French cuisine · Fish & Seafood

Oysters Gratinéed with Champagne

Fresh oysters browned golden in seconds under an airy Champagne sabayon.

Ingredients · for 4 servings

• 24 oysters
• 4 egg yolks
• 150 ml Champagne (or dry sparkling wine)
• 2 shallots
• 50 g butter
• 100 ml cream
• 1 splash lemon
• 1 pinch cayenne pepper
• coarse sea salt
• Salt, pepper

Instructions

1. Open the oysters with an oyster knife, catching the liquor and straining it through a fine sieve; loosen the oysters from their shells and rinse the deep shells thoroughly.
2. Finely dice the shallots, sauté in 20 g butter for 3 min. until translucent, deglaze with 100 ml Champagne and the oyster liquor and reduce to 3 tbsp; let cool to lukewarm.
3. Preheat the oven broiler to 250°C and cover a baking sheet with a thick layer of coarse sea salt so the shells stand securely.
4. Whisk the egg yolks with the shallot reduction and the remaining Champagne over a hot water bath for 5-6 min. until foamy and creamy enough that trails from the whisk remain visible.
5. Whip the cream to soft peaks and fold it with the remaining melted butter into the sabayon, seasoning with lemon, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper.
6. Place one oyster in each shell, cover generously with sabayon and broil for 2-3 min. until the surface is mottled golden brown; serve immediately on the salt bed.