilantro; mixing with a fork. Cover and chill for at least 1 hour or up to the day before you plan to serve, to allow the flavors to come together. Serve with raw oysters and clams.

FIRE AND ICE OYSTERS WITH HORSERADISH SAUCE

Steps:

• Prepare the sauce by whisking together all ingredients except for the oysters; cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes, or until ready to serve.
• Rinse and scrub the oysters with a stiff brush.
• To open them, on a folded kitchen towel, grip the oyster flat side up with another kitchen towel protecting your hand.
• Find the small opening between the shells near the hinge and pry open with an oyster knife.
• Try to keep the juices in the shell.
• Loosen the oyster from the shell by running the oyster knife carefully underneath the body.
• Discard the top, flatter shell, keeping the oyster in the bottom, deeper shell.
• Grill the oysters, shell side down, over direct high heat until the juices around the oysters boil and almost completely evaporate, 2-4 minutes.
• Using tongs, carefully remove the oysters from the grill.
• Spoon a small dollop of sauce on top of each oyster and serve with cocktail forks while oysters are hot.