Chanterelle Oyster Tray Pass

Chanterelle Oyster Tray Pass

When you have ingredients as shiny as fresh oysters and chanterelle mushrooms, your only job is to not get in their way. This very easy baked-oyster can be completed in under 30 minutes and is the perfect appetizer or tray pass for your holiday cocktail parties

Makes 12 oysters.

Ingredients:

• A dozen oysters, shucked and left in the bottom cupped shell.
• 1/4 lb ground pork sausage
• 1 minced shallot
• 2 big handfuls of chanterelle mushrooms, or about 1 lb, cut into 1/2" sized pieces
• 1/2 cup bread crumbs
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme
• salt and pepper

Using a shucking knife and gloves, take the top shells off of the oysters and look them over for shell bits. Place them cupped side down on a cast iron grill pan (pictured) or tinfoil covered baking tray (you can use rock salt to prop the oysters upright). Set aside.

In a cast iron skillet, cook sausage over medium-high heat until it's entirely cooked through and easy to break apart with a wooden spoon (about six minutes). Cook for an additional minute while applying pressure to the back of your wooden spoon so that the pork gets a slight crispy char on the pan side.

Lower heat to medium, remove the pork from the pan with a slotted spoon, and place in a medium-sized bowl.

In the same skillet, melt shallots in leftover pork fat until aromatic and translucent (about 4 minutes) before adding the chanterelles to the pan and cooking for an additional 4 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Remove mushrooms and shallots from the pan with the slotted spoon, place on a paper towel so that the mushrooms can release any excess pork fat.

If using an oven: preheat it to broil, being sure to move the baking rake down to the second rung. (If you prefer your oysters well done, you can set the oven to roast at 400 degrees instead of broil, and cook them for 6-8 minutes. You can also cook these on a propane or charcoal bbq.)

Add breadcrumbs, cheese, and generous pinches of salt and pepper to the sausage. Mix thoroughly.

Using your hands, press tablespoons of the sausage mixture into each oyster and place on a cast iron grill pan. Top each oyster with a cooked chanterelle and finish with a hefty pinch of thyme. Broil for 5 minutes, or until the breadcrumbs, cheese, and chanterelle have darkened in color and hte oyster has firmed up.

Remove from oven and serve.