Oysters pair well with garlic, herbs and cheese so they’re ideal for pizza! But the reasons canned oysters were so popular in the 19th century are they’ll last in the cabinet forever, just waiting to save you on that one desperate evening when you haven’t grocery shopped in weeks.

How does one eat canned oysters? Honestly, however you want. Think of them like any other tinned fish, like sardines or clams. Canned oysters go great as a dip (chopped up with chives and cream cheese) or mixed into pasta (with lemon and butter and parsley). Put them on a pizza, or bake them into a savory pie, or fold them into an omelet.

The star of this recipe is the smoked oysters. The smoked oysters added a smoky richness that is hard to duplicate. If you aren’t accustomed to eating smoked oysters, they are delicious and packed full of healthy nutrients. Oysters are shellfish that have vitamin C, zinc, protein, iron, and selenium. (Selenium is great for keeping your brain happy!)

Cheesy Smoked Oyster Pizza

Course

Main Dish

Cuisine

American

Keyword

cheesy smoked oyster pizza

Servings

NAAN PIZZAS

Ingredients

Pizza Base

4 garlic Naan breads

Pizza Toppings

150 gm bacon, chopped
340 gm (about 12 oz) sweet onion, thinly sliced
vegetable salt I use Herbamare
170 ml marinated artichokes, drained
85 gm smoked oysters, drained Add another can if you prefer.
398 ml (14 oz) seasoned whole, peeled tomatoes, diced up in a food processor
300 gm extra old white cheddar cheese, grated
3-4 Tbsp garlic, minced
40 gm fresh arugula

Course

Main Dish

Cuisine

American

Keyword

cheesy smoked oyster pizza

Servings

NAAN PIZZAS

Ingredients

Pizza Base

4 garlic Naan breads

Pizza Toppings

150 gm bacon, chopped
340 gm (about 12 oz) sweet onion, thinly sliced
vegetable salt I use Herbamare
170 ml marinated artichokes, drained
85 gm smoked oysters, drained Add another can if you prefer.
398 ml (14 oz) seasoned whole, peeled tomatoes, diced up in a food processor
300 gm extra old white cheddar cheese, grated
3-4 Tbsp garlic, minced
40 gm fresh arugula

Instructions

Chop bacon & fry in a saucepan until cooked but not crisp. Remove from pan & drain on paper towel.
In the same saucepan, place onion in bacon drippings & sprinkle with salt. Sauté until tender then add bacon back to pan & cook a few minutes longer.
Slice drained artichokes in half. Drain smoked oysters & place on paper towel. In a food processor, 'dice' tomatoes for a couple of seconds. Grate cheese.
Preheat oven to 350 F.
Lay out Naan breads for your pizza bases. Sprinkle each with a bit of cheese then top each with some tomato 'sauce'.
Sprinkle minced garlic over tomato sauce then top each with bacon/onion mixture, artichokes & some more cheese. Divide smoked oysters between the pizzas & top with remaining cheese.
Bake for 10 minutes or until toppings are heated & cheese is bubbling. Remove from oven & top with fresh arugula. Serve.

Most of our vacations over the years have been reasonably structured with a focus on a specific country, it’s people and the geographical treasures within. With the world in such disarray lately, we have been keeping a fairly low profile in our travels. Needing a little ‘sea, sun & sand’ it seemed logical that the Dominican Republic would fit the bill. Of course, you first have to go through all the flying trials and tribulations. To simplify things, Brion had us booked on a direct flight so that helped. Nevertheless, after 6 or 7 hours of flying your always happy to land. A couple of years ago we had spent 12 days in the DR so we new what to expect for most part.

For the next 10 days we settled into holiday mode — eat, sleep and walk on those beautiful pristine white sandy beaches. Being in a resort you have endless choices when it comes to food and drink. Brion and I have a shared love of seafood so we took full advantage of that.

For today’s blog it seems fitting to prepare a meal that would combine seafood and pork– both used extensively in the DR. Oysters accented with bacon, maple and apples give this recipe a very unique character.

Oyster Stuffed Glazed Pork Tenderloin

Pork tenderloin makes a wonderful option for smaller dinner parties.

Course

Main Dish

Cuisine

American

Servings

Ingredients

Oyster Stuffing

3 slices bacon, finely chopped
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 small Granny Smith apple, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp dried thyme leaves
2 tbsp chicken broth
2 cans 85 gram EACH smoked oysters, drained
2 cups cubed, fresh whole grain bread

Tenderloin

2-454 grams EACH pork tenderloins
1/2 tsp EACH salt & pepper
3 tbsp EACH maple syrup & Dijon mustard

Course

Main Dish

Cuisine

American

Servings

Ingredients

Oyster Stuffing

3 slices bacon, finely chopped
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 small Granny Smith apple, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp dried thyme leaves
2 tbsp chicken broth
2 cans 85 gram EACH smoked oysters, drained
2 cups cubed, fresh whole grain bread

Tenderloin

2-454 grams EACH pork tenderloins
1/2 tsp EACH salt & pepper
3 tbsp EACH maple syrup & Dijon mustard

Instructions

Oyster Stuffing

In a large non-stick skillet saute bacon, onion, apple, garlic & thyme leaves. Cook, stirring often for 7 minutes or until bacon is crisp. Add chicken broth & oysters; cook for 1 minute or until moisture is evaporated. Add bread & toss to coat with cooked mixture; cool to room temperature.

Tenderloin

Preheat oven to 400 F. Slice along the length of each tenderloin almost through to the center, so it opens like a book. Sprinkle evenly with salt & pepper. Spread the stuffing mixture down the length of one tenderloin & top with the remaining tenderloin. Secure the layers with kitchen twine tied at equal intervals. Place the roast on a rack set over a foil-lined, rimmed baking sheet. Stir the maple syrup with the mustard until well combined.
Roast for 30-35 minutes or until it registers 165 F. on meat thermometer when inserted into thickest part of meat & stuffing. Baste the meat with the maple mixture twice during roasting. Broil on the center rack for 5 minutes or until glossy. Let roast rest 5 minutes before slicing.

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