The P&J Oyster Cookbook by Kit Wohl and the Sunseri Family. Pelican Publishing Company, 2010.
Monday, September 6, 2010
Terry Thompson-Anderson

If you’re as much of an oyster lover as I am, then this book will make you tremble all over.  When I began to thumb through the pages, of P&J Oyster Cookbook, The,  savoring the stunning, full-page photos of many classic oyster dishes and even more enticing new ones, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on some oysters and start cooking!

Who better than Kit Wohl, a native New Orleanian, and a marvelous cookbook author, to compile this tremendous book with the Sunseri Family, owners of the P&J Oyster Company, the oldest continuously operating oyster house in America, founded in 1876.  In 1889, Antoine’s Restaurant created the iconic dish, Oysters Rockefeller, using P&J oysters. Legendary New Orleans Chef Leah Chase will allow no other oyster in her kitchen!  It was, indeed, a collaboration made in cookbook heaven.

The book is a literal treasure trove of oysters prepared any way you want them.  The recipes were selected from the vast recipe files of the Sunseri family, collected over many decades, and from New Orleans institutions like Acme Oyster House, Casamento’s, Arnaud’s, Commander’s Palace, Dookie Chase’s, Susan Spicer’s Bayona, and many more. Just pick a chapter that suits your oyster-savoring mood at the moment – Raw; Grilled; Fried; Baked; Soups, Gumbos & Stews; Casseroles, Pastas and Pies; Gratins, Stuffings and Dressings; plus an excellent chapter on the basics – Stocks, Sauces, and Seasonings. 

On New Year’s Eve, we did our best to sample a few recipes from each chapter, beginning with some raw creations, and we found them all to be soul satisfying.  The only thing that could possibly have made them any better would’ve been to be actually eating each dish at its place of origin in New Orleans, or using P&J oysters!   We ended 2009 with one of my personal favorite oyster dishes, Oyster Pan Roast, and our midnight Champagne.  I never tire of this great New Orleans comfort food.  We found this version, from Chef Darin Nesbit and Dickie Brennan of the Palace Café, to be stellar.  Simple, fresh ingredients, easy preparation, but a taste that will bring us back to this recipe many times during oyster season when the oysters are sweet and salty.  Next time we’ll enjoy the dish with a bottle of well-chilled Albariño.

Oyster Pan Roast
Re-printed with permission from the P&J Oyster Book by Kit Wohl and the Sunseri Family. Pelican Publishing Company, 2010.

Makes 4 servings.

4 slices French bread, cut on a bias, 2 to 3 inches thick
1 tablespoon butter, softened
Salt and freshly ground white pepper, to taste
4 tablespoons bread crumbs
2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1 quart heavy cream
1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary
1 tablespoon minced French shallots
20 shucked fresh oysters
1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley, for garnish
4 sprigs fresh rosemary

Strain the oyster juices (the “liquor”) into a container to remove grit and refrigerate or freeze for future use.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

To make the croutons, butter both sides f each slice of French bread and season it with salt and white pepper.  Toast the slices in the oven until crisp.

Mix the bread crumbs and Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese in a small bowl set aside.

In a heavy saucepan over medium-high heat, reduce the cream by half.  Stir in the rosemary and shallots and reduce the sauce until it thickens a bit.

Strain the sauce into an oven-proof skillet, remove the shallots and rosemary.  Bring to a boil.  Add the oysters and season to taste with salt and white pepper.  Be careful not to over-salt the dish. Remember, the oysters are somewhat salty. Cook for 1 o 2 minutes, or until the edges of the oysters begin to curl, then remove from heat.

Sprinkle the read crumb mixture over the oysters.  Bake in a 350 degree oven until the bread crumbs are toasted an golden brown.

To serve, place a crouton in the center of each serving plate. Spoon the oysters ad sauce around the crouton.  Spear a rosemary sprig through each crouton and sprinkle each serving with parsley.

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