Huîtres à la Favorite

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Oyster knife
• •Cut-resistant glove or thick folded kitchen towel
• •Fine-mesh sieve and damp cheesecloth
• •1-quart (1-liter) heavy saucepan
• •10-inch (25 cm) sauté pan
• •9 by 13-inch (23 by 33 cm) rimmed metal tray
• •Small offset spoon

Instructions

1. 1

   Set the glaze station

   Set an oven rack about 5 inches (13 cm) below the broiler and heat the broiler on high. Spread the coarse salt 1/2 inch (1.25 cm) deep in a 9 by 13-inch (23 by 33 cm) rimmed metal tray. The salt is not seasoning; it holds each curved shell level so the Béchamel stays around the oyster instead of running onto the tray.

   A broiler needs time to become fierce. Let it heat while you make the sauce and open the oysters; a lukewarm broiler cooks the oysters slowly before it colors the glaze.
2. 2

   Make the Béchamel

   Melt the 2 tablespoons butter in a small heavy saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir in the flour and cook for about 90 seconds, until the roux smells faintly of biscuits but remains pale. Reserve 2 tablespoons of the warm milk, then whisk the rest into the roux in three additions. Bring the Béchamel, the milk sauce bound with a pale roux, to a gentle bubble and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, whisking often, until it falls from the whisk in a broad ribbon. Season with the salt, white pepper, and nutmeg. If it goes lumpy, take it off the heat, whisk vigorously, and pass it through a fine sieve. If it is too thick to spread, loosen it a teaspoon at a time with the reserved milk; if it runs thin, simmer it another minute. Keep it warm with parchment pressed directly against the surface.

3. 3

   Shuck and ébarber

   Keep each oyster cupped-side down and open it over a bowl so every drop of liquor is caught. Slide the oyster knife along the top shell, cut the adductor, and lift away the flat shell. Detach the oyster from the deep shell, then ébarber, trim away the ragged dark fringe the classical recipe calls the beard, along with any shell fragments. Do not rinse the oyster flesh. Strain all the collected liquor through a fine-mesh sieve lined with damp cheesecloth. Rinse the empty deep shells thoroughly, dry their outsides, and nest them level in the salt. Discard any oyster that smelled sour or was gaping and failed to close when tapped before opening.

   Wrap the holding hand in a thick folded towel or wear a cut-resistant glove. Point the knife away from your palm and let steady pressure open the hinge; force is how hands get cut and liquor gets spilled.
4. 4

   Poach in the liquor

   Pour the strained oyster liquor into a 10-inch (25 cm) sauté pan and bring it only to a bare tremble over medium-low heat. Add the oysters in one layer, working in two batches if necessary, and spoon the liquor over them for 30 to 60 seconds. Lift each oyster out as soon as it plumps, its fringe begins to curl, and its center turns barely opaque. If the liquor reaches a boil, pull the pan off the heat and lift the oysters immediately; caught at the first boil, the final glaze can finish them without turning them rubbery. Ça se rattrape.

5. 5

   Layer the shells

   Spoon about 1 teaspoon of warm Béchamel into each deep shell. Set a poached oyster on the sauce, lay one thin truffle slice over it, and cover with another teaspoon of Béchamel. Sprinkle the Parmesan evenly over the twelve shells, then let a few drops of melted butter fall over each one. Assemble lightly and quickly; the source calls for layers, not a mound of sauce.

6. 6

   Glaze and serve

   Slide the tray beneath the fully heated broiler and glaze for 1 to 3 minutes, rotating the tray once if the heat is uneven. Pull it when the Béchamel bubbles at the edges, the Parmesan is freckled gold, and the butter shines across the surface. If the cheese darkens before the sauce bubbles, lower the tray one rack and continue briefly; if the sauce bubbles while the top remains pale, move it closer only for the final few seconds. This is glazing, not a second poach. Carry the tray straight to the table. À table!

Chef Tips

• •Choose oysters with deep lower shells and enough size to remain plump beneath the sauce. Keep them cold, cupped-side down, under a damp cloth, never submerged in fresh water.
• •Fresh black truffle is magnificent when available, but a whole preserved black truffle is the classical pantry's honest answer out of season. Drain it well and slice it thinly. Truffle oil cannot supply the slice or its quiet texture.
• •Grate the Parmesan very finely so it melts before the oyster overcooks. A coarse shower forms pebbles instead of the quick, even glaze this dish requires.
• •Serve three shells per guest with a brut Champagne or a flinty Chablis. Both have the acidity to meet the Béchamel and butter without trampling the oyster liquor or truffle.
• •Do not hold the finished oysters beneath a warming lamp or return them to the broiler. The glaze waits for no one, which is why the guests should already be seated.

Advance Preparation

• •The Béchamel can be made up to one day ahead. Press parchment directly against its surface, chill it promptly, and reheat it over low heat with a spoonful of milk until it returns to a broad ribbon.
• •Prepare the salt-lined tray and grate the Parmesan several hours ahead. Scrub the oysters, then return them to the refrigerator unshucked, cupped-side down beneath a damp cloth.
• •Shuck, poach, and assemble close to serving. The filled shells can stand for about 10 minutes while the guests settle, but the final glaze must happen immediately before they reach the table.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 110g)