Savory Oyster & Spinach Appetizer
You can make at Home
by Kari Maltz | July 21, 2022
Have you ever cooked fresh oysters at home? Creating a savory appetizer can be challenging, especially when it comes to mollusks from the sea! While many of us enjoy delicious oyster recipes created by professional chefs, we are often afraid to prepare them at home. At least I used to be.
If you love oysters like me, and are willing to become a little daring, then this savory dish is for you. Rest assured; I am here to relieve your fears. This is truly an easy to make appetizer for the home chef. Sure to wow your friends and biggest critics! Personally, I think the biggest challenge to this recipe is the shucking. So, I rely on someone else who knows how to do this. If you can’t shuck your oysters at home, just ask the seafood professional at your local grocer.
About this BLOG
My goal is not to compete with professional foodie bloggers but to provide you enough information and directions to follow our experience creating this dish at the Culinary Institute of the South. Kathryn Mademann and I spent an incredible day with Chef Miles Huff, Division Dean, Culinary and Hospitality and Chef Jacqueline Orak, Baking and Pastry Instructor and Chair, Culinary and Hospitality. In addition to some great recipes, we learned that there is much more to the culinary profession than we knew. Click here to meet the chefs, join us in their commercial kitchen, and watch this appetizer being made from scratch. You’ll also get a sneak peek at the other dishes we made. Those recipes will be content in upcoming BLOG posts.
While I can’t share their proprietary recipes, I can share enough to get you to the finish line with each dish. Measurements are estimates so adjust to your taste and please drop a note into our social to let us know how you prepared it.
Fun Facts about the Culinary Profession
The first cookbook was written on a clay tablet.
The chef's hat is regarded as a 'toque.' It's an Arabic word meaning hat.
Graduates from culinary school go on to become chefs, kitchen tool designers, cookbook authors, food scientists and more.
Ice carving used to be a required skill for culinary students but has been replaced by Artificial Intelligence (AI) expert computers.
Corn ice cream is a real treat.
Many culinary schools, including the Culinary Institute of the South, have a full-sized commercial kitchen and restaurant where they serve up their own proprietary recipes.
Oysters with Spinach & Salsa Appetizer
Get the Recipe (Download Recipe)
Ingredients
6-10 fresh oysters*
¼ cup cream cheese, softened
½ cup raw baby spinach
dash of salt
dash of pepper
½ cup fresh salsa (see homemade salsa recipe below)
hot sauce
ice cream salt or rock salt (for serving platter) NOT crushed ice
(optional) fresh radish or scallions
Kitchen Tools
4-quart pot
baking pan
parchment paper
blender
serving platter
Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees
Shuck oysters oyster shucker knife & gloves (keep sea water to add flavor)
Boil water for spinach
Blanch spinach for about 30 seconds (spinach will retain vibrant color)
Remove spinach with spider strainer
Blend spinach with cream cheese, salt , and pepper in blender 1-2 minutes
Place oysters on parchment paper on baking pan
Dollop 1 Tbsp spinach and cream cheese mixture onto each oyster
Bake for 3-5 minutes until lightly crispy on top
Remove oysters from oven and plate onto ice cream salt or rock salt
Top with homemade salsa and a dash of hot sauce
(optional) decorate with radish flower or scallions
Prep Time: 25 Minutes
*Oysters are alive until shucked so it’s important to prepare directly after shucking to ensure they are fresh.
Note: This appetizer goes great with a bold chardonnay or sauvignon blanc.
Homemade Salsa
Get the Recipe (Download Recipe)
Ingredients
2 cups tomatoes, diced
2 garlic cloves, peeled and diced
½ cup diced red or purple onion
2 Tbsp lime juice
2 Tbsp fresh cilantro
salt to taste
Directions
Mix all ingredients and chill.
Prep Time: 20 minutes
We hope you enjoy this recipe. Subscribe to our YouTube channel to learn more about “all things coastal” from Kathryn Mademann and drop a note into our social to let us know how this recipe turned out for you. We would love to know!
Bon Appetit,
Kari