Hot oysters in creamy beurre blanc sauce

The classic French beurre blanc, or ‘white butter’, sauce is a long-time friend of seafood. In this recipe, it is mixed with lightly sautéed vegetables and piled onto oven-baked oysters to make an impressive seafood party starter.

• makes

  12

• prep

  5 minutes

• cook

  15 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

Ingredients

• 12 oysters, shucked
• 2 cups rock salt

Beurre blanc sauce

• 125 ml (½ cup) white wine
• 3 French shallots, diced
• 200 g butter
• 60 ml cream

Vegetables

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 carrots, julienned
• ½ celeriac, julienned
• 1 leek, julienned

Instructions

Preheat oven to 180°C.

To make the beurre blanc sauce, heat a small saucepan over medium heat. Add wine and shallot. Cook for 15 minutes or until reduced by three-quarters. Gradually add butter, 50 g at a time, whisking constantly, until combined. Stir in cream, then set aside in a warm place.

To cook the vegetables, heat a saucepan over medium heat. Add oil, then carrot. Stir to coat in oil. Stir in celeriac, then leek. Cook for 4 minutes or until softened. Add the beurre blanc sauce, stir and set aside.

Place oysters in a baking tray. Bake for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, make a bed of rock salt on a serving platter. Remove oysters from oven and place on salt. Spoon beurre blanc sauce and vegetables on top of oysters and serve.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.