Chef Jeremy Sewall’s Oysters Gregory

By: Chef Jeremy Sewall – Island Creek Oyster Bar/Row 34/Les Sablons

Makes 12 oysters

Ingredients:

  • 12 large oysters
  • 1 small leek, white part only, split lengthwise and washed
  • 2 tablespoons canola oil
  • ½ cup diced uncooked slab bacon
  • 1 tablespoon paprika
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • ½ cup panko bread crumbs
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon
  • 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
  • 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 1 to 2 cups kosher salt for baking, plus more to taste
  • Freshly ground white pepper

Steps:

  1. Shuck the oysters, saving the bottom shell and meat separately. Clean out the shells and set aside. Refrigerate the oyster meat in a bowl, covered with plastic wrap, until ready to use.
  2. Preheat a grill pan or sauté pan over medium-high heat. Brush the leak with a little bit of the oil and place both halves on the hot grill pan or sauté pan, flat side down. Grill for 1 minute, then roll it onto its side; repeat twice to grill all sides. The leek should not be fully cooked but have a little color. Let cool slightly; slice into thin half circles
  3. In a sauté pan, heat the remaining oil over medium heat, add the bacon, and cook until it begins to brown, 4 to 5 minutes.
  4. Drain off all but 2 tablespoons of the fat and add the paprika, leeks, and garlic.
  5. Cook for 2 minutes over medium heat, stirring frequently, careful not to let the mixture burn. Remove from the heat and fold in the bread crumbs, tarragon, lemon zest, and lemon juice; season with salt and white pepper.
  6. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
  7. Mix a little water into 1 to 2 cups salt to make a paste. Mound the paste into a long flat pedestal on a baking sheet. Place the cleaned oyster shells on top of the mound. Place an oyster in each shell and spoon the leek mixture over the oyster meat so that it is completely covered. Bake the oysters for 8 minutes, then turn on the broiler and cook for 2 more minutes.
  8. To serve, create small mounds of salt paste on a large serving platter and place the baked oysters on top of each mound.

Want to check out more of Chef Jeremy Sewall’s recipes? Check out The New England Kitchen here!