Oysters Vanderbilt
Chowder Sauce, Leeks, Hazelnuts, Parsley Crust
Chefs Michael Balboni and William Nacev of Le Pavillon | New York
Yield: 8 oysters
Adapted by StarChefs | january 2023
INGREDIENTS:
Parsley Crust:
1 cup butter, room temperature
1 ½ cups panko breadcrumbs
1 bunch parsley, finely chopped
Salt
Oysters:
1 shallot, thinly sliced
2 small cloves garlic, crushed
3 sprigs thyme
3 tablespoons olive oil
½ cup white wine
12 oysters, cleaned
Chowder:
6 slices bacon, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons butter
½ leek, thinly sliced
1 stalk celery, thinly sliced
1 small onion, thinly sliced
½ small Yukon potato, thinly sliced
1 cup heavy cream
Salt
Black pepper
To Assemble and Serve:
½ leek, diced
Butter
½ cup toasted hazelnuts
Rock salt
METHOD:
For the Parsley Crust:
In a mixing bowl, combine all ingredients. Spread the mixture between 2 pieces of parchment paper until ⅛-inch thick. Refrigerate overnight until solid. The next day, cut the crust into rectangles, roughly the shape size as the oyster shells. Refrigerate.
For the Oysters:
In a large saucepan over medium heat, combine shallots, garlic, thyme, and olive oil. Cook, stirring often, until tender and translucent. Deglaze pan with white wine. Add ½ cup water and bring to a simmer. Add oysters and cover. Cook until oysters begin to open. Remove oysters from the pot and let cool. Reserve cooking liquid. Once cooled, shuck all oysters, returning 8 to their bottom shells on a sheet tray and setting the remaining 4 aside.
For the Chowder:
Strain poaching liquid through a fine-mesh sieve and reserve. In a separate saucepan over medium heat, add bacon and butter. Cook until fat begins to render. Add leeks, celery, onion and potato. Season with salt and pepper. Cook until leeks are translucent. Add heavy cream, ⅓ cup water, and reserved oyster cooking liquid. Cook until vegetables are cooked through and tender. Transfer chowder mixture to a Vitamix blender. Add 4 reserved shucked oysters. Blend on high speed until smooth. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve. Adjust seasoning and refrigerate.
To Assemble and Serve:
Heat oven to 375°F. In a small saucepan, add leeks and butter and cook until tender. Sprinkle toasted hazelnuts and 1 teaspoon of the leeks over Oysters. Spoon Chowder over the top of each oyster, making sure to completely cover. Place 1 Parsley Crust over each oyster, trimming any excess crust. Roast 2 minutes. Set the oven to broil and cook oysters until they begin to brown and the sauce starts to bubble around the edges. Line 4 dinner plates with a thin layer of rock salt. Transfer 2 oysters to each plate.
