Oysters are a real delicacy with a fantastic taste of the sea and are a lot more versatile then you might think. They can be served raw with a little dressing, but if that is not for you try them grilled (or poached, fried or steamed!). This recipe will show you how to cook oysters au gratin.
You can find out more about oysters in our guide here >>
The ingredient quantities in the recipe below are for a dozen oysters that you could serve between two or more people. It is easy to adjust the volumes for more or less people.
Preparation time for this dish will be about 5 minutes. Allow a further 8 minutes for the cooking time.
Ingredients For Oysters Au Gratin
12 fresh oysters, cleaned and shucked from Walter Purkis & Sons
4 streaky bacon rashers, finely chopped
60g celery, finely chopped
8 baby asparagus tips, finely chopped
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
60g grated mozzarella cheese
How To Cook Oysters Au Gratin
In a small pan cook the bacon for 1-2 minutes until brown and crispy. Add the chopped celery and asparagus. Season well with salt and pepper.
Pre-heat your grill
Cooking tip: It is hard to keep an oyster level under the grill due to the shape of their shells. Use a baking tray with a pile of salt for each oyster which will keep it steady while cooking.
Spoon the bacon and asparagus mixture over the oysters. Sprinkle over the cheese. For extra cheese flavours a little grated Parmesan will work well.
Cook the oysters under a medium grill for 3-4 minutes until the cheese is melted and starting to show a golden brown crust.
We have more recipe ideas for eating oysters here >>
