Oysters Kilpatrick

"A classic Australian dish which will be found in many Australian restaurants, and which is a brilliant way to enjoy oysters. I checked out a few sources before posting this recipe, for the 2005 Zaar World Tour, but primarily Huey (Australian chef Iain Hewitson) and the Australian publication by Reader's Digest of a book jam-packed with traditional Australian recipes: 'Family Recipe Scrapbook: tried and trusted recipes for today's cooks'. The recipe I've posted here is taken primarily from the Reader's Digest publication, but I've included details of a variation (from Huey) in the notes. By the way, if you're watching your salt intake and you're concerned about the unspecified amount of rock salt, don't be: you won't be eating it! Not in this recipe! But DO buy your oysters from someone or somewhere you can trust, so that you KNOW they are fresh."
 
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photo by Andi Longmeadow Farm photo by Andi Longmeadow Farm
photo by Andi Longmeadow Farm
photo by Peter J photo by Peter J
Ready In:
13mins
Ingredients:
9
Yields:
24 Oysters Kilpatrick
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ingredients

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directions

  • Preheat the grill to the highest temperature.
  • Arrange the oysters on a bed of rock salt in a large, shallow, ovenproof dish.
  • Combine the Worcestershire sauce and butter in a small saucepan and heat the butter until it melts and the mixture begins to bubble around the edges of the saucepan. Remove from the heat.
  • Spoon a little of the Worcestershire sauce and butter mixture over each oyster, and top evenly with the diced bacon and season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste.
  • Cook under a preheated grill for 3-4 minutes, or until the bacon is crisp.
  • Sprinkle with parsley, and serve with lemon wedges.
  • Variation: The recipe for Oyster's Kilpatrick on Huey's website is Cath Claringbold's (from Mecca Bah in Melbourne), and varies from this more traditional recipe by including 100g finely chopped onion which is gently sautéed with the bacon in some olive oil. When the onions and bacon are removed from the stove, 2 drops of Tabasco sauce (this is for 3 dozen oysters) are added along with the Worcestershire sauce. Otherwise, the steps are much the same. I'm including this variation here, because unlike me some chefs I know are always looking for ways to add extra heat!

Questions & Replies

  1. What purpose does the rock salt serve? Is it really necessary in the cooking of the oysters?
     
  2. OMG the recipe for Oysters Kilpatrick is amazing...THANKYOU:):) Is the anywhere I can buy the shells on their own? We can get the oysters ourselves but most of the time the shells are too damaged to cook in. It's a long shot but no harm in asking:).
     
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Reviews

  1. Holy oyster shellfish this is good! Wow, I am coming to Aussie if you all are serving this! I eat raw oysters consistently during the cold Winter months, and now you have given me a reason to keep going. Maryland has wonderful oysters, (although the population is waning) so I used some fresh oysters to enjoy with this topping of tastes and sensations. Yummy, I followed this exactly expect for one change, we ate the oysters raw, but with the topping as suggested. Easy to throw together, the bacon, the butter, the Tabasco, the worceestershire sauce, all of it, extremely satisfying and tasty. I added a bit of garlic/hot sauce to the top and it came out beautifully! Thank you, bluemoon downunder!
     
  2. Very tasty! I've had these a million times before and never realised they were an Australian dish. The only thing I changed in the recipe was to use diced ham rather than bacon as it tastes a little less salty. In the past I've just used worcestershire rather than mixing with butter, but the butter added to the taste and is a worthwhile step. I cooked on a BBQ grill with the hood down, although if using bacon you would need to crisp it first for this method to work.
     
  3. Every time we went to a restaurant in Sydney I'd always order this if they had it which in Sydney most did. Here in LA I have never found it. Don't substitute or change. At least for the first time. Grilling the oysters is imperative. I love raw oysters too but this recipe needs them lightly cooked to get the right mix of flavors.
     
  4. So simple and completely delicious!! We're a bit partial to chilli - so I added one crushed birdseye to the Worcestershire (which I doubled to 2 Tabs as we used MASSIVE New Zealand Pacifics - they tend to have a very deep shell) before adding it to the shells, We thoroughly enjoyed them temaed with a chilled crisp Savingon Blanc from the Berossa Valley and you have the perfect Aussie evening!!
     
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RECIPE SUBMITTED BY

July 2008 update: VERY happy to be back on Zaar after about a two year absence due to having had no internet connection at home, and having been too unwell for a time so that getting re-connected wasn't even a priority! <br> <br>And really looking forward to getting back into the Zaar world and connecting again with the many wonderful people I knew before, and new people, of course!
 
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