Oysters Mosca
Oysters Mosca is a scrumptious dish featuring fresh oysters in a creamy garlic butter sauce topped with crispy breadcrumbs, perfect for impressing guests or enjoying at home.
Ingredients
Main Ingredients
- 16 ounces shucked oysters and their liquor
- 2/3 cup bread crumbs
- 2/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan (about 2 ounces)
- 2.5 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 2.5 teaspoons homemade Creole seasoning (or store-bought)
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup finely chopped scallions (from 4 scallions)
- Salt Salt
- 2 tablespoons minced garlic (from 4 large cloves)
- 2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
- 3 sprigs thyme
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- Fresh lemon wedges, for serving
- Toasted baguette slices or crackers, for serving
Instructions
Preparation
- Drain the oysters and keep the oyster liquor. You should have about ½ cup of this flavorful liquid.
- In a small bowl, mix together the bread crumbs, Parmesan, 1½ teaspoons of Italian seasoning, and ½ teaspoon of Creole seasoning. Set this mixture aside.
- Preheat your oven. Place one rack in the center and another about 4 inches from the broiler. Heat the oven to 400 degrees.
Cooking
- In a 10-inch cast iron skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the scallions and a pinch of salt. Cook while stirring for about 3 minutes, until they soften.
- Add the minced garlic and stir until it’s very fragrant (about 1-2 minutes). Lower the heat if needed to avoid browning the garlic.
- Sprinkle the remaining 2 teaspoons of Creole seasoning and 1 teaspoon of Italian seasoning over the scallions and garlic. Stir in the parsley and add the thyme sprigs.
- Slowly pour in the oyster liquor and cook until most of the liquid evaporates—this should take about 4-5 minutes. Remove and toss out the thyme sprigs.
- Gently add the oysters to the skillet, stirring just until they are covered in the buttery sauce. Make sure they’re in a single layer, not overlapping.
- Turn off the heat and sprinkle the breadcrumb mixture evenly over the top. Drizzle with olive oil.
- Bake in the oven on the center rack until bubbling on the edges, about 12 to 15 minutes. If the top isn’t golden brown yet, turn on the broiler for a minute or two until it is.
- Once done, let it cool for about 5 minutes before serving warm with lemon wedges and crispy toasted baguette slices or crackers.
Notes
Make sure to use fresh oysters for the best flavor. Don’t skip the olive oil drizzle on top to enhance the flavor and help the breadcrumbs get crispy. You can personalize this dish by adding bacon, swapping herbs, or using crushed crackers instead of breadcrumbs for variation.