Oysters Casino; celebrating #FishFridayFoodies and #FoodnFlix

I am allowing my recipe today to serve double duty.  It is Fish Friday Foodies time, celebrated on the third Friday of each month.  I started this group at the beginning of the year in an effort to gather more fish and seafood recipes for my repertoire.  I was immediately joined by a great group of bloggers who not only make this the go to site for great recipes but they also make the party each month, tons of fun.

This graphic was made for us by our very own, Heather, of All Roads Lead to the Kitchen.  Heather also is our leader for Food n Flix but we will talk about that in a moment.  

Our theme for this month was chosen by yours truly...yep, I got to choose the theme for this month. Here is how wonderful this group is....I went to our facebook page to see who was hosting this month.  I had actually forgotten that I was hosting.  True story.  That is how smoothly this group runs. Once I had invited people to join in, I was off the hook...they just step in and take care of business. They suggested doing themes each month, they offered to take turns hosting each month, they developed the graphic and every 3rd Friday they post awesome recipes.  This is the best group ever!!

I chose the theme Fish and Seafood as Appetizers or First Courses just in time for your holiday menu planning.

Now let's talk about FoodnFlix.  This club is so much fun.  Each month one of us chooses a film for us to watch.  We watch it at our leisure during the month and then create any dish we want that was inspired by the movie.  There is no set date for posting the recipe, at the end of the month the host posts a roundup where we learn what everyone else thought of the movie and get to see their recipe.

This month our host is Caroline of Caroline Makes.  Caroline chose the movie Burnt, starring Bradley Cooper, that was released on DVD earlier this year.  You can see Caroline's invitation post here and it is still early enough for you to go out, grab this movie, create your own recipe and join us. Submissions are not due until November 30th and this is a great movie so it is a perfect time for you to join us.  Everything you need to do so can be found in that invitation by Caroline.

Frank and I went out on a date night and saw Burnt while it was on the big screen and reviewed it for you here.  I loved this movie so much that I also purchased it so I was ecstatic when Caroline chose it for this month's film.

Bradley Cooper plays a 2 star Michelin chef in France who went rogue...getting involved with drugs, running rampant with women and casting aside friends until he finally had to flee to the States to avoid the law, a fiancee and a drug cartel to whom he owed money.  He ended up in New Orleans where he gave up women and alcohol.  He spent his time doing penance shucking oysters. One million oysters, to be exact.  On the day he shucked his millionth oyster he was ready to return to Europe to seek out the coveted 3rd Michelin star.  Unfortunately, the penance did not teach him kindness or humility...those things her learned upon his return and his quest.

There is so much beautiful food from which to choose.  There is exotic food, plain food, fast food, savory food, sweet food, comfort food.....food everywhere you turn...but I took my inspiration from the very beginning of the movie. I was struck by the dedication and strength needed to free one's self from addictions.  Every addict has a way of coping; a way of getting through each day.  For this chef that way was shucking oysters....One Million Oysters.

I can't imagine shucking 1 million oysters.  Heck, I can't imagine shucking the eight that I served as an appetizer.  I went to my fishmonger and asked for eight blue point oysters.  "Shucked, please" I requested.  "Oh, I'm sorry", he replied, "we are no longer allowed to shuck them".  He went on to explain that one of the employees got cut so now they don't shuck the oysters any longer.  I told him that was exactly why I wanted them shucked....so I didn't cut myself.  Policy is policy, I guess.  I took the oysters unshucked.

I was originally going to make an oyster cocktail for today's recipe but, since the oysters weren't shucked, I changed my mind.  You see, I am a bad oyster shucker so I found a trick....if you steam the oysters, as you would clams, they don't pop open but they do open much, much more easily.  This only works, though, if you are going to serve the oysters cooked.

I decided to do a play on Clams Casino, using oysters. Once I steamed the oysters and got them opened the rest of the recipe was a piece of cake.  Saute the green pepper and scallions in some butter, mix them with additional butter and pour over the oysters.  Sprinkle with some bacon bits and bake until warmed through.  A squeeze of half a lemon and you are ready to serve.

I served this as an appetizer so I only made 2 per person.  They were mouthwateringly delicious. Buttery with the brine of the oyster and the smokiness of the bacon.  We were left wanting one or two more but, alas, this was only meant to whet the appetite.

Oysters Casino

8 Blue Point Oysters

3/4 c. white wine

1/4 c butter, divided

1 T. green pepper, small dice

3 scallions, white and light green sections, thinly sliced

salt and pepper to taste

3 T. cooked and crumbled bacon

juice of 1/2 lemon

Scrub the oysters and place them in a large skillet.  Add the white wine and bring to a boil over med high heat. Reduce heat to medium, cover and let steam for 4-5 minutes.  Remove from heat and pry the oysters open with an oyster knife.  They should open easily.  Place the deepest half of each shell onto a cookie sheet with the oyster in the well of each one.  Discard the remaining shells.

In a small skillet melt 2 T. of  the butter over medium high heat.  Add the green pepper and scallions.  Season with salt and pepper and saute until softened.  Place the other 2 T. of butter in a small bowl, stir in the softened vegetables and place a dollop over each of the oysters.  Sprinkle with the bacon and place in a preheated 450* oven for 5-10 minutes, until bubbly and heated through.  Remove to a serving plate and squeeze the juice of half a lemon over all.  Print Recipe

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