Roasted Oysters With Warm Butter Mignonette Recipes

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.

MIGNONETTE SAUCE

Steps:

• Mix together all the ingredients in a small bowl or jar until well blended. Cover and chill for at least 30 minutes before using. Mignonette will keep in the fridge for up to 1 month.

OYSTERS WITH CHAMPAGNE-VINEGAR MIGNONETTE

Steps:

• Make mignonette
• Stir together the vinegar, shallot, pepper, and sugar and let stand 30 minutes.
• Make oysters
• Preheat the broiler. Spread 3/4 cup kosher salt in an 8- to 10-inch shallow flameproof baking dish or pan. Arrange the oysters in their shells atop the salt, then top each with a piece of butter.
• Broil 4 to 6 inches from the heat until the butter is melted and sizzling and the edges of the oysters are beginning to curl, 1 to 2 minutes.
• Stir the parsley into the mignonette. Divide the remaining 3/4 cup kosher salt between two plates and arrange 3 oysters on each. Spoon 1/4 teaspoon mignonette over each oyster and sprinkle oysters with grapes. Serve warm.
• DO AHEAD
• The MIGNONETTE, without parsley, can be made 1 day ahead and chilled, covered.

OVEN-ROASTED OYSTERS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 475 degrees. Working in batches, arrange oysters in a single layer in a 12-by-16-inch roasting pan fitted with a flat rack. Pour 1/3. inch of hot tap water into pan, and bake for 7 minutes, or until oyster shells have begun to open.
• Using gloves or tongs, transfer oysters to a table covered in newspaper for guests to shuck, garnish and eat while next batch cooks. Add water to pan as necessary, and repeat roasting until all oysters have been served, about 45 minutes. Serve with lemon wedges hot sauce, and sour orange mignonette.