Oysters With Bacon And Horseradish Recipes

OYSTERS WITH BACON AND HORSERADISH

Steps:

• Put the bacon in a skillet and cook over medium heat until crisp and browned. Remove the bacon from the skillet, leaving the fat in the pan. Drain the bacon on paper towels and reserve.
• Add the onion to the skillet and saute in the bacon fat until tender and golden. Stir in the flour and thyme, then whisk in the wine. Cook, whisking constantly, until the mixture is smooth and thick. Stir in the horseradish and the bacon and season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Spread this mixture on top of each oyster. Sprinkle with breadcrumbs. The recipe can be prepared in advance up to this point and refrigerated until just before serving.
• Preheat a broiler. Arrange the oysters with their topping on a baking sheet. Put under the broiler and broil until lightly browned and bubbling, three to five minutes. Serve at once.

ROASTED OYSTERS WITH COUNTRY BACON

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Using a towel, grasp and oyster in the palm of your hand. Press the oyster, rounded-side down, on a firm surface, still holding it with the towel. Shuck the oyster by wedging the tip of an oyster knife (regular knives are too thin-bladed) between the halves of the shell, at the shell's narrowest end. When the knife tip is securely wedged, rotate the blade to pry open the shell. Slide the knife blade along the length of the shell to open completely. Remove the oyster from the shell and reserve, along with its juice. From each pair of oyster shells, save the one that is most concave on the inside, and discard the one that is flatter. Place the concave shells in a pan of cold water and scrub inside and out. Place the clean oyster shells on a cookie sheet and set aside.
• Dip the tomatoes briefly in boiling water to loosen the skins, then in ice water. Peel, cut in half, remove and discard the seeds, and dice.
• Have the remaining ingredients measured and ready beside the stove. When you are ready to begin cooking the oysters, place the cookie sheet containing the oyster shells in the oven. On the top of the stove, melt the butter in a hot saute pan until it begins to foam. Add the shallots, the oysters and their juice and the white wine. Cook the oysters 30 seconds, then add the heavy cream. Bring to a quick boil, then reduce to a simmer just 1 minute more, or until the oysters' edges begin to curl. Add the tomato, tarragon and bacon. Heat another 30 seconds, then remove promptly from the heat.
• Remove the oyster shells from the oven and arrange 6 on each plate. Spoon 1 oyster into each shell and spoon a little of the sauce over each.
• A nice variation of this recipe is to place a "nest" of steamed spinach in each oyster shell before adding the oysters and sauce. Serve with Melba Toast, brioche toast points or toast points of country bread.

FRIED OYSTERS WITH HORSERADISH CREAM AND TOMATO CORN SALSA

Steps:

• Combine the corn, tomatoes, onions, jalapenos, cilantro, lime juice, and lemon juice. Mix well. Season the salsa with salt and pepper. Set the salsa aside. In a saucepan, combine the horseradish, shallots, garlic, mustard, white pepper and cream. Season with salt and pepper. Bring the liquid to a boil, whisking gently. Reduce the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, for about 12 minutes. Remove from the heat and keep warm.
• In a small bowl, season the flour with Essence. In another bowl, season the masa with Essence. In a third bowl, beat the eggs with the milk. Season the oysters with Essence. Dredge the oysters in the seasoned flour. Dip the oysters in the egg wash, letting the excess drip off. Dredge the oysters in the seasoned masa, coating each side completely. In a large saute pan, heat the olive oil. When the oil is hot, but not smoking, carefully lay the oysters in the hot oil. Pan-fry the oysters for about 1 1/2 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Remove the oysters form the pan and drain on a paper-lined plate. Season the oysters with Essence. Serve the oysters with the horseradish cream and salsa.
• Combine all ingredients thoroughly.
• Recipe from "New New Orleans Cooking", by Emeril Lagasse and Jessie Tirsch, published by William Morrow, 1993.

SOUFFLéED HORSERADISH OYSTERS

Steps:

• Heat broiler. Place crème fraîche in a medium-size bowl and mix in horseradish, ketchup and chives. Season with pepper. Beat egg whites until they hold peaks. Fold into crème fraîche mixture.
• Arrange oysters on a baking pan lined with crumpled aluminum foil to hold them steady, or place them in madeleine pans. Spoon about a tablespoon of the crème fraîche mixture on each. Broil about 3 inches from the source of heat, a minute or so, until lightly dappled with brown on top. Arrange on a platter or on individual plates and serve.

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.

OYSTERS WITH HORSERADISH CREAM

Steps:

• Beat the cream to soft peaks in a chilled bowl; then fold in the horseradish, chives, lemon zest, lemon juice, salt, and pepper.
• Taste for seasoning, adding horseradish and lemon juice as necessary; the mixture should be highly seasoned.
• If you have a fish or vegetable grate, preheat it on the grill grate (medium-high) for 5 minutes, then arrange the oysters on it, rounded side down-otherwise, arrange the oysters directly on the grill grate; grill 6-10 minutes, until the shells open.
• Transfer the oysters to serving plates or a platter, discarding any top shells or oysters that did not open.
• Place a spoonful of horseradish cream on each oyster and serve immediately.

OYSTERS 'N' BACON

Steps:

• Place bacon in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook until shrunken, but not crisp. Remove to paper towels to drain.
• Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C).
• In a shallow baking dish, whisk together the sugar, soy sauce and garlic with a fork. Wrap each oyster with a piece of bacon, and secure with toothpicks. Place wrapped oysters into the dish with the sauce.
• Bake for 10 minutes in the preheated oven, until the sauce has thickened and bacon is nicely crisped at the edges.

FRIED OYSTERS WITH BACON, GARLIC, AND SAGE

Steps:

• Whisk rice flour, salt, and cayenne in a medium bowl. Toss oysters in flour mixture to coat well, then top with a thin layer of dredge (make sure that none of the oysters are peeking out). Cover with plastic wrap and chill in dredge until ready to fry.
• Cook bacon in a large skillet, preferably cast iron, over medium-low, stirring occasionally, until bacon is browned and crisp, 12-15 minutes. Transfer bacon to a small bowl with a slotted spoon.
• Pour half of bacon fat into a small heatproof bowl or measuring cup and set aside. Add 1/2 cup butter to drippings in skillet and heat over medium-high. As soon as butter is foaming, remove half of oysters from dredge and shake off any excess. Add to skillet along with 3 garlic cloves and cook, gently shaking skillet to baste oysters with fat and turning oysters occasionally, until golden brown and crisp all over, about 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer oysters and garlic to paper towels and let drain.
• Pour off fat in skillet; discard. Wipe out skillet and return to medium-high. Heat remaining 1/2 cup butter and reserved bacon fat in skillet. As soon as butter is foaming, repeat process with remaining oysters and garlic. Transfer to paper towels and let drain.
• Cook sage in same skillet just until crisp, about 30 seconds. Transfer to paper towels.
• Arrange oysters and garlic on a platter and top with fried sage and bacon. Serve with mustard.
• Do Ahead
• Oysters can be dredged 4 hours ahead. Keep chilled.

BAKED OYSTERS WITH BACON

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 500°F.
• Make stuffing:
• Bring a 6- to 8-quart pot three-fourths full of water to a boil with kosher salt, then stir in spinach and cook 30 seconds. Transfer with a slotted spoon to a large bowl filled with ice and cold water to stop cooking. Drain spinach and squeeze dry, then finely chop.
• Wash leeks well in a bowl of cold water, then lift out and drain well.
• Heat oil in a 10-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then sauté bacon, stirring, until golden and just cooked through (but not crisp), about 3 minutes. Transfer with slotted spoon to paper towels to drain. Add leeks, shallot, and garlic to fat in skillet and cook over low heat, covered, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 8 minutes.
• Toss together leek mixture, spinach, bacon, bread crumbs, herbs, lemon zest and juice, sea salt, white pepper, nutmeg, and butter in a large bowl with a fork.
• Bake oysters:
• Spread 2 to 3 cups rock salt in each of 2 large shallow baking pans and nestle oysters (in shells) in it. Spoon a heaping tablespoon bread-crumb stuffing loosely on top of each oyster. Bake in batches in upper third of oven until golden, about 6 minutes.
• Serve warm oysters in shells on plates lined with rock salt.

OYSTERS WITH APPLE & HORSERADISH DRESSING

Steps:

• Mix the vinegar and shallots for the dressing in a small bowl and leave this to sit, covered, for an hour or so, so that the shallots can infuse the vinegar. Add all the other ingredients, stir and put into a serving bowl.
• Shuck the oysters - make sure you have an oyster knife; don't try to do this with a regular kitchen knife. Rinse the oysters under cold running water. Throw away any that are open and don't close if you tap them against the side of the sink. Place an oyster rounded-side up on a work surface. Grip the oyster with a tea towel to help protect your hand, leaving the narrow hinged end exposed. Place the tip of the knife between the top and bottom shells just next to the hinge. Carefully push it into the shell, twisting and wiggling the knife tip, to release the top shell. At first, it may seem like you aren't getting there, but keep going with gentle pressure until the shell pops open. Try to keep the oyster level, so the delicious liquor (the briny, salty sea water) stays inside the deeper bottom shell.
• Wipe your knife, then pry open the shell by inserting the knife tip in a few other spots, twisting it to release the shell completely. Keeping the oyster level, run your knife along the inside of the upper shell to cut the muscle that attaches the oyster to it. Remove the top shell. Run your knife along the inside of the lower shell and gently cut the oyster free. Leave the oyster nestled in its shell. (If you open an oyster that has a strong, sulphurous smell, chuck it out: it's dead.)
• Transfer the oyster in its bottom shell to a bed of crushed ice or rock salt that will keep the shell level, while you repeat the process with the remaining oysters. Serve immediately with the dressing; each person should use about ¼ tsp of the dressing for each oyster (you can dress each one in advance yourself if you prefer, and add a dill sprig to the tops).

BARBECUED OYSTERS WITH BACON AND GARLIC BUTTER

Steps:

• In a small bowl, mix together butter, lemon juice, and garlic; set aside.
• Preheat a grill: If using a charcoal grill, make a fire in your grill with the coals placed off to one side. When the coals are completely covered in gray ash, hold your hand about 5 inches above the grill grid; count how many seconds you can comfortably leave it there. When you can hold it there for 3 to 4 seconds, you have medium heat and are ready to grill. If you are using a gas grill, heat the grill for 15 minutes with the lid closed. Before beginning to cook, reduce the temperature by turning the knobs to medium-high.
• Place oysters on grill near, but not directly over, coals. Top each oyster with 1 teaspoon barbecue sauce and 1 teaspoon butter mixture. Cook until oysters start to ruffle around the edges and juice is bubbling, 2 to 3 minutes. Sprinkle oysters with bacon and serve.

ROASTED OYSTERS

Steps:

• Place horseradish in a small bowl and add vinegar. Cover and transfer to refrigerator; let chill for at least 2 hours and up to 1 week.
• Place ground bacon in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat; cook until fat becomes foamy, 4 to 5 minutes. Add panko and season with salt and pepper; cook, stirring, until panko is golden brown, 5 to 6 minutes more.
• Transfer bacon mixture to a large bowl and add zest of 1/2 lemon and thyme; toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper and spread mixture in an even layer on a baking sheet to cool.
• Place butter in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add 1/4 cup cooled bacon mixture, remaining zest of 1/2 lemon, 1/4 cup drained horseradish mixture, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper; mix until well combined. Transfer butter mixture to a large sheet of plastic wrap; shape into a log and wrap with plastic wrap to enclose. Refrigerate until firm.
• Meanwhile, cut remaining slice of slab bacon in half lengthwise. Cut crosswise into thin strips. Place in a medium nonstick skillet and cook over medium heat until cooked through, but still slightly chewy. Remove from heat and set aside.
• Preheat broiler. Place oysters on a baking sheet. Slice chilled butter crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick rounds; place a butter round on each oyster. Top with cooked bacon strips. Transfer baking sheet to broiler; broil until butter forms a dark, crispy crust, 3 to 4 minutes. Sprinkle with parsley and serve.