Willapa Bay Oysters Courvoisier
Submitted by myrnajean
Fresh Willapa Bay oysters baked on the half shell with cognac-green peppercorn butter, fresh herbs, and melted Gruyere. A showstopping Pacific Northwest appetizer ready in 30 minutes.
YIELD
3 servingsPREP
20 minCOOK
10 minREADY
30 minStraight from the cold, clean waters of Washington’s Willapa Bay, these baked oysters are dressed to impress.
Each one sits on a bed of sauteed fresh herbs (parsley, oregano, chives, scallions) topped with grated Gruyere, then glazed with a cognac butter sauce spiked with briny green peppercorns and a curl of lemon peel.
A few minutes in a hot oven and they emerge bubbling, golden, and impossibly fragrant.
This is the kind of appetizer that hushes a dinner table.
Chef Tips
- Use rock salt or crinkled foil in the baking pan to keep the shells level. A wobbling oyster means spilled sauce, and you don’t want to waste a drop of that cognac butter.
- Reduce the cognac gently. You’re concentrating flavor, not trying to flambe your kitchen. A low simmer until it’s down to about 3 tablespoons is all you need.
- Fresh herbs are non-negotiable here. Dried herbs won’t give you the same bright, garden-fresh flavor that makes this dish sing against the rich butter and cheese.
- No shells? No problem. Ramekins or small porcelain dishes work beautifully and actually make for easier serving.
Ingredients
Directions
Finely chop herbs and sauté them in 2 tablespoons butter until they are wilted.
Set aside. In medium saucepan, combine cognac with lemon peel and gently simmer until it is reduced to about 3 tablespoons.
Remove lemon peel and discard. Add 8 tablespoons butter and 12 teaspoons of green peppercorns.
Simmer to combine the flavors. Set aside. Preheat oven to 400℉ (200℃).
If oysters are in their shells, shuck them. Fix the deeper of the two halves of the shells in a baking pan.
To avoid oysters from sliding, use either rock salt or crinkled foil as a base.
If oysters are not available in their shells, prepare recipe in porcelain dishes or ramekins.
Put about 2 teaspoons of herb mixture on each shell or spread it over bottom of each ramekin.
Sprinkle with grated cheese, about 1 teaspoon per shell.
Place oysters on cheese and herb beds and glaze each with Courvoisier green peppercorn mixture.
Bake about 6 to 8 minutes.
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