Recipe is for 6 oysters
Ingredients
6 Virginia oysters
6 strips of bacon (Chef Ian used pork bacon made from Berkshire pigs at Autumn Olive Farms in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley)
1 tbsp butter
1 tsp minced shallot
1 tsp minced garlic
3/4 cup chopped arugula
3/4 oz Absinthe of Pernod
1/3 cup Grayson cheese from Meadow Creek Dairy
Nasturtium flower petals, chopped
Directions
First, place the oysters under the broiler or very hot oven for about 1 minute until they barely open. Remove, and set aside. Be careful not to spill the liquid out of the shell. You don't want to dry them out.
Crisp 6 pieces of thinly sliced, cured meat, and dice into rectangular pieces.
In a small sauté pan over medium heat, add butter.
Once the butter is hot, add minced shallot and cook for about 30 seconds until just before it begins to brown. Then add minced garlic and cook for a few seconds more.
Add chopped arugula and cook for 30 seconds. Add Absinthe or Pernod, and cook about 15 seconds more.
Place mixture into a bowl.
Now, pop the tops off the cooled oysters, and, using an oyster knife or paring knife, sever the adductor muscle that anchors the oyster to the bottom of the shell.
Remove any bits of shell that may have fallen in with the oyster. Those are not too fun to eat.
On each oyster, place about 2 teaspoons of the arugula mixture and a tablespoon of cheese. Sprinkle pieces of the crispy cured meat on top. Return the oysters to the broiler until cheese is browned. Let cool slightly, sprinkle with Nasturtium petals, and serve.
Angela Blue
Angela Blue has served as editor-in-chief for multiple lifestyle publications and copy editor for several cultural institutions and nonprofits. A seasoned writer, she enjoys sharing stories that spark curiosity and build connections. Angela lives in Norfolk with her husband and two kids and enjoys reading, running, cooking, and spending time on the Lafayette River.
