Champagne Oysters Recipes

RAW OYSTERS ON THE HALF SHELL WITH CUCUMBER MIGNONETTE

Steps:

• For the Oysters:
• Begin by shucking oysters. Find a durable, thick cloth and fold it over several times to create a square; this will steady the oysters as you shuck them and also protect your hand. Using the towel as a mitt, hold the oyster firmly on a flat surface. Insert the tip of your oyster knife between the shell halves, and work it around 1 side to the other as you pry it open. Using the knife, cut the muscles away from the top, flat shell, bend the shell back, and discard it. Run the knife underneath the oyster to detach it completely, but leave it in its shell (take care not to cut the meat itself). Nestle the oysters in a bed of crushed ice or wet rock salt to keep them steady. Serve immediately.
• For the Cucumber Mignonette Sauce:
• In a small bowl, combine the rice wine vinegar, shallots, ginger, cucumber, sugar and black pepper; mixing with a fork. Cover and chill for at least 1 hour or up to the day before you plan to serve, to allow the flavors to come together. Serve with raw oysters.
• For the Cocktail Sauce:
• Mix ingredients in a blender to combine. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

OYSTERS WITH CHAMPAGNE-VINEGAR MIGNONETTE

Steps:

• Make mignonnette:
• Stir together vinegar, shallot, pepper, and sugar and let stand 30 minutes.
• Prepare oysters:
• Preheat broiler.
• Spread 3/4 cup salt in an 8- to 10-inch flameproof shallow baking dish or pan. Arrange oysters on their shells in salt, then top each with a piece of butter.
• Broil 4 to 6 inches from heat until butter is melted and sizzling and edges of oysters are beginning to curl, 1 to 2 minutes.
• Stir parsley into mignonnette. Divide remaining 3/4 cup salt between 2 plates and arrange 3 oysters on each. Spoon 1/4 teaspoon mignonnette over each oyster and sprinkle oysters with grapes. Serve warm.

CHAMPAGNE OYSTERS

Steps:

• Shuck the oysters. Place the meat in a strainer or colander over a bowl to catch the liquid. Discard the shells.
• Strain the oyster liquid into a small saucepan and add the wine. Bring to a simmer and cook until reduced by about half. Turn oven broiler on and place oysters in an ovenproof broiler dish. Sprinkle each oyster with a little minced shallot and black pepper.
• Next prepare the sabayon. In a double boiler or a metal bowl placed over a saucepan, whisk the egg yolks over barely simmering water. Slowly drizzle in the wine-oyster reduction, and continue whisking until the sauce thickens and lightens in both color and texture. (This can take up to 10 minutes, so be patient. ) Spoon half of the sabayon over the oysters in their shells and broil until the sauce begins to brown on top and the oysters are heated through, about 5 minutes.
• Remove the dispenser from the box including the charger holder and two dispenser tips. Unscrew the top off the dispenser, then screw on the tip of your choice (straight or tulip) while holding in place the valve stem under the cap. Be sure to screw the tip on tightly. Make sure that the gasket (also called the O-ring) is firmly in place on the underside of the head.
• Pour the remaining sabayon mixture it into the siphon of the dispenser. Do not exceed recommended amount. Screw the top evenly and firmly onto the bottle. Do not cross-thread. Place a n2o cartridge in the holder with the small end visible. Twist charger holder onto head until gas is released. A slight hissing sound will be heard. For a pint dispenser, use only one charger per filling. For a quart dispenser, use two chargers per filling.
• Shake the dispenser 3-6 times. Turn the dispenser upside down. This is important, otherwise gas will escape and a proportionate amount of foam will not be released. To assemble the dish, plate 5-6 oysters in each serving bowl and dispense the sabayon foam as needed over the platted oysters by pressing on the lever. If the mixture is too runny, shake the dispenser a few more times and try again. If desired, the holder can be removed along with the used charger and the small cap put in its place.
• When the canister is empty, simply discharge any remaining pressure in a sink or wastepaper basket and unscrew the top. The small brush that is included is useful for cleaning the tips. Do not put dispensers in a commercial dishwasher.

CHAMPAGNE OYSTERS ROCKEFELLER

Steps:

• Preheat barbecue grill to medium.
• In a bowl combine champagne, spinach, onions, 1/4 cup of the breadcrumbs, and parsley.
• In a skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add champagne-breadcrumb mixture. Cook 1-2 minutes, sitrring until spinach is wilted. Spinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat.
• Place oysters in the shell on a baking sheet. Put 1 tablespoon of champagne-breadcrumb mixture on each oyster. Spinkle remaining breadcrumbs and Parmesan cheese on top of oysters.
• Place baking sheet on the barbecue grill. Grill for about 5 minutes, with the lid closed, or until cheese is bubbling and is starting to brown.
• Cover the bottom of a shallow serving platter with a layer of kosher salt.
• Remove oysters from baking sheet. Place oysters on the salted shallow serving platter. Garnish with lemon wedges and/or parsley.

OYSTERS IN CHAMPAGNE SAUCE

Steps:

• In a medium saucepan, reduce 1 cup of champagne to approximately 1/4 cup of liquid. Add the cream and reduce mixture to 1 cup of liquid. Add butter and stir until butter melts and thickens the mixture. Toss in shucked oysters and remove from heat. Place one oyster and some sauce in each saved shell. Garnish with chives and serve immediately.

CHAMPAGNE MIGNONETTE

Steps:

• Place all ingredients in a small bowl, and stir to combine. Cover with plastic wrap, and place in refrigerator. Serve chilled, spooned over oysters.