Don’t be intimidated by the prospect of cooking with oysters. It’s way easier than you think. Especially with access to ultra-fresh organic oysters like the ones from Hama Hama Shellfish Farm. These recipes are a great place to start shucking!
Oyster Stew
UNION/ Alderbrook Resort & Spa
Josh Delgado
Ingredients
- 2 dozen medium-sized Hood Canal Pacific oysters, shucked
- Whole butter (enough to sauté oysters)
- 1 tablespoon shallots
- 1 tablespoon chives
- 1 tablespoon parsley
- White pepper to taste
- Salt to taste
- 1 quart heavy cream
- 8 ounces sherry wine
- Crispy shallot
- Browned butter
- Paprika oil
Instructions
- Sauté one dozen shucked medium-sized Hood Canal Pacific oysters in whole butter with shallots, chives and parsley.
- Season with white pepper and salt to taste (the oyster will sometimes provide all the salinity you need).
- Separately, reduce heavy cream combined with sherry wine by half and add your oysters, making sure to use a spatula to get every bit out of the sauté pan.
- Place the stew in a small bowl and garnish with crispy shallot, browned butter and paprika oil.
Oyster Roll
Seattle / Westward
Will Gordon
Ingredients
- 4 oyster or crab roll buns, sub hoagie rolls if unavailable
- 16 large oysters (Pacifics are good) soaked in buttermilk
- 2 dill pickled cucumbers, sliced horizontally and soaked in buttermilk
- Red oak or butter lettuce for garnish
- Remoulade (recipe follows)
- Dredge for frying (recipe follows)
- Pickled red onions (recipe follows)
- Oyster and Pickle dredge
- 1 cup semolina flour
- 1 cup flour
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
Mix ingredients together, reserve for later.
Remoulade
- 1 cup mayonnaise or homemade aioli
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped capers
- ½ shallot, minced
- 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
- Scant pinch chopped tarragon
- 1 teaspoon minced chive
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- Juice and zest of half a lemon
- 2 tablespoons chopped dill or sour pickle
- ¼ cup fine-diced celery
- ¼ teaspoon fresh grated horseradish, or prepared to taste
- Scant pinch sweet paprika
Mix ingredients together and let sit a couple hours or overnight to allow flavors to combine.
Pickled red onions
Ingredients
- 2 large red onions
- 2 cups champagne vinegar
- 1 cup water
- 2 tablespoons salt
- 1 tablespoon black peppercorns
- 1 lemon, sliced
- 2 sprigs thyme
- 2 tablespoons sugar
Instructions
- Lightly salt red onions and let sit for an hour or so.
- Rinse, dry and reserve.
- Make a sachet of thyme, lemon and peppercorn.
- Bring water, vinegar, salt and sugar to a boil with the sachet.
- Pour hot over onions.
- Let cool.
Oyster and Pickle dredge
- 1 cup semolina flour
- 1 cup flour
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
Mix ingredients together, reserve for later.
Assembly
- Toast your rolls in a cast-iron pan or griddle with a little butter and olive oil until golden brown, then set aside.
- Drain the oysters and pickles from buttermilk.
- Coat in dredge, then remove, shaking off excess. Heat a deep fryer or pot of oil (canola, rice bran, etc.) to 350 degrees and gently drop your oysters and pickled cucumbers in, allowing them to fry until golden brown and beautiful. Place on a paper towel to drain and lightly salt.
- While frying the oysters and pickles, spread a bit of remoulade on the rolls and add a couple lettuce leaves. Evenly distribute your oysters and fried pickles. Garnish with some pickled red onion.
- Serve with your favorite potato chips.
