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Oysters Casino to Start

I have an Oysters Casino appetizer to share with you today that is so delicious. I got the idea when I was up in Provincetown eating Clams Casino. With fresh and delicious oysters harvested from our waters, it only makes sense to use them instead of clams. So two weeks ago, I had a small dinner party, and this was the second course.

But before we get to that, I want to explain where I have been for the past month.

The Confluence of Circumstance

Thank you for your patience as I dealt with the snowball that was my life last month. Between photography project deadlines, the preparations for the possibility of Hurricane Florence hitting Charleston and my displeasure with the status of my blog posts, I was truly overwhelmed.

Photo by Nathaniel Shuman on Unsplash

The time off did me a lot of good.

Most of the decisions and changes I made you will never notice as they concern “behind the scenes” stuff. The cosmetic changes I want; I cannot yet afford.  But it was good to think it all throughAs far as you are concerned, Strong Coffee to Red Wine is still a lifestyle blog that focuses on my light-hearted and approachable love of food, wine, travel and joie de vivre from my base here in Charleston, SC.

You will notice I said travel. I am officially adding travel to the on-going topics about which I will blog. Gary and I have had many incredible adventures, and I plan on sharing those with you.

Other than that please look for all the usual topics that I have been covering. That includes everything wine from wine reviews to winery tours, to wine education. On the food front, I will continue to share recipes that I have created or modified, restaurants where I have dined and gadgets that make being in the kitchen so much fun. I will also continue to post my Thoughts and Ramblings. In these posts, I share a piece of my being, an event in my life that changed me in a profound way or maybe just a funny story with a great ending.

I am glad to be back, and I hope you are happy to have me back. So let’ get on with it, shall we? 


Oysters Casino

Ingredients

12 large fresh oysters
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoon butter
1 onion, minced (about a half cup)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup dried breadcrumbs (I prefer brioche breadcrumbs)**
4 slices bacon, cooked crispy and crumbled
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 teaspoon paprika
Olive oil
Fresh, flat leaf parsley, chopped for garnish
6 Lemon wedges

Preparation

Cook and crumble the bacon. I use Kirkland pre-cooked bacon microwaved for 90 seconds. Otherwise, in a small skillet, cook bacon until crisp over medium heat. When bacon is cooked and cooled; rough chop until crumbled, and set aside.

oysters

Place water and a small saucepan and bring to a raging boil. While the water comes to temperature, wash and shuck the oysters. Place the oysters in a glass or stainless steel bowl and place the deepest 12 shells on a baking sheet. Heat the shells in a preheated 350 degrees oven for 5 to 8 minutes to prepare them for stuffing.

oysters

Place the glass or stainless steel bowl over the boiling water and heat the oysters until they begin to firm up. Watch them carefully and continuously move around with a spoon to keep separated. The goal here is for the oysters to be firm enough to chop. Careful to not overcook. Chop, and set aside.

Oysters

Add 2 tablespoons oil and the 2 tablespoons butter to a small skillet, and place the pan over medium heat. Add onion, and garlic; sauté until tender. Remove from heat, and cool.

oysters

In a medium bowl, combine bread crumbs, bacon, oregano, cheese, sautéed onion and garlic, and chopped oysters. Mix well. Fill the oyster shells with mixture, and place back on the baking sheet. Sprinkle paprika. Lightly drizzle with olive oil.

oysters

Bake at 450 degrees for 7-12 minutes to an internal temperature of 140°. Each serving gets a lemon wedge and a sprinkle of fresh chopped parsley

Makes 6 servings of 2 each.

Download PDF Printable Version Here: Oysters Casino


Making brioche bread crumbs

I like to use dried brioche slices for many of my stuffings and bread puddings. Since brioche is hard to find, I tend to buy several loaves at a time and dry out the slices. I have seen it at Costco and Trader Joe’s, but it is rarely available.

To make 1 cup of breadcrumbs place 3-4 dried brioche slices in your food processor and run until crumbed. Add more if needed.


That is all for now.

Cheers,

rick

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2 Comments

  1. Luci Secord

    So glad you’re back Rick !!!

    • It feels great to be back!

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