Recipe: Fried Oysters on the Half Shell with Bacon Horseradish Hollandaise

Image by pieboy75 via Flickr

Photo of oysters getting ready to be fried

From: Mr. B's Bistro

Yield: Serves 4


Ingredients:

1 lb shucked oysters (1 pint)

2/3 cup Crystal hot sauce

1 large egg, lightly beaten

canola oil for frying

For 3-2-1 breading:

¾ cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup corn flour

1/2 cup cornstarch

1/4 cup cornmeal

1 tsp kosher salt

¾ tsp granulated onion

¾ tsp granulated garlic

¾ tsp paprika

½ tsp chili powder

½ tsp white pepper

rock salt for serving

2 dozen oyster shells

1/2 cup bacon horseradish hollandaise sauce

Directions:

Drain oysters and toss with Crystal and egg. Marinate oysters, chilled and covered, 2 hours and up to overnight.

In a deep heavy saucepan heat about 2 inches oil until it registers 350 degrees on a deep-fat thermometer.

Make 3-2-1 breading: In a large bowl combine all ingredients.

Toss oysters in breading, shaking off excess, and fry in batches of 6 until golden brown, about one and a half minutes, making sure oil returns to 350 degrees before adding more oysters. Drain on paper towels and season with salt.

To serve arrange rock salt on 4 plates. Arrange oysters on half shells and place over salt. Top each oyster with a teaspoon of hollandaise

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Recipe: Oyster Pan Roast

Image by MarxFoods.com via Flickr

Photo of another version of baked oysters with mushrooms

Oyster Pan Roast

From: The Palace Cafe

Yield: Serves 4

Ingredients:

4 pieces French bread, 2-3 inch slices cut on a bias

1 Tbsp Butter, softened

4 Tbsp Breadcrumbs

2 Tbsp Freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1 qt Heavy cream

1 Tbsp Fresh rosemary, minced

1 Tbsp Shallots, minced

20 P & J Oysters

1 Tbsp Parsley, finely chopped for garnish

4 sprigs Fresh rosemary

Salt and white pepper to taste


Directions:

To make croutons, butter both sides of each piece of French bread and season with salt and pepper. Toast in a 350° oven until crisp.

Mix breadcrumbs and Parmesan cheese in a small bowl and reserve. Reduce cream by ½ over medium-high heat in a heavy saucepot. Stir in rosemary and shallots and reduce sauce until it thickens a bit. Strain to remove shallots and rosemary. Ladle cream into an oven-safe skillet and bring to a boil.

Add oysters and season to taste with salt and white pepper. Be careful not to over-salt the dish! Remember, the oysters are somewhat salty. Cook for 1-2 minutes, or until the ends of the oysters start to curl, then remove from heat. Sprinkle breadcrumbs and Parmesan cheese over oysters. Broil in a 350° oven until breadcrumbs are toasted and golden brown.

To serve, place a French bread crouton in the center of each serving plate. Spoon oysters and sauce around crouton. Spear rosemary sprig through crouton and sprinkle dish with parsley.


At the Palace Café this signature dish is served in individual 4 oz. French pans. For this pan roast presentation without all of the pans, serve Oyster Pan Roast family style from a cast iron skillet.

Recipe: Chocolate Sin Cake

Image by Bev (Sugarbloom Cupcakes) via Flickr

Photo of another kind of chocolate cake as it was so beautiful!

From: Café Sbisa

Ingredients:


2 lbs chocolate chips

1 1/3 lb butter

2 cups sugar

2/3 cup water

16 eggs


Directions: Heat chocolate and butter (chunks) in double boiler. Combine sugar and water in a sauté pan and simmer until dissolved, combine with chocolate mixture. Blend until smooth, then remove from heat. Whisk eggs lightly, avoiding excessive air. Gently combine egg and chocolate mixtures.

Using 2 loaf pans lined with parchment, pour cake mix about 1 ½ inch thick. Place pans into a large roasting pan. Place in oven and fill the pan with water being careful not to float the cake pans. Bake at 300 degrees for 2 hours. Remove and let cool.

Refrigerate to remove from parchment, slice prior to service.

At Café Sbisa, we whip 1 teaspoon finely ground espresso with heavy cream and powdered sugar and top the cake. Add berries and a mint sprig for garnish.

Recipe: Seafood Gumbo from a Louisiana Chef

Image by Southern Foodways Alliance via Flickr

Seafood Gumbo

From: Chef Forest Dillemuth


Ingredients:

1 lb Louisiana crawfish tails

1 rabbit (store-bought will work)

1 duck breast (trim any fat and again, store-bought will work)

1 lb Andouille sausage

1/2 lb boneless buffalo stew meat

1 lb shrimp

3 cloves garlic, chopped fine

1/4 cup chopped parsley

1 tsp ground thyme

1 tsp salt

1 Tbsp oregano

1 chopped purple onion

2 bell peppers (1 red and 1 yellow)

2 gallons water

2 Tbsp of roux mix

1 tsp filé powder

2 cups white rice

1 Tbsp olive oil


Directions:

Bring two gallons of water to boil. Add 1 clove of chopped garlic, parsley, thyme, oregano and salt to water. Once boiling place whole rabbit and boil slowly (until meat is soft and tender). Once rabbit is boiled pull from pot, let cool, remove all meat from bone and set aside. Also pull out 4 cups of water from the stock and set aside.

In new pot add olive oil and heat. Once heated add remaining garlic, onion and bell pepper and sauté until vegetables are tender. Now add sausage, duck, buffalo, shrimp and crawfish and sauté until cooked. Then add 2 tablespoons of roux mix and 1 teaspoon of filé into pot and sauté at high heat for 2-3 minutes. Add remaining stock from rabbit and cook on medium heat for 45 minutes to 1 hour.

To cook the rice take the 4 cups of stock you set aside and place into small pot. Bring to boil and add 2 cups of rice. Stir and then reduce to low heat. Cover and let simmer for 20-25 minutes or until thoroughly cooked.