Chorizo Baked Oysters
By Emma
Certified Culinary Professional
•
Recipe tested & approved
Oysters baked under a chorizo-tomato blend and sharp cheddar. Onion and garlic sizzle first, white wine sharpens, reduced to thick. Fresh parsley cuts richness. Gratin finished under broiler, cheese bubbling golden. A bold twist on oysters au gratin, with smoky sausage replacing tradition. Crisp shell-tooth contrast, aromatic, hearty bite. Ready under an hour. Gluten, nut, egg free.
Prep:
35 min
Cook:
15 min
Total:
50 min
Servings:
24 servings
#seafood
#baking
#appetizer
#French-inspired
#shellfish
#spicy sausage
Baked oysters with sausage topping. Not your usual tomato and chorizo—switched tomato out for grated zucchini. Vermouth over white wine for sharper aroma. Garlic and shallot sizzle, aroma fills kitchen. Andouille at play, smoky heat goes a step further. Cheese bubbles golden, crust forms, oyster stays juicy and tender. Tried it last winter; zucchini kept that mix from going watery. Salt stabilizes oysters so the topping doesn’t spill. Timing by sight and smells, not the clock. Overcooked oysters? Lose the tender bite. A dance of textures and smells worth tuning in to.
Ingredients
- 1 small shallot, minced
- 1 clove garlic, crushed
- 30 ml olive oil
- 70 ml dry vermouth
- 1 medium zucchini, grated
- 58 g spicy andouille sausage, finely diced
- 30 ml chopped fresh cilantro
- 24 oysters, scrubbed and shucked
- 130 g sharp aged gouda, grated
- Coarse sea salt for stabilizing
About the ingredients
Swapping shallot for onion brings gentler sweetness; garlic crushed, not minced, for a punch without bitterness. Vermouth or sherry can replace white wine—both bring acidity and aromatic depth. Zucchini, grated fine, avoids excess moisture that made past tomato versions soggy. Andouille sausage offers stronger smokiness and spice than chorizo, good for a bold flavor contrast. Cilantro freshens the dense mix; parsley was good but didn’t cut through enough. Cheese: Gouda chosen for melting behavior and nutty flavor; cheddar can dry too fast if overbaked. Coarse salt bed stabilizes the oysters during gratin—essential or risk mess. Don’t skip washing oysters thoroughly—sand ruins the finish. Alternative meats: spicy kielbasa, mild pepperoni. If you want less spice, use mild Italian sausage with smoked paprika.
Method
- 1 Heat oil over high heat in a large nonstick skillet. Toss in shallot and garlic; stir until edges brown, smells sharp and sweet. Splash vermouth, boil down almost dry. Bright steam rises; aroma sharpens.
- 2 Stir in grated zucchini — swaps tomato for earthier, less watery. Add diced andouille sausage. Lower heat to moderate, simmer 4 minutes until thickening. Adjust salt, black pepper lightly. Fold in cilantro, pull from heat.
- 3 Shuck oysters carefully: use stiff cloth and oyster knife; detach meats; save liquor. Place oysters on a baking sheet bedded with coarse sea salt so they sit level and steady.
- 4 Transfer the sausage-veg mix onto each oyster, spoon about 20 ml (a rounded tablespoon). Scatter grated gouda on top, packing just enough for melting and browning.
- 5 Preheat broiler, rack set high. Slide pan in; watch cheese bubble and brown—takes 3 to 4 minutes depending on broiler strength. Avoid overcooking—cheese dry, oyster tough, signs to pull out.
- 6 Serve piping hot. Savor spice pop, creamy cheese crust, briny meat under. If no andouille, sub spicy chorizo or smoky kielbasa. No vermouth? Dry white wine or sherry do.
- 7 Leftover oysters? Reheat gently; avoid broiler or rubbery doom. Also—don’t over-shuck; juices keep oyster tender during cooking.
Cooking tips
Timing is about sensory cues here. Onion and garlic browned but never burned by watching the color and smelling that first golden hit—too dark means bitter. Vermouth reduces till pan nearly dry, watch closely or it goes sour. Zucchini bubbling and thickening signals proper moisture release and thickening phase; avoid watery mix. When adding meat, simmer just few minutes so flavors bind but don’t dry out. Oysters shucked carefully with cloth protect you and keep juices intact—that liquor adds intensity when cooking. Coarse salt on the tray stabilizes, so the oysters don’t tip and lose topping. Broiling requires full attention; cheese blistering, browning edges cue done—2 to 4 minutes depending on broiler power. Pull early if you smell burnt cheese or see bubbling smoke. Serve immediately; cooled oysters toughen fast. Leftover: gentle warm-up in foil to keep tenderness intact, no rebroil.
Chef's notes
- 💡 Onion and garlic first, watch browning closely; scorched garlic ruins base fast. Crush garlic rather than mince to avoid bitter, sharp burn. Vermouth reduces faster than wine usually; almost dry pan lets aroma sharpen without sour notes.
- 💡 Zucchini grated fine avoid trapped water. Tomatoes made topping runny before. So sweat zucchini on moderate heat–listen for bubbling thicker sound. Simmer sausage only few minutes into mix or meat dries out, loses fat flavor punch.
- 💡 Oyster shucking need cloth for grip, protect hands; keep liquor contained—adds punch while baking. Bed oysters on coarse salt to steady, prevent tipping and spill of topping during broil. Salt also helps keep oysters level and juicy.
- 💡 Broiler stage best when cheese starts bubbly golden edges—not browned too dark. Overcook means dry tough oyster beneath. Watch cracks or smoke cues, pull early rather than wait. Rack high, 3 to 4 minutes max depending on broiler heat.
- 💡 Leftover oysters lose texture quickly if reheated under broiler; warm gently in foil or microwave low. Avoid rubbery bites by skipping intense reheating. Substitute spicy chorizo with smoky kielbasa or mild Italian with paprika for less heat variation.
Common questions
Can I use chorizo instead of andouille?
Yes but chorizo less smoky, more greasy sometimes. Andouille pressure has punch, stronger flavor, longer cook holds better. For milder, try mild Italian sausage with smoked paprika added.
What if I don't have vermouth?
Dry white wine or dry sherry works fine. Vermouth reduces quicker, sharper aroma. Wine risks less intensity but still adds acidity. Sherry brings nuttier notes. Adjust reduction time watch pan moisture carefully.
How to keep oysters from tipping?
Spread coarse sea salt thick on baking tray. Creates stable bed, stops sliding around. Without salt oysters slide and spill topping. Some use rock salt but coarse sea salt preferred for melt resistance during broil.
How to store leftovers?
Cover oysters tightly, fridge for max 24 hours. Reheat gently foil or microwave, never broiler again or get rubbery. Some freeze liquor separate, reintroduce when warming. Texture degrades fast once cold; best eaten right away.
