This week’s recipe is Japanese inspired Miso Baked Oysters. These are a bright and unctuous riff on Oysters Rockefeller inspired by one of my favourite though now closed Japanese restaurants. Oysters are baked over spinach with a rich and zippy sauce and topped with a touch of cheese to seal in the creamy goodness. But guess what? The sauce is dairy free so if you have dietary restrictions, just skip the cheesy topping and you’ll still have a delicious and impressive appetizer.
Dinner for your Valentine
As February nears, I’m cooking up some delicious and romantic recipes and oysters are a classic aphrodisiac. These little bites are perfect as a Valentines day appetizer or add in some crusty bread and a crispy salad and make it your dinner.
Oysters are a Superfood
Not only delicious, sustainable and easily accessible on the west coast of North America, these little beauties are soooo good for you! Very high in protein while low in fat, these pack high levels of Vitamin B12, Iron and zinc and a substantial amount of vitamin C. For those who avoid red meat, these can be an important (and tasty) source for B vitamins and iron which is not frequently found and not as easily absorbed through plant based foods.
If you want to try some other oyster recipes try my classic Oyster Stew recipe
or my very Crispy Pan Fried Oysters.
Miso Baked Oysters
Miso, lemon and oysters are the stars of this Japanese riff on Oysters Rockefeller. Quick and easy, these oysters are tangy and bubbling with cheese. Broil them in their shells or use a ramekin.
Ingredients
- 12 Oysters, shucked, shells reserved if using to bake oysters in
- 3/4 c Japanese Mayonnaise If you substitute regular mayo, you may want to use a little more lemon juice in the recipe
- 2 tbsp Miso paste I use light miso but any miso will work well
- 1 tbsp Mirin
- 2 tbsp Fresh Lemon Juice
- 1 1/2 c Fresh Spinach, shredded or chiffonade
- 1/2 c Cheddar or Mozzarella cheese, shredded (2 oz)
- 5 dashes Hot Sauce (I use Tobasco)
- *Optional* Garnish with extra wedges of lemon, sprinkling of parsley and/or paprika
Instructions
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Preheat broiler or bbq to high.
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Set out oyster shells or ramekins (6-12 depending on size of oysters and the size of serving you would like) on a baking sheet. TIP- If using oyster shells, help them stay upright and stable by placing them on a bed of rock salt or kosher salt.
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Divide spinach equally between shells or ramekins. Top with oysters, if you are using large oysters, I like to cut them in 2-4 pieces each so they are easy to scoop and eat.
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Spoon approximately 1 tbsp miso mayo sauce over each one and then sprinkle with cheese.
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Slide under broiler and broil until bubbling and brown and oysters are cooked, approx 5-8 minutes depending on height of oven rack and temperature of your broiler.
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Remove from oven. Note: broiled cheesy dishes get HOT and can burn so let these cool 5 minutes before eating.
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*Optional* Garnish with chopped parsley or paprika if you like.
I love the Japanese spin on these luscious looking oysters. I can’t wait to try this.
Thanks so much Colleen, enjoy!
It hadn’t occurred to me that miso and oysters are such a great pairing. I think I may need to have a party as an excuse to make this.
Yes! A great excuse for a party 🙂
Oh, I love the idea for this flavor combination and what a totally fun and tasty appetizer! I can imagine this being totally delicious! Thanks for sharing this great recipe!
Thanks so much for weighing in Lisa! These do make a great appetizer:-)
I don’t have oysters often enough, but when I do I always enjoy them!! These flavors sound exceptionally good. Would love to dig in!!
ThanksKatherine ! A healthy indulgence with so many vitamins and minerals in these 🙂
I have to be dramatic but DAMN can’t winter be over yet?! I just want to sit out on my back deck with a whole tray of these. Maybe I’ll have to head West to visit my girl before Spring. I need a coastal vacay!
Right?!?! I think a trip out here is a great idea, they don’t call it the West Coast Cure for nothing! Cheers Bernice 🙂
These are sooo beautiful. I never thought I’d say that about oysters, but your photos are stunning! And once again, in this land-locked world of mine, I feel so jealous about your abundance of fresh seafood….
Thank you so much Terri! With any luck, maybe some of the grocery stores may import them on special occasions.