Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Kicked Up Oysters AuGratin and Parmesan

My goodness, how long has it been since I posted a seafood recipe? It's the time of year to start eating some oysters...the food of love some say. Others, well, they just flat out don't like oysters. As for me, I love oysters and am still not afraid to eat them on the half shell (raw), but if I can afford them, I am on a quest to concoct new ways to enjoy them.
It's not easy getting decent oysters in East Tennessee. The oysters in this recipe aren't Louisiana oysters and are quite small, but we'll make due!


Melt 4 tablespoons of butter in a large saucepan over medium to medium-high heat. Just be careful not to burn the butter. Stir in about 3 heaping tablespoons of flour to make a roux. Cook the roux, stirring frequently, until it turns blond, about 5 to 7 minutes.
Reduce the heat to medium and add 1/2 of an onions sliced and saute for about 3 minutes, then add in 3 cloves of crushed garlic, continue cooking until the onions are soft, about another minute. Slowly add 1 cup of evaporated milk and 1 cup of whole or reduced fat milk.
Whisk constantly to prevent lumps. Raise the heat to medium-high and bring right to the verge of boiling, then reduce the heat to simmer.
Add in one whole clove.
And one whole bay leaf. I have to stop here. Kaitlin asked me the other night if I would make something quick and simple for dinner and her dad told her, "Your mother can't make anything without adding a bay leaf to it." Wait until he finds a bay leaf in his beer...ok let's move on.
Let sauce simmer for about 15 to 20, stirring occasionally. The sauce will become thick. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in 1/3 cup of prepared horseradish. Season with salt and black pepper.
Pour the sauce into a bowl and cover with plastic wrap placed directly on the surface of the sauce to prevent a skin from forming. Set sauce aside and let it cool.


While the sauce is cooling, rinse drain and pat dry 3 dozen oysters and preheat the oven to to 450 degrees.





Season the oysters with salt and pepper and lay them in the bottom of a baking dish in a single layer; then pour the cooled sauce evenly over the oysters.




In another bowl, mix 1/2 cup of seasoned Italian bread crumbs, 1/3 cup of extra virgin olive oil, 1/2 cup of freshly grated Parmesan cheese, and 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes. Sprinkle over the oysters and sauce in the casserole. Bake for about 15 minutes or until the topping is golden brown.




Do you want to know the truth? I can't cook with out extra virgin olive oil. Enjoy!



31 comments:

Pam said...

Wow! My oyster loving family would dig this dish. It looks wonderful!

Cathy said...

I love raw oysters - every year I splurge for my birthday and go out for them (you can imagine they aren't cheap on the prairies).....this looks like a delicious way to enjoy them as well!

Debbie said...

I like oysters, but have never made them. You make me want to try.

Debbie said...

I've never had oysters like that before. Only fried ones...yours look delicious. Great idea!

The JR said...

Another oyster lover here. Love them any way I can get them.

That casserole looks wonderful. Makes me want to stop at the store on the way home and buy oysters.

Marjie said...

You tell ol' Hubby there that there's very little in life which isn't improved by a good bay leaf or three. Unless it's a vintage muscle car.

Pam said...

That looks so good! I love oysters! Yummy.

Jane In The Jungle said...

OK that looks heavenly!!! Greg and I LOVE oysters and are trying to foster that love in the kids!

Betsy Banks Adams said...

This dish looks fabulous, Katherine. I LOVE oysters --but don't eat them much since hubby doesn't like them. I get them fresh when we go to the beach in May. YUM!!!!

Hugs,
Betsy

Justin said...

i love my oysters raw, but i could make an exception for this

Jennifer said...

Wow, that looks delish, I have never seen oysters like that before, YUM

Donna-FFW said...

Too funny with the bay leaf:)

This au gratin soounds lovely. Real special treat.

buffalodick said...

I am your kitchen slave, on call! As long as I get a bowl of this on a regular basis, you own me!

Cathy said...

I love pan fried oysters but I've never had them prepared this way. The gratin looks delicious with the cheesy breadcrumb topping.

Lyndas recipe box said...

The only oysters I've had were in my mother's stuffing she used to make for Thanksgiving, so I can't comment on their flavor. But this dish looks delicious with with that topping!

theUngourmet said...

Can't do oysters. I've tried many times. If I did like oysters I know I would love your casserole. :D

Reeni said...

I can't cook without garlic and onion! I don't like raw oysters but this is something I can handle. It looks delicious and comforting!

La Cuisine d'Helene said...

What a nice meal. I can't cook without garlic and onions. Does not taste good without.

Fresh Local and Best said...

What an interesting dish! I've never cooked with oysters, but love eating it. This looks delish!

MaryBeth said...

I am not fond of oysters but this actually looks really good Katherine..

Marguerite said...

Magnifique! Looks super dee-lish and heavenly!, You are one heck of a Cajun cook, cher!

Juliana said...

Oh! I never had oysters this way, looks fabulous...so tasty...yummie!

Jen @ tatertotsandjello.com said...

Can you believe that I have never had oysters? That is sad since I grew up on the east coast and lived on the west coast for 10 years too.

Your casserole looks delicious!

XOOX
Jen

Katy ~ said...

It has been customary to have seafood at New Years, and this dish looks so rich and elegant that it would certainly be an exquisite way to welcome the New Year or to make any day special. This is just fabulous.

NKP said...

I had never had oysters until this summer, when we had Malpeque oysters on the half shell. I am hooked!
What a great way to cook them, I have never had them cooked in any way. I need to come over for some Nola cooking lessons!

Chris said...

There is bad news on the Gulf oyster front: http://www.newsobserver.com/342/story/185732.html

You might not see them ever again after February. Here is a protest petition site trying to get the FDA to listen:

http://www.saveourshellfish.org/

Anonymous said...

Oysters au gratin sounds awesome! I love the addition of horseradish!

pigpigscorner said...

omg looks and sounds amazing, i just want to dig in!

Mary Bergfeld said...

My oyster loving husband would be in paradise with this recipe. It sounds delicious.

Claudia said...

Wow! Now, that's a dish worthy of the oyster harvest.

Christo Gonzales said...

we just slurped down tow dozen oysters this weekend - this dish looks so good I could pull up a chair and eat all of it right from the pan!