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Baked Oysters with Leek & Pancetta

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Oysters are synonymous with celebration, but there's no need to save them for a special occasion. This elegant appetizer is the perfect beginning for a romantic dinner for two.  These plump fresh oysters baked with a delicate almond, leek, and pancetta topping served with a glass of sparkling wine, you'll think you are dining in a five star restaurant.

  • Servings: 2

  • Difficulty: Novice

  • Total Time: 20-25 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1-2 cups coarse salt
  • 6 large fresh Canadian farmed oysters
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 leek - finely minced (white and light green part only) approx. 1/2 cup
  • 3 thin slices pancetta – 30 grams
  • 1/4 cup white wine
  • 3 tablespoons almond flour*
  • 1 teaspoon fresh chives- finely chopped
  • Pinch of paprika
  • Additional olive oil for drizzling.

*make your own almond flour by grinding a few almonds at a time in a coffee grinder.  No almonds, no problem, just substitute bread crumbs.

Recipe Author:

Thank you to Beth Dunham from Beth Dunham Photography for creating this recipe. For more great recipes like this follow her on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest!

Method

  • Preheat the oven to 450F.
  • In a shallow baking dish, make six small piles of coarse salt.  The salt will hold the irregular oyster shells level during the baking process. Don't despair if you don't have any coarse salt on hand. It's not necessary, you can also crumple tinfoil into little nests to hold the oysters upright.
  • Shuck the oysters, and discard the flat top shell. 
  • Nestle the oysters in their shells atop the mounds of salt, and start to prepare the topping.
  • In a small skillet, over medium high heat sauté the minced leeks in the olive oil until translucent, about 2-3 minutes.
  • Add the pancetta and cook, stirring frequently until the leeks start to lightly brown around the edges and the pancetta becomes crisp.
  • Add the white wine and increase the heat to high in order to deglaze the pan and reduce the wine.  Stir constantly until the liquid has reduced by about half. This will only take a couple of minutes.
  • Remove from the heat and stir in the almond flour, chives, and paprika.  Mix until everything is combined. 
  • Top each oyster with a heaping tablespoon of the leek and pancetta mixture and little drizzle of olive oil.
  • Bake until the edges of the oysters start to curl and the topping is lightly browned, about 6-9 minutes depending on the size of your oysters.
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Mussels Rockefeller

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Each shell holds a single plump mussel surrounded by a rich cream sauce, tiny ribbons of baby spinach, and slivers of salty prosciutto. The sauce is a creamy reduction of mussel broth, garlic, and onion with a touch of fennel, with flavours inspired by the classic Oyster Rockefeller. This is a fantastic dish for entertaining, the perfect one-bite canapé served on nature’s spoon, the mussel shell itself.

  • Servings: Hors d’oeuvres for 6-8, approx. 24 mussels

  • Difficulty: Competent

  • Total Time: 30-35 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 lb Canadian farmed Blue mussels- rinsed
  • 1/4 cup white wine
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 1 clove garlic finely minced
  • 2 green onions finely chopped
  • 1 thin slice prosciutto finely minced
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground fennel seed
  • 2 cups loosely packed baby spinach- chopped
  • 1/4 cup heavy cream
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons dry bread crumbs
  • Optional garnish- a few sprigs of fresh thyme, parsley, or fennel fronds.

Recipe Author:

Thank you to Beth Dunham from Beth Dunham Photography for creating this recipe. For more great recipes like this follow her on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest!

Method

  • Start by sorting the mussels; throw out any with broken shells, and test the mussels with open shells to ensure they are still alive by tapping two together, if they close they are fine, if they remain open, discard them.
  • In a large covered pot, steam the mussels in the white wine over medium-high heat for 5 minutes, just until the mussels open. Remove the mussels with a slotted spoon to a large bowl.  Increase the heat to high and bring the liquid in the bottom of the mussel pot to a boil. Reduce the liquid by about half, or until only a 1/4 cup remains.  While the broth reduces, remove the mussels from their shells and reserve half of the shells for stuffing.
  • To make the sauce, heat the butter in a small sauté pan over medium heat until bubbling.  Add the garlic, green onion, prosciutto, and fennel seed to the butter and cook for 2-3 minutes, until garlic is fragrant until very light golden. Strain the mussel broth to remove any solids, and add it to the pan.
  • Increase the heat to medium high, and further reduce the broth by half, until it is like thick syrup.  Stir in the cream and cook until it begins to gently boil. Add the chopped spinach, and cook, stirring constantly until the spinach is wilted. Add 1 tablespoon bread crumbs to the sauce and continue to cook for another minute or two until the cream is thickened a bit.
  • Arrange the reserved mussel shells on a shallow baking sheet and fill each of them with a spoonful of stuffing.  Then, top with a mussel and a sprinkling of bread crumbs. If you are making these ahead, cover loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to one day before baking. When you are ready to serve, bake the mussels in a preheated 400F oven for 6-8 minutes until tops are lightly browned and edges are bubbling. Reduce the baking time to 4-5 minutes if you bake the mussels right away, while the sauce is still warm.
  • Serve immediately garnished with a few sprigs of fresh herbs.
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