How to cook oysters at home - recipes

The general collective word oysters is called the species of bivalve molluscs that live in the depths of the sea. Until the 19th century, these marine inhabitants were collected only to the extent that they, in fact, matured on natural marine plantations. For some reason, the reserves were found to be absolutely inexhaustible, and especially they hunted for Ostend species.

Now they are engaged in the artificial cultivation of these mollusks. For the accelerated growth of meat in a shell, a mixture of pure river and sea water is very important. It is the liver that actually determines the size of the sea inhabitant itself. The ripening period is from 3 to 5 years. True, the best varieties, for example, "Marennes" molluscs ("fin de clair") do not need more than six months. All "Marennes" oysters are distinguished by a slightly concave shape and a greenish tint.

How to choose oysters for cooking

From generation to generation, gourmets have eaten with oysters exclusively in the months containing the letter "r" in the name. It turns out from September to April. However, modern technology allows you to enjoy a delicacy at any time of the year. Yet the greatest demand for them occurs from autumn to late spring. Well, the peak consumption falls, naturally, at Christmas and New Years.
Prices depend on their place of origin, quality and ripening time. Flat, common molluscs are cheaper. "Exclusive" - with a long ripening period - is much more expensive than usual.
These seafood is always bought only alive: with a closed shell. At the slightest hint of touch, the sink should close. Good oysters are quite heavy in weight, as they are generously saturated with water. The shell is not opened until the very last minute. To check whether the swung open mollusk is alive, you need to prick it by the "leg". If alive, he will hide back.
Shellfish are sold by the dozen or half a dozen. And certainly - in baskets (from the manufacturer). Very, very rarely, shellfish are sold by weight. This product must be eaten immediately after purchase. Of course, such food can be stored in a purchased basket, but not for long! Then, wrapping it from below with seaweed (or just a damp cloth), the oysters are placed either in the cellar or in the freezer at a temperature of 0-8 ° C.
Even in the so-called "fatty" types, there is actually a little fat: 1%. Shellfish are valued as a source of proteins, minerals, trace elements and vitamins.

How to cook oysters at home

A lot of delicious hot and cold snacks are made from shellfish. You can boil them slightly. And then, after chilling, serve under different sauces or with tiny flaky open pies - barquettes.
Without taking them out of the shells, the oysters are browned in the oven, placing, in this case, on a layer of salt.
The bottom of the artichokes is stuffed with meat from the shells or served on hot puffs, but at first the mollusks are slightly sautéed. Then there is no need for preliminary blanching.
This seafood is roasted on a skewer.
Frit and croquettes are fried with oysters. Soups and clear broths are prepared with them.
At worst, shellfish are garnished with other delights of fish and seafood.

How to cook tender oysters in white wine

Ingredients:

3 dozen lean cage oysters;
2 egg yolks;
2 lemons;
250 g champignons;
200 g sorrel;
3 pcs. shallots;
breadcrumbs;
pepper, thyme;
100 ml dry white wine (muscadet).

Peel the shallots, chop. Open the sinks, drain the liquid into a saucepan. Rinse out empty sinks and set aside. Add shallots, thyme, white wine and lemon juice to the collected liquid, pepper. Bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes, uncovered.
Rinse the mushrooms, remove the legs. Cut the caps into thin slices, drizzle with lemon juice. Fry in a pan for 3 minutes, season with salt and pepper.
Prepare the sorrel; rinse. Place the sorrel in the oyster broth and cook for a minute. Take shells, decorate with sorrel and mushrooms. Dip the oysters in the boiling broth for about 20 seconds. Place on sorrel and mushrooms.
Whisk the egg yolks in a salad bowl, combine with hot oyster broth and stir until frothy. Drizzle over the meat. Sprinkle breadcrumbs over each serving. Roast in a grill for a few minutes and serve.

How to Cook Spicy Garlic Tarragon Oysters

Ingredients:

2 cloves of garlic;
2 tbsp. tablespoons of chopped fresh tarragon;
1 large piece of wholemeal bread, cut off the crust, break the bread into small pieces;
60 g unsalted butter at room temperature;
celery stalk, chop;
salt and freshly ground pepper;
500-750 g of rock salt;
Remove 16 small oysters, such as those from Kumamoto, from the shells and serve in half of the shell.

Grind the garlic cloves thoroughly in a small food processor. Put the tarragon and chop again, then add about 2/3 of the bread and chop until a lumpy mass, pour in the oil, chopped celery, 0.5 teaspoon of salt and 0.25 teaspoon of pepper and mix thoroughly. (If not using a food processor, chop the cloves and tarragon and place in a bowl, crush the bread and add 2/3 of the bread to the bowl along with butter, chopped celery, salt and pepper. Mix thoroughly with a fork.)
Heat the grill (grill). Place the rock salt on a large, shallow, refractory baking sheet and spread it in an even layer about 12 mm thick. We will put shells on top of the salt layer. Place about 1.5 teaspoons of the tarragon mixture on top of each oyster, then rub the remaining bread with your fingers and sprinkle with bread crumbs on top. Lay the shells with meat on top of salt, trying to make them strictly horizontal.
Place a baking sheet under the grill about 10 cm from the heat source and cook for 4-5 minutes until bubbles appear on the top of the oysters and the edges are brown. Serve immediately.

How to fry oysters with Mexican tomato salsa

Ingredients for 4 servings:

375 g Mexican tomatoes, peel and rinse;
1 green chili
2 cloves of garlic;
30 g white onions, chopped into small cubes;
15 g fresh coriander leaves and shoots for garnish;
1 tbsp. a spoonful of seasoned rice vinegar;
1 tbsp. a spoonful of freshly squeezed lime juice;
sea salt and freshly ground pepper;
16 large oysters in shells, scrape.

Recipe preparation steps:

Use a covered charcoal grill to heat a fire and let the coals burn until they are covered with white ash. Using tongs, spread the coals so that the thickness of the burning layer is 2-3 layers of coals, and place the grate 7.5-10 cm above the coals. If you have a gas grill, turn on a high heat. You can also use a grill (grill); heat the grinder and line the bottom of the grill pan with aluminum foil. Oil the grill rack or top of the grill pan.
To prepare the oyster salsa, place the Mexican tomatoes and chili peppers on the grill rack directly over the fire, or place them in a grill pan about 7.5 cm from the fire source. Saute the vegetables for about 5 minutes on each side, until they are tender and slightly browned. Transfer the Mexican tomatoes to a blender. For chili peppers, remove the stem and add the chili and garlic to a blender. Grind to a coarse mass. Transfer to a bowl and add onion, coriander, vinegar and lime juice. Season to taste with salt and pepper and mix thoroughly. Divide into 4 small bowls. Set aside.
Place the oysters on the grill rack with the rounded side down (to prevent liquid leakage) and cover the grill with a lid or place them on the prepared grill pan and place it under the grill about 7.5 cm from the fire source. Cook for 4-8 minutes, until the shells open. Check the clams 1 to 2 times during cooking and transfer any that have opened into a bowl. Some shells may open only slightly; throw away any shells that have not opened.
Place 4 oysters on each plate and place a bowl of salsa in the center of the plate. Garnish with coriander sprouts and serve immediately. If necessary, open the flaps completely with a special knife. You can also remove the top of the shell and serve the oysters on the bottom half of the shell.

Grilled Oysters with BBQ Sauce

Grilling shellfish consists of three steps. First they need to be steamed a little to open, then removed from the sinks and finally grilled. The hot barbecue sauce is added last.

Ingredients:

oysters;
barbecue sauce;
Worcestershire sauce;
spicy sauce;
lemon.

Step by step preparation of the recipe:

Prepare a charcoal or gas grill for cooking over high, direct heat. Grease the grill rack with oil. Place half of the clams with the bottom of the shell facing down in an aluminum skillet. Add 0.25 cups (60 ml) water and cover tightly with aluminum foil.
Place the skillet with oysters on the grill directly over high heat and steam for about 2 minutes, until the shells open. Use tongs to transfer them to a work surface covered with a tea towel. Continue steaming the rest.
Using a special sharp knife, carefully remove the oysters from the shells. Cut the muscle and flip. Drizzle each teaspoon of barbecue sauce, a drop of Worcestershire and hot sauce. Cook the meat over the hottest part of the grill for 30-60 seconds, until the sauce begins to simmer. Use tongs to gently place the fried bites on a platter. Garnish with lemon wedges and serve immediately with BBQ, Worcestershire, and Hot Sauce.

The recipe for hot oysters in bourg blanc sauce

Ingredients:

2 shallots, chopped;
3 tbsp. l. dry white wine;
1 tbsp. l. white wine vinegar;
1 tbsp. l. heavy cream;
150 g butter, chilled and diced;
1 onion, chopped;
24 live oysters;
coarse sea salt;
salt and pepper.

Cooking method:

Heat the oven to 110 ° C (mark 4 on the gas stove). Place the shallots, half the wine and vinegar in the pan. Season with salt and pepper and cook over medium heat until a third of the original volume remains. Add cream and bring to a boil, stir in butter a little. Remove from heat, season with salt and pepper to taste and stir in onion. Put the skillet back on the heat and keep it cool, stirring occasionally, but do not bring the sauce to a boil.
Open the shells, remove the top shells, pour the sauce into the saucepan and remove the meat from the shells. Add the remaining wine to the oyster juice. Season with salt and pepper, bring to a boil and cook over low heat until one third of the original volume remains.
Thoroughly wash the empty doors, pat dry and place on a layer of sea salt in an ovenproof dish. Place the shutters in the oven for 10 minutes. Dip oysters in warm oyster juice and wine mixture and place in hot shells. Strain the mixture into the butter sauce, pour over the dish and serve.

How to make curry spinach oysters

Ingredients:

16 live oysters;
400 g spinach;
6 tbsp. l. heavy cream;
100 g butter;
1 tsp curry powder;
2 egg yolks;
salt and pepper.

Step by step preparation of the recipe:

Open the oyster shells, remove the top flap, pour the juice into a bowl, and pull the meat out of the shell.
Steam the spinach for about 5 minutes, squeeze as hard as possible and run through a food processor. Heat the spinach puree in a skillet with 4 tablespoons. l. cream and a pinch of salt. Divide the spinach between the leaves.
Strain the oyster juice into a small saucepan and heat slightly, then add the oysters. Cook over low heat for 5 minutes. Drain the broth and place the meat pieces over the spinach mixture.
Combine the butter and curry powder and set aside. Whisk the yolk and remaining cream in a water bath or in an ovenproof bowl in a water bath, or in a bowl set over a bowl with a little boiling water, until light and fluffy. Stir the curry into the butter, cook for a few more minutes, then season with salt and pepper to taste. Spread the sauce over the clams and serve.

How to make zucchini oysters in a salted zabayone sauce at home

Ingredients:

16 live oysters;
200 g zucchini, chopped;
50 g butter, cut into pieces;
4 yolks;
1 shallot, chopped;
100 ml of white sparkling dry wine;
coarse sea salt;
salt and pepper.

Recipe preparation method:

Heat the oven to 220 ° C (mark 7 on the gas stove). Open the oysters, remove the meat from the shells and place in a bowl. Remove the upper flaps and rinse the lower ones under running cold water.
Place the zucchini in salted boiling water, cook for 5 minutes, then drain, and place the zucchini in a food processor and puree. Heat the puree lightly in a small saucepan with a lump of butter and a pinch of salt.
Whisk the yolks and shallots in a saucepan in a bain-marie or heat-resistant bowl and stir in the wine. Heat a pot in a bain-marie over low heat, or place a bowl in a pot of boiling water and continue heating, stirring constantly with a whisk, for about 10 minutes, until the mixture thickens. The mixture should not boil. Remove the sauce from heat and stir in the remaining butter, a pinch of salt and a pinch of pepper.
Spread a layer of coarse salt on a heat-resistant sheet and spread the shutters on it. Put 1 tbsp. l. mashed zucchini in each leaf, place the oyster on top and a tablespoon of the prepared sauce on top. Bake for 4-5 minutes and serve.

How to Spit Oysters the Japanese Style

Ingredients:

2 dozen oysters without shells;
1.5 tablespoons of vodka;
1.5 tablespoons of soy sauce;
algae plate;
1-2 small lemons;
1/4 teaspoon salt.

Recipe preparation steps:

Sprinkle the oysters with salt. Leave for a couple of minutes "for proofing". Rinse with cold water. Dry. Dip each slice into vodka for 2-3 minutes. Then - in soy sauce.
Take two skewers. Place 6–8 slices on each spit. Moreover, on one spit, string the mollusks with a strong, muscular edge, and on the other - vice versa: with the soft side.
Fry the meat for a minute or two, rotating the skewers all the time. Make sure that the meat does not dry out and turn out juicy.
Add a plate of seaweed without oil in its own juice. Grind the algae thoroughly. Sprinkle the resulting algae "powder" over the oysters. Serve with lemons, cut into fan-shaped slices.
You can cook the dish without seaweed, but this is no longer Japanese, but European. Recommended wine - Champagne "blanc de blancs" / cyxoe white French "Chablis".

Video with a recipe for making the most delicate oysters from the chef