Oysters Bienville Recipe
baked oysters, shrimp, pecorino, cremini mushrooms
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Ingredients
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Oysters and garnishes
Bienville sauce (shrimp-mushroom cream)
Topping and finishing
Method
Oysters and garnishes
- 1
Prepare oysters
Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C). Clean oyster shells under cold water with a stiff brush. Shuck oysters, reserving as much liquid (brine) as possible; place oysters on a baking sheet or in an ovenproof serving dish lined with rock salt or crumpled foil so shells sit level. Set aside on a tray in the refrigerator while you make the sauce.
Bienville sauce (shrimp-mushroom cream)
- 2
Sauté aromatics and mushrooms
In a medium skillet over medium heat, melt 2 tablespoons butter. Add the minced onion and shallot and cook, stirring, until softened and translucent, about 3–4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 30 seconds until fragrant. Add the chopped cremini mushrooms and cook until they release their liquid and begin to brown, about 5–6 minutes.
- 3
Cook shrimp
Push the mushroom mixture to one side, add 1 tablespoon butter to the cleared space, add the finely chopped shrimp and sauté until just opaque, about 1–2 minutes. Stir shrimp and mushrooms together to combine.
- 4
Deglaze and thicken
Add the white wine (or fish stock) and simmer for 1 minute to deglaze and reduce slightly. Sprinkle the tablespoon of flour over the mixture and stir to coat; cook 1 minute to remove raw flour taste.
- 5
Finish sauce
Gradually whisk in the heavy cream and milk until the sauce is smooth. Add Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, dry sherry (if using), salt, pepper, and cayenne. Reduce heat to low and simmer gently until slightly thickened, about 2–3 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning; if sauce is too thick, add a splash more milk. Remove from heat and stir in remaining 1 tablespoon butter for sheen and richness.
Assemble and bake
- 6
Fill shells
Spoon about 1 to 1 1/2 tablespoons of the Bienville sauce onto each oyster, making sure some sauce covers the oyster meat and fills the shell cavity (reserve a few tablespoons of sauce for any drier shells if needed).
- 7
Add topping
In a small bowl combine the grated Pecorino Romano and breadcrumbs. Sprinkle approximately 1 tablespoon of the cheese-breadcrumb mixture over each sauced oyster. Drizzle or brush lightly with melted butter — about 1/2 teaspoon per oyster — to help browning.
- 8
Bake
Place the filled oysters in the preheated oven and bake until the topping is golden and the sauce is bubbling, about 8–10 minutes. For extra color, place under the broiler for 1–2 minutes, watching closely to avoid burning.
- 9