Stuffed Oysters with Spinach and Crispy Pancetta
Recipe by Vic Chapman, Professional Chef and MOG
Tapa for Four
Ingredients
12 Fresh Oysters, plump 40-50 gm
1 C cooked fresh spinach leaves
Zest of 1 lemon
1/2 C Béchamel sauce ** (recipe below)
1 C sautéed pancetta pieces or bacon
1/2 C sautéed diced shallots
1/4 C sautéed chopped garlic
Panko to dust
Parmesan/Reggiano grated cheese to dust
Procedure
Set Oven to 400F.
Shuck fresh oysters, set aside in oyster juice.
Make béchamel sauce:
Ingredients: Flour, butter and warm seasoned milk.
Heat milk-do not boil- season with salt -set aside on stove top.
Take equal portions of fat and milk-8 oz of butter melted add 8 oz of flour -
Melt butter in a sauté pan over medium heat, add flour, combine-cook for 5 minutes until mixture becomes paste like, cook for another 5 minutes until starts to become gritty and nutty smelling- you are making a “roux”. Add your warm “roux” to the warm milk- whisk briskly until milk starts to thicken. Your goal is to make a warm thick “paste-like” mix.
Add more “roux” if necessary until desired thickness is achieved.
Add lemon zest to the béchamel sauce.
Cook fresh spinach leaves- either sauté or boil in water- If boil, remove all water-press outsqueeze out by using a towel wrapped around the spinach- no excess moisture please!
​
Saute’ shallots and garlic, until crispy ;set aside.
Combine the onion garlic mix with cooked spinach; season with salt and pepper.
Saute’ pancetta pieces, set aside.
Layer the ingredients on top of the freshly shucked oysters in this manner:
-Oysters
-Spinach mix
-Few pieces of pancetta
-Garlic shallot mix
-Béchamel with zest
-PankoParmesan/Romano cheese
Place on sheet pan and roast in hot 400F oven for 6 minutes. ENJOY!
