OYSTER STUFFING CAKES

Oyster Stuffing Cakes image

When you get your hands on ice-cold oysters straight from the Chesapeake Bay, it would be foolish to do anything beyond shuck and slurp. But in the 19th century, oysters were so plentiful in eastern Virginia and Maryland that they burrowed their way into the region's cooking traditions. Most were smoked and salted, roasted over fire, dropped into chowders and stews and used in stuffings. The chef Peter Woods at Merroir in Topping, Va., serves this crisp, savory treat in fall and winter as an appetizer, or as a main course with a big winter salad of bitter greens, pears or dried fruit and toasted nuts.Try to buy the oysters for this recipe at a fish store with high turnover and have the counterman shuck them for you; if you can't, even packaged shucked oysters will do fine. They are chopped up small in this recipe so they melt into the bread and herbs, and their briny liquor binds the mixture. You taste umami and butter and salt, but nothing screams "Oyster!"

Provided by Julia Moskin

Categories dinner, lunch, appetizer, main course

Time 45m

Yield 12 servings

Number Of Ingredients 15

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Ingredients

1 pint (about 2 dozen) Eastern (virginica) shucked oysters with their liquor, finely chopped
12 ounces stale bread cut into 1/2-inch cubes
3 ounces (about 1/3 cup) freshly grated Parmesan
1 stick (4 ounces) unsalted butter
3 slices bacon, chopped
4 stalks celery, chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 1/2 cups chicken stock, plus extra for binding
2 tablespoons fresh oregano, chopped fine, or 1 tablespoon dried
2 tablespoons fresh thyme, chopped fine, or 1 tablespoon dried
6 fresh sage leaves, minced
2 teaspoons ground coriander
Coarse salt
Black pepper
Neutral oil, such as grapeseed or canola, for pan-frying

Steps:

In a large bowl, combine oysters and their liquor, bread and cheese. Set aside.
In a heavy skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add bacon and let cook 3 to 5 minutes, until fat has rendered and bacon is cooked through but not crisp.
Add celery and onion, stir to coat, then add stock and bring to a simmer. Let simmer until vegetables have softened, 10 minutes. Add herbs and coriander, mix well and turn off heat.
Add vegetable mixture to bread mixture in bowl. Toss well, season to taste with salt and pepper, then refrigerate until chilled, about 2 hours, or overnight.
When ready to cook, form chilled mixture into 3 1/2-ounce patties, about the size of a clementine. Let patties come to cool room temperature. Heat a film of oil in a skillet and, working in batches, pan-fry patties, turning once, until browned on both sides and hot all the way through. Serve hot, with bacon scallion cream sauce if desired.

Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 272, UnsaturatedFat 8 grams, Carbohydrate 20 grams, Fat 17 grams, Fiber 2 grams, Protein 10 grams, SaturatedFat 8 grams, Sodium 386 milligrams, Sugar 3 grams, TransFat 0 grams