Oysters Carnival

This was published on The Big Blend’s Creative Celebrations

http://creativecelebrationsmagazine.com/Oysters-Carnival.html.

It is by me, but I wanted to share the recipe.

Until I met Kelly from Houma, Louisiana, I did not realize it was the fastest disappearing land mass on earth, located southwest of New Orleans. Kelly shared a recipe with me from the kitchen of Gold Band Oysters. This little fishing village accounts for 20 percent of the state’s production of fresh seafood.

Oysters Carnival

Ingredients:

5 cups onions-minced

1/2 Tbsp. garlic-minced

1 bay leaf-minced

4 stalks celery-minced

1/2 tsp. thyme leaves

10 Tbsp. butter

4 dozen Gold Band Oysters-strained (reserve liquid) and chopped

1-1/2 cups bread crumbs

36 Gold Band Oyster half shells boiled and scrubbed

18 strips bacon-precooked (crispy) drained and each strip cut in half

6 lemon wedges for garnish
Method:

Preheat oven to 375 F.

In an iron skillet sauté the onion, garlic, bay, celery and thyme in 6 tablespoons butter for about 15 minutes. Add the chopped Gold Band Oysters.

Moisten 1 cup of the breadcrumbs with about 1 cup of the Gold Band Oyster liquid. Add to the above. Simmer for 20-30 minutes.

Add 4 tablespoons butter and cook until the butter is melted.

Fill the Gold Band Oyster shells with the mixture and sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup of breadcrumbs over top. Top with bacon pieces. Heat for 10 to 15 minutes.

Serve 6 Gold Band Oysters per portion. Garnish each platter with a lemon wedge. Serves 6.