Hot Off the Shell

Four chefs share recipes for the oyster roast of their dreams.

There are few things that say Virginia like an oyster roast: Bivalves by the bushel served steaming from the grill and practically begging to be opened and eaten with everything from a delicate mignonette to a fiery hot sauce. But we wanted to put a new spin on this tradition, so we put the question to chefs, and friends, Andrew Manning of Longoven in Richmond, Tom Power of Fat Canary in Williamsburg, Danielle Goodreau of Tazza Kitchen in Richmond and private chef J Frank, also of Richmond—how would you update this classic? 

The chefs took up the challenge, cooking on the banks of the James River as the sunset washed over the sky one steamy August evening. The four weaved in and around a smoking Kudu grill, prepping dish after dish. Manning fanned the flames as Goodreau stirred the sauce for her ham biscuits; Power pitched in while sipping a Hardywood Pilsner and Frank bustled around, fetching ingredients. An array of plates emerged, each chef incorporating their own flavors into the menu.

Here, we share their recipes for dishes that range from refined to rustic, as eclectic as they are inventive. It’s a pretty spectacular spread, even more delicious than we could have imagined. We think you’ll agree. 

The Chefs

Andrew Manning With Longoven partners Patrick and Megan Fitzroy Phelan, Manning recently opened the first brick-and-mortar location for the longtime pop-up. In 2016, Longoven was named one of the best new restaurants in the country by Bon Appétit magazine.

Tom Power The executive chef of Fat Canary in Williamsburg, whose family’s businesses also include area favorites the Cheese Shop and the Trellis Restaurant.

Danielle Goodreau The R&D chef at Tazza Kitchen, formerly served as the executive chef at Richmond’s A Sharper Palate Catering and helped write pitmaster champion Tuffy Stone’s new cookbook Cool Smoke: The Art of Great Barbecue.

J Frank Longtime private chef in Richmond and the former proprietor of Dixie Donuts in Carytown.

The Menu

Tangier Oysters with Green Apple, Cucumber, Yuzu, Fennel and Tapioca Pearls

Fried Oysters with Tomato Onion Slaw and Green Chili Purée

Baked Oysters with Miso Béchamel and Wakame Salsa Verde 

Fried Oysters with Veal Tartar and Tuna Sauce

Curried Oyster Stew 

Sweet Potato and Ham Biscuits

Roasted Oysters 

Traditional Mignonette

Asian Pear Mignonette

Potato Salad

The Recipes

Tangier Oysters with Green Apple, Cucumber, Yuzu, Fennel and Tapioca Pearls

Andrew Manning

1 green apple, juiced

1 English cucumber, juiced

1 cup yuzu juice

2 teaspoons xanthan gum

salt

2 quarts fennel stock

1 ½ cups tapioca pearls

1 dozen Tangier oysters, cleaned and shucked

micro shiso or basil

Combine the juices of the apple and cucumber with the yuzu in a blender on low speed. Add xanthan gum and salt to taste. Allow the xanthan to hydrate for 2 minutes, then adjust salt if necessary. Remove from blender, strain and keep in a container on ice. Bring fennel stock to a slow simmer and season well with salt. Pour in tapioca pearls and whisk slowly until there is a pin-sized white center in the pearls, about 10 minutes. Remove tapioca pearls with a strainer and rinse under cool water. Marinate the tapioca pearls in some of the juice mixture, reserving the rest.

To assemble, pour the juice mixture over the oyster to fill half way up the shell. Top the oyster with a small spoonful of tapioca pearls and garnish with micro shiso or basil.

Serves 6-8

Fried Oysters with Tomato Onion Slaw and Green Chili Purée

Tom Power

For the tomato onion slaw:

1 large tomato

½ medium onion, thinly sliced

1 bunch cilantro, chopped

1 lime, juiced

2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar

½ teaspoon honey

¼ teaspoon kosher salt

pepper

Quarter tomato and cut away insides. Slice remaining sections into thin strips. Toss tomatoes together with onion and cilantro. Combine lime juice, vinegar, honey and salt, mix well and add to tomato mixture. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste.

For the green chili purée:

canola oil

2 poblano peppers, seeded, stemmed and   roughly chopped

salt

In a sauté pan over high heat, add a small amount of oil, just enough to coat the bottom of the pan. Add poblanos and, tossing occasionally, cook until fragrant and blackened in spots. In a blender, purée poblanos until smooth, adding a small amount of water if necessary. Season with salt.

For the butter sauce:

¼ cup white wine

1 small shallot, diced

8 ounces butter, cubed

salt

In a small saucepan over medium heat, reduce white wine and shallot. When the wine is almost entirely reduced, lower the heat and whisk butter cubes into the pan, one piece at a time. After all the butter is added and smooth, season with salt to taste. 

For the fried oysters:

3 ½ cups flour

½ cup cornmeal

1 tablespoon fine salt

2 ¼ teaspoons cumin 

½ teaspoon cayenne

1 quart canola oil 

24 Rappahannock oysters, shucked 

Whisk together dry ingredients. In a large pot, heat oil to 350 degrees. Dredge oysters in the dry mixture and shake off excess. Drop oysters in the oil, working in batches if necessary. Fry until crispy, about 3 to 4 minutes. Drain on paper towels.

To assemble, spoon tomato onion slaw onto a plate, top with a fried oyster and drizzle with green chili purée and butter sauce.

Serves 8-10

Baked Oysters with Miso Béchamel and Wakame Salsa Verde

Danielle Goodreau

For the miso béchamel: 

6 tablespoons bacon fat or butter

½ cup celery, finely diced

¼ cup shallot, finely diced

6 tablespoons flour

1⁄3 cup white miso paste

3 cups milk

Melt butter in a 4-quart sauce pot over medium-low heat, then add celery and shallot and stir for 1 minute. Add flour and whisk continuously for 3-4 minutes. When the mixture is homogenous, add the miso paste and whisk to incorporate. Once incorporated, slowly add the milk, whisking constantly. Bring mixture to a boil, still whisking constantly. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes, whisking frequently. Remove from heat, cover and set aside until ready to use.

For the wakame salsa verde:

½ cup dry wakame

1 teaspoon lemon zest

1 teaspoon garlic, minced

2 ½ tablespoons shallot, minced

3 tablespoons capers, chopped

½ teaspoon caper juice

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 ½ tablespoons white anchovy, chopped

½ cup olive oil

½ cup canola oil

1 teaspoon sherry vinegar

½ tablespoon minced jalapeño

1 teaspoon white soy sauce

salt

Cover wakame with cold water and allow to soak for 10 minutes. Strain the wakame, squeeze out any excess water and then finely chop. Combine with remaining ingredients and season with salt to taste. Set aside until ready to use.

For the baked oysters:

2-3 dozen oysters, depending on size

1 cup panko bread crumbs

furikake

bonito flakes

Preheat oven to broil. Shuck oysters and lay out on sheet pan. Top each oyster with 1 teaspoon of béchamel and a pinch of panko. Broil for 3-5 minutes, or until béchamel bubbles and panko is golden brown. Remove from oven and top each oyster with a teaspoon of wakame salsa verde, a pinch of furikake and a bonito flake.

Serves 10-12

Fried Oysters with Veal Tartar and Tuna Sauce

J Frank

1 veal tenderloin

3 tablespoons minced shallot

2 tablespoons minced chives

1 tablespoon minced capers

1 teaspoon lemon zest

3-4 tablespoons olive oil

salt and pepper

Cut the veal into a very fine dice. Mix well with remaining ingredients. Keep cold until oysters and tuna sauce are ready.

For the tuna sauce:

4 ½ ounces fresh tuna

2 ½ cups canola oil

½ cup olive oil

4 egg yolks

5 tablespoons sherry vinegar

3 tablespoons capers

3 tablespoons white anchovies

3 tablespoons lemon juice

1 tablespoon garlic

salt

In a medium pot, cover the tuna with 2 cups of the canola oil and poach on low heat gently until tender, about 8-10 minutes. Allow the tuna to cool in the oil, then remove. Measure 1 cup from the poaching oil and combine with the olive oil and remaining canola oil. Blend together tuna with eggs, vinegar, capers, anchovies, lemon juice and garlic. Slowly add the oil mixture in a steady stream until the sauce is emulsified. Season with salt to taste.

For the fried oysters:

1 quart canola oil

2-3 dozen oysters, shucked

2 cups flour

In a large pot, heat oil to 350 degrees. Dip oysters in flour and then fry in hot oil until golden brown, about 1 minute. Drain on paper towels.

To assemble, add a spoonful of tuna sauce to an empty oyster shell, top with a tablespoon of veal tartar and garnish with a small fried oyster.

Serves 12-15

Curried Oyster Stew

J Frank

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 tablespoons canola oil

½ cup onion, chopped

½ cup celery, chopped

1 ½ tablespoons curry powder

1⁄8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

2 pints standard oysters

2 cups chicken stock

1 cup milk

1 cup cream

1 cup coconut milk

salt and pepper

¼ kabocha squash, peeled and chopped

½ sweet potato, peeled and chopped

½ celery root, peeled and chopped

½ leek, washed, trimmed and chopped

In a medium pot over medium heat, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter and 1 tablespoon of the oil. Sauté the onion and celery until soft but not brown. Add the curry powder and cayenne and mix well. Add 1 pint of the oysters, plus the strained liquor from the second. Add the chicken stock, milk and cream and simmer for 15 minutes, then strain through a fine sieve. (Note: The reserved mixture can be used as a stuffing for chicken or pork.) Return the broth to the pot and add the coconut milk and strained oysters. Heat until the oysters start to curl, about 10 minutes. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Lightly sauté the squash, sweet potato, celery root and leek in the remaining butter and oil. Season with salt to taste. Garnish the stew with the sautéed vegetables.

Serves 6-8

Sweet Potato and Ham Biscuits

Danielle Goodreau

1 cup all purpose flour

3 teaspoons baking powder

2 ½ teaspoons sugar

1 teaspoon salt

½ cup plus 2 tablespoons butter

¾ cup sweet potatoes, cooked and mashed

¼ cup milk

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1 tablespoon poppy seeds

1 ½ teaspoons dried minced onion

½ pound cooked ham, sliced

½ pound Swiss cheese, sliced

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, sugar and salt. Cut in 2 tablespoons of the butter until pea-sized shapes form. Mix in the sweet potatoes and milk until a smooth dough forms. Roll out on a floured surface to a thickness of ½ inch. Cut into desired size with a cookie cutter and place onto a well-greased baking sheet an inch apart. Bake until golden brown, about 12-14 minutes. Remove biscuits from oven and reduce heat to 325 degrees. In a small pot over medium heat, combine the mustard, Worcestershire, poppy seeds and dried onion until warm and melted. Fill each biscuit with a slice of ham and cheese. Place them together in an ovenproof pan and pour the sauce over top. Bake until warmed through and the cheese has melted, about 10 minutes. 

Serves 6-8

Roasted Oysters

J Frank

Scrub raw oysters in their shells, about 6 per person. Heat grill to medium-high. Place oysters on the grill cup side down and cover. Roast until the shells begin to open slightly, about two minutes. Discard any that do not open. Cool slightly, then use an oyster knife to pry open the shell, keeping the cup side down to retain as much liquid as possible, and run under the meat to cut the adductor muscle. Serve with mignonette sauces or other desired accoutrements, such as lemon wedges, hot sauce or drawn butter. 

Traditional Mignonette

J Frank

¼ cup red wine vinegar

4 tablespoons shallot, minced

½ teaspoon coarse ground black pepper

1/8 teaspoon salt

Combine all ingredients and chill until ready to serve.

Dresses 2 dozen oysters

Asian Pear Mignonette

J Frank

¼ cup rice wine vinegar

3 tablespoons Asian pear, minced

1 ½ teaspoons red chili pepper, minced

1/8 teaspoon salt

Combine all ingredients and chill until ready to serve.

Dresses 2 dozen oysters

Potato Salad

J Frank

3 pounds red potatoes, chopped

salt

1 cup plus 1 tablespoon canola oil

12 slices of bacon, diced

2 cups celery, diced

½ cup shallots, diced

3 bunches of scallions, sliced

1 cup bread and butter pickles, chopped

1⁄8 cup dill pickles, chopped

¼ cup flat leaf parsley, chopped

¼ cup dill, chopped

salt and pepper

½ cup plus 1 tablespoon cider vinegar

¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons whole grain mustard

4 teaspoons honey

Cook the potatoes in salted water until done but still firm. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a pan over medium-high heat and cook the bacon until crisp. Drain and reserve. In a large mixing bowl combine the potatoes, bacon, celery, shallots, scallions, pickles and herbs. Mix and season with salt and pepper to taste. Combine the vinegar, mustard and honey, mixing well. Slowly add the remaining oil, whisking continuously. Mix the dressing with the potatoes thoroughly and add additional salt and pepper to taste.

Serves 10-12

---

This article originally appeared in our Smoke & Salt 2018 issue.