Choptank Sweets Parmesano
Ingredients:
12 Choptank Sweets
½ cup grated parmesan cheese
1 tbsp chopped garlic 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp bacon bits or real bacon pieces
red pepper flakes to taste
Instructions: Mix together olive oil, garlic, bacon, and pepper flakes. Mix in half of the cheese, setting the other half aside. Preheat your oven’s broiler on high. Shuck the oysters and place on a baking sheet. Brush the mixture onto each oyster with a basting brush. Sprinkle remaining parmesan cheese on top of each oyster. Place under the broiler for 5 min until the cheese is bubbly and golden brown. Remove from oven and enjoy!
Oysters Bienville
Ingredients:
3 or 4 dozen Choptank Sweets
6 tbsp unsalted butter
1 cup finely chopped yellow onion (about a half of a large onion)
4 or more whole scallions, trimmed and finely sliced
4 garlic cloves, minced
6 tbsp all-purpose flour
2 cup (1 lb medium 41-60) raw shrimp, peeled and deveined, then chopped
1 cup finely chopped white mushrooms or Portobello mushrooms, stems removed (about 8oz)
1/ 2 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup heavy cream
2 tbsp minced flat-leafed parsley
2 tbsp fresh strained lemon juice
A few dashes of Tabasco
Kosher salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper, to taste
4 egg yolks, beaten
Instructions:
Shuck the oysters.
Leave the oysters on the half shell on a bed of ice or in the refrigerator while you make the topping.
Preheat oven to 400 F.
For the Sauce:
Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic, sauté until the onions turn slightly golden.
Add the flour, stirring well to incorporate. Cook for a few minutes until it gets just a little color but is not browned.
Add the white wine then the cream and cook for 2 minutes more.
Now stir in the shrimp, mushrooms, and salt and pepper. Cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly, until the shrimp start to turn pink. They will cook more when the oysters go in the oven.
Add the lemon juice, parsley, green onions, and hot sauce. Season to taste with more salt and pepper if necessary, and with the cayenne. Remove the skillet from the heat.
When the sauce is somewhat cooled, stir in the egg yolks vigorously and rapidly so they do not set.
For the Oysters:
Top each Choptank Sweet with about 2 Tbsp of the prepared sauce. You may choose to place them in a pan that has a thin layer of rock salt in the bottom to stabilize the oysters, but it’s not necessary.
Bake for 10-12 Minutes in the 400º F oven, then turn on the broiler to slightly brown the tops (about 1-2 minutes more). The oysters are finished when the sauce is heated through, tops are lightly browned and the edges of the oysters start to curl. It takes longer than you might expect to cook the filling through, but it is important not to overcook the oysters.
Serve hot.
Oysters Brooklyn
Ingredients:
24 Choptank Sweets
1 batch hollandaise with garlic (see below)
5 large shallots, sliced into thin rings, about 2.5 cups (these will cook down a lot)
3 oz pancetta, chopped into small dice
chives, chopped
For the Hollandaise:
3 egg yolks
2 tablespoons of strained lemon juice
2 chopped cloves of garlic
and a pinch of cayenne
Instructions:
Make the Hollandaise: In a blender, add yolks, juice, cloves, and cayenne, then blend on high. Melt 1 stick of butter until bubbling but not browned. While the blender is running, pour into the blender (through the lid if possible to avoid splatters) the hot butter in a thin, steady stream. Run for 30 seconds more. If the sauce has not thickened, turn on the blender again for an additional 15 seconds (or more) until it is not runny.
Cook pancetta until crispy. Drain pancetta, and remove some fat, then add shallots and a quarter tsp. of sugar, mixing everything together to coat the shallot slices. Cover and sweat for 5-10 minutes, then finish on medium-low heat, cooking slowly until the shallots are a deep golden brown, about another 20 minutes.
Spoon the shallot and pancetta mixture on each oyster, Top with a dollop of garlic hollandaise and broil till most of the surface is brown and bubbling. Watch closely, as the hollandaise may brown surprisingly quickly. Top with chopped chives and serve.
If you have any leftover hollandaise, it will taste great on steamed or grilled asparagus and artichoke!
Ostras A La Chalaca
(Oyster Ceviche)
Ingredients:
12 Choptank Sweets
1 medium onion
1 medium tomato
1 cup fresh, frozen, or canned corn
1 jalapeño pepper
1 tbsp chopped parsley
1 tbsp chopped cilantro
juice of 1 lime
Instructions: Dice onion and tomato and mix together with the corn. Chop the jalapeño, removing seeds and ribs depending on your heat tolerance, and add to mixture. Add parsley, cilantro, and lime juice and mix all ingredients well. Shuck the oysters and place the raw oysters on a serving plate. Place a generous spoonful of the ceviche mixture onto each oyster and they are ready to eat. Or, if you prefer, you can cook the oysters under your broiler for 5 minutes before spooning on the ceviche mixture.
Stout Battered Oyster & Blue Cheese Po’Boy
Ingredients:
12 Choptank Sweets
4 sandwich rolls
¾ cup stout beer
½ cup flour 36 Ritz™ Crackers
¼ cup crumbled blue cheese
1 tbsp Old Bay™ seasoning
shredded lettuce
tartar sauce
cooking oil
Instructions: In a bowl mix flour, seasoning, and beer until consistency of pancake batter. Crush crackers in zip top bag, and pour cracker crumbs onto a plate. Shuck oysters, place in strainer and rinse. Mix oysters into the batter. Roll battered oysters in cracker crumbs, coating each one. Heat oil in deep fryer or deep walled frying pan until it is good and hot. Fry oysters until they are golden brown, remove and drain on a paper towel. Place 3 oysters on each sandwich roll, top with blue cheese, tartar sauce, and lettuce.
Oysters Bubbafeller
Ingredients:
12 Choptank Sweets
½ cup diced onion
½ lb bacon
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 tsp lemon juice
1 pt heavy cream
2 cups chopped spinach
Old Bay™ seasoning
black pepper
crushed red pepper flakes
⅓ cup dry sherry
½ cup grated parmesan cheese
Instructions: Chop and cook bacon; drain and set aside. Melt butter in the same pan and add onion, garlic, and lemon juice. Sauté over medium heat until transparent. Add cream. Stir and allow to reduce until it thickens (about 5 min). Add spinach and stir until it cooks down. Add bacon. Add Old Bay, black pepper, and red pepper flakes to taste. Add sherry and stir all the ingredients together. Shuck oysters and place a spoon full of sauce over each one. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Grill or broil oysters over high heat until cheese is melted.
Grilled Oysters with Poblano Pepper Puree
Ingredients:
12 Choptank Sweets
4 poblano peppers
1 head garlic
1-2 jalapenos (optional)
1 stick butter
* If you are using a charcoal grill, start the charcoal in enough time to be ready for the oysters.*
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350˚
Cut top off garlic and place head in a garlic roaster or aluminum foil. Roast one hour or until cloves are soft and caramelized. Cool.
While garlic is cooling, raise oven temperature to 400.˚ Place peppers (poblanos and jalapenos if using) on a lightly oiled pan or baking sheet and roast until charred, turning occasionally so they char on all sides (about 30 minutes). Their skins will puff up off the meat. Alternately, they can be charred over a flame or on a comal. Place in a paper bag to steam a little, then remove skins (the skins should rub right off). Remove stems and seeds. Chop poblanos (and jalapenos if using) roughly, and place in a food processor.
When garlic is cool enough to handle, separate out the cloves from the skin and place in the food processor as well. Process vegetables until pureed and smooth. Add butter, 1 ounce at a time, until dispersed evenly in the puree. This poblano butter puree may be made in advance. Keep refrigerated until ready to use.
Place Choptank Sweets on a medium gas or charcoal grill until they just pop open. Remove top shell and cut bottom adductor muscle. Discard top shells. Top each Choptank Sweet oyster with about 1 tablespoon of the chilled poblano mixture, and return to grill until the butter in the sauce melts. Cooking time should be VERY SHORT! Serve hot.
Carpetbagger Steak
Ingredients:
12-16 Choptank Sweets, shucked
4 thick cut steaks (about 8 oz each; a loin of venison will also work)
4 large shallots, chopped (or more, depending on the size of the steaks)
4 oz of blue cheese crumbles (or more, depending on size of the steaks)
1 tablespoon of oil
8 toothpicks, soaked in water for 30 minutes
Legend has it this comes from Australia, but this is our Eastern Shore (American) version.
Instructions:
Sautee the shallots in the oil until golden and soft. Do not let burn. Mix the shallots with the blue cheese.
Slice each steak horizontally to make a pocket, making sure not to cut all the way to the edges. Stuff each pocket with ¼ of the blue cheese mixture, and lay 3-4 Choptank Sweets on top, within the pocket (how much you use depends on the size of the steaks). Use toothpicks on each side of the steaks to pin them closed after stuffing. Cut off the ends of the toothpicks with a kitchen scissors.
Cook steaks on the grill or in a pan until rare or medium-rare. The oysters will cook at the same time. We do not advise cooking the steak until well-done, as the oysters will be overcooked!
Remember to remove toothpicks before serving. Serves 4.
Good Ol’ Bay Fried Oysters
This recipe eliminates breading in favor of a more tempura-like result.
Ingredients:
36 Choptank Sweets
vegetable oil to fill pan to a 1.5 inch depth
1 cup of cold water
1 cup self-rising flour
1 heaping tablespoon chile powder
1 heaping tablespoon Old Bay® seasoning
1 heaping tablespoon garlic powder
Instructions:
With a fork, mix together the flour and spices. Add water a little at a time while stirring until the batter is thick and sticky and without lumps. Only add enough water to make the mix viscous and smooth (so you might not need the whole cup of water).
Shuck the oysters and drain. Liquor may be reserved for another use if desired. Drop the drained oysters into the batter and make sure they are completely coated.
Heat oil in a large (11-12” diameter) straight-sided sauté pan or low-sided Dutch oven to 375˚F.
Work in batches of 12 oysters to fill the sauté pan: Remove oysters one at a time from batter and drop into the oil. Fry until golden brown and puffed up, turning with tongs as necessary (about a minute and a half for each side, no longer than 3 minutes total cooking time). WARNING: the oil will splatter, so it may be a good idea to wear a kitchen apron. Remove each oyster as it is done to an oven-safe platter lined with paper towels, keeping the oysters in a single layer so they maintain their crispness. You may place the platter(s) in a warm oven as you finish them. It is very important that the oil returns to 375˚F before you start the next batch of oysters.
Serve with your choice of sauce. Here are a few ideas: chipotle aioli, ginger sesame, or even jalapeño ranch. Cocktail sauce not recommended!
