These generally won’t last long enough to enjoy with wine. However, if you do indulge then pair the wine to match the sauce – therefore, a creamy Chardonnary or Marsanne blend, or perhaps an aged Semillon.
Oysters carbonara
A fancy twist on oysters that’ll be sure to impress your guests! The creamy pasta tastes great paired with the saltiness of the oysters, and the topping of crispy jamon provides another textural contrast.
Servings
12 Servings
PREP TIME
10 mins
COOK TIME
20 mins
TOTAL TIME
30 mins
Difficulty
Easy
Wine pairing
Chardonnay, Marsanne
Ingredients
12 fresh oysters, in half shells
50 g thin dried spaghetti, broken in half
100 ml cream
⅔ cup gruyere cheese, grated
1 tsp butter
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 tsp flour
½ tsp Dijon mustard
50 g jamon, thinly sliced
½ tsp each salt & pepper
rock salt
Ingredients
12 fresh oysters, in half shells
2 oz thin dried spaghetti, broken in half
3.50 fl oz cream
⅔ cup gruyere cheese, grated
1 tsp butter
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 tsp flour
½ tsp Dijon mustard
2 oz jamon, thinly sliced
½ tsp each salt & pepper
rock salt
- Jamon is Spanish ham, similar to proscuitto. I prefer it because it’s less fatty and more salty, but you can substitute it with proscuitto, or even pancetta or bacon.
- If you can’t find gruyere cheese, substitute with grana padano or parmesan.
Variations
For a more traditional oyster recipe, try Oysters Mornay:
Directions
1
Make the pasta
1. Put a small pot of water on to boil.
2. Meanwhile, crisp the jamon in one of the following ways and then set it aside:
- Oven: Line a baking tray with baking paper, and spray it with a little oil. Place jamon slices on the tray in a single layer, and place under the grill until crisp.
- Microwave: Place jamon slices on a microwave safe plate (not overlapping), place a paper towel on top and microwave in 30 second intervals until the jamon is crisp.
3. When the water is boiling, break the spaghetti in half and add it to the water. Cook until it’s just al dente, about 8 minutes for dried pasta.
Important: Before draining, reserve a 1/2 cup of pasta water.
4. Drain the pasta, then return the pot to the stove and melt the butter over low heat. Add the garlic and saute for 1 minute, then add the flour and cook, stirring, for another 1 minute.
5. Add a few tablespoons of the pasta water and stir to loosen the flour and butter mixture. Then add the cream, Dijon, salt and pepper and half the cheese, and bring to a simmer. 
6. If needed, add more pasta water to the sauce to achieve a thick but creamy consistency, then add the cooked pasta and stir it through.
2
Grill the oysters
1. On a baking tray or an ovenproof dish, scatter a thick layer of rock salt, and then place the oysters on top.
Tip: If you have an oven-to-table dish, this is perfect for cooking oysters! The rock salt is to keep the oysters in place and level so the pasta doesn’t fall off.
2. Use small tongs to grab a small amount of the pasta and place it on top of each oyster (you don’t need much pasta, about 1-2 tablespoons in volume per oyster).
3. Top each oyster with about 1 teaspoon of cheese.
4. Place the dish in the oven on the highest shelf, and turn the oven to grill. Bake for about 3 minutes or until the cheese on top is melted and golden.
4. Remove from the oven, and crumble the jamon straight on top of the oysters before serving.
Wine pairing