Don’t Forget to Celebrate National Oyster Day…
Not that we need any excuses to eat oysters around here, but today, August 5th is National Oyster Day. With that in mind, check out chef Irv Miller’s delicious oyster take on a bacon and onion tartelette from his book equally delicious book, Gulf Coast Oysters. To booze things up, Food & Beverage magazine shares the perfect French Vermouth recipe, the Noilly Prat, to pair with your celebratory oyster dish “that is sure to bring the south of France stateside.” Cheers…
Oyster, Bacon & Caramelized Onion Tartelette
— Makes 4 servings —
INGREDIENTS
ONION-BACON MIXTURE
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced 1/4 cup dry sherry
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
4 slices thick-sliced bacon
DOUGH
16 Gulf Coast oysters
4 4-ounce balls of bread or pizza dough
Flour, for dusting
1/2 cup cornmeal or semolina for dusting a pizza peel
ASSEMBLY
12 tablespoons fromage blanc (French-style plain cheese)
6 tablespoons heavy cream
Fresh nutmeg
Small wedge of aged Parmigiano Reggiano
Extra-virgin olive oil
DIRECTIONS
FOR ONION-BACON MIXTURE: Melt the butter in a medium skillet over medium heat. Stir in the onions and reduce heat to low. Stir until the onions are very soft and beginning to brown, about 15 to 20 minutes. Add sherry and season lightly with salt and a generous grind of black pepper. Increase the heat to medium high or until the onions are evenly browned and lightly caramelized, about 10 additional minutes. Set aside. Cut the bacon slices into ¼-inch matchsticks and render in a medium skillet. Use a slotted spoon to lift them from the bacon fat and onto a paper towel–lined plate to drain.
FOR DOUGH: Position a pizza stone on a middle oven rack and preheat oven to 450°F. Shuck oysters from their shells directly into a small bowl with their liquor. Place one ball of dough on a flour-dusted work surface. Flatten and roll out to an 8-inch thin circle. Fold over edges, leaving a ½-inch edge all around. Repeat for remaining balls. I like to partially cook the dough first, because the oysters release water when cooked and will make the dough soggy. Sprinkle a pizza peel with cornmeal and carefully transfer the tarts one at a time to the pizza stone. Poke the dough bottoms with a fork to keep them deflated and then par-bake the dough for 7 minutes to ensure a crispy crust.
TO ASSEMBLE: Remove from oven. In a small bowl, combine fromage blanc and heavy cream and blend well. Add 3 tablespoons of cheese mixture on top of each pre-cooked tart round and smear evenly with the back of a spoon to cover the bottom. Scatter the caramelized onion and cooked bacon mixture over the tarts. Grate fresh nutmeg on the cheese, and then arrange three or four oysters on each. Season with a pinch of salt and grate parmesan over the top. Lightly drizzle olive oil over the dough crust. Sprinkle a pizza peel with cornmeal and carefully transfer the tarts one at a time to the pizza stone. Bake 12 to 15 minutes, and then serve immediately.
You can take a look inside or purchase your own copy of Gulf Coast Oysters from our shop or find it at your favorite retailer.