Smoked Oysters With Crème Fraîche And Saltines Recipe | Tasting T
Recipe adapted from Mike Lata, The Ordinary, Charleston, SC
To learn more, read "Saltine Dream" in our National edition.
Recipe adapted from Mike Lata, The Ordinary, Charleston, SC
Smoked Oysters With Crème Fraîche And Saltines
Consider the humble saltine. Now reconsider it brushed with butter, sprinkled with Old Bay and topped with silky smoked oysters--that's how The Ordinary's Mike Lata does crackers. Make it today!
Prep Time
25
minutes
Cook Time
15
minutes
Servings
4
to 6 servings
Total time: 40 minutes
Ingredients
- 12 saltine crackers
- 1 tablespoon butter, melted
- ¼ teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
- ½ cup crème fraîche
- 2 teaspoons toasted whole coriander seeds, ground
- ¼ teaspoon lemon zest
- 1½ tablespoons alderwood chips
- 1 dozen oysters on the half shell
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped celery heart (with leaves)
- 2 teaspoons minced shallots
- 1 teaspoon finely chopped chives
- Hot sauce, preferably Crystal brand
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 400°. Place the saltine crackers on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Brush liberally with melted butter and bake until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and immediately sprinkle with Old Bay seasoning. Let cool.
- In a small bowl, combine the crème fraîche, coriander and lemon zest.
- Using a stovetop smoker, place wood chips in a small pile in the center of the base. Place a drip pan on top of the wood chips. Place a wire rack on top of the drip pan. Transfer oysters (still in shells) to wire rack. Transfer the smoker, with the lid slightly open, to a burner over medium heat. When the first sign of smoke rises, close the lid and cook for 10 minutes.
- Remove the oysters from the smoker, remove the shells and transfer to a medium mixing bowl. Add the chives, shallots, lemon juice, olive oil and celery heart and mix gently. Serve the smoked oysters with the saltines, crème fraîche and hot sauce.