Umekes Luau Oysters Recipes

UMEKES LUAU OYSTERS

Steps:

• Boil taro leaves in a saucepan with 4 quarts water for about an hour. Taste to check if the leaves make your mouth itchy. If it does, you need to cook down the leaves down longer. If not, put the leaves in a strainer and press out the water. Set aside.
• In a pot, add butter, garlic and taro leaves and cook down, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes. Add coconut milk and mix well.
• Preheat a salamander or broiler to 375 degrees F.
• Top oysters with the taro sauce mixture.
• Sprinkle Parmesan and panko on each oyster.
• Broil until cheese is melted and panko is crisp, about 5 minutes. Serve immediately.

GALWAY BAY FRIED OYSTERS

Steps:

• Marinate the oysters in the beer for 30 minutes or more. Heat a few inches of oil in a large saucepot to 350 degrees F. Combine the flour, seafood seasoning, salt and pepper. Dredge the marinated oysters in the flour, and then shallow-fry until golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes.

ROASTED OYSTERS

Steps:

• Melt the butter over medium heat in a small saucepan. Add the shallots and cook, stirring, until they are translucent and beginning to soften, about 2 minutes. Add the chardonnay, bring to a lively simmer, and reduce until only about 2 tablespoons of liquid remains. Add the cream and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to a simmer and reduce to 2/3 cup. Remove from the heat, stir in the white pepper, and set aside.
• Preheat the oven broiler to 500 degrees F. Arrange the top oven rack so a roasting pan will fit below the heating element. Prepare appetizer plates by placing a bed of rock salt on each, to hold the oysters. Distribute the rock salt evenly between to roasting pans large enough to hold the oysters.
• If the fishmonger shucked your oysters, return the oysters to their cleaned shells one by one, and add about 1/2 teaspoon of the oyster liquid to each, nesting the shells carefully in the rock salt so the contents don't spill. Otherwise, arrange freshly shucked oysters in the rock salt-filled roasting pans, ensuring that their liquid doesn't spill.
• Spoon about 2 teaspoons of the shallot-cream mixture on top of each oyster. Coat each oyster well, without having the shell overflow with liquid. Put one roasting pan in the oven and broil just until the liquid bubbles and the oysters' edges begin to curl, about 3 minutes, watching closely to prevent burning. Repeat with the other roasting pan. Carefully lift 4 oysters in their shells onto each appetizer plate. Serve immediately.

FRIED OYSTERS

Steps:

• In a bowl, combine the buttermilk with 1 tablespoon of the Essence. Add the oysters and marinate for 20 minutes.
• Combine the masa harina and flour with the remaining Essence in a shallow dish.
• In a deep-fryer or a medium, heavy pot with high sides, heat the oil to 360 degrees F.
• Dredge the oysters in the flour mixture and shake the pieces in a strainer to remove any excess. Carefully add to the hot oil in batches, and cook, turning occasionally, until golden on all sides, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove the oysters with a slotted spoon, drain on paper towels, and serve immediately.
• Combine all ingredients thoroughly.
• Recipe from "New New Orleans Cooking", by Emeril Lagasse and Jessie Tirsch
• Published by William Morrow, 1993.