Oyster Mornay is an Aussie favourite way to have oysters because it’s deliciously creamy and cheesy. Enjoy a dozen at home!
Just one more romantic recipe
Are you all Valentine’s Day out? Ok, I don’t blame you! And my husband, Tomasi, would totally understand because he is the ultimate Valentine’s scrooge! Each year when the 14 of February approaches, he berates Valentine’s Day. I would hear comments like ‘It’s a commercial rip-off’ and ‘Why would I let someone dictate when to be romantic?’
Lucky for hubby, I’m not that into Valentines either. Well, to be honest, maybe when I was a teenager or perhaps in my early twenties. I mean, who doesn’t want that mysterious hunk or babe to be our secret Valentine? Unfortunately, in reality, it’s likely that person doesn’t even notice we exist.
For an anti-Valentine dude, Tomasi is actually the most romantic dude I’ve dated. That man courted me hard when we first met! He would constantly buy me silly but thoughtful gifts. One time when I was sick, he made me a first aid kit. He bought a little red bag and stuck a handmade label that read ‘Catte’s First Aid Kit’. Inside the bag were aspirin, icepacks and my favourite chocolate bars and a cuddly toy. This sweet memory still makes me smile every time.
Of course, now that we are married with a 2-year-old toddler, we’re too busy and exhausted for romance. However, we do still spend lots of time bantering about stupid things that keep us amused. Laughter to us is the best kind of romance!
The last romantic recipe, Easy Tuscan Chicken was for hubby, so this one is for me. Romance cannot happen without having oysters on the table! Because I’m obsessed with oysters, here’s a couple more recipes to try, Tetsuya’s Japanese Dressing For Oysters or another Aussie favourite, Oysters Kilpatrick
The ultimate romantic feed
This memory never fails to crack me up. I worked at a fish market during my Uni days near where I stayed on campus. The busiest day for the seafood business world is on Christmas Eve, followed by Valentine’s Day.
On the 14 of February, they rostered me on with Dan, an English guy that was employed as a supervisor. There was this massive queue of mostly women waiting to purchase oysters. ‘Wow, the oysters are selling out fast!’ I said to Dan, whilst I was wrapping up 3 dozens of oysters for the woman I was serving. Then Dan goes, ‘So much pressure for their men. I’m sure there will be many disappointed ladies tonight!’.
Um yeah…. so I’ll leave that for your imagination, but I’ll give you a hint. It’s well known that oysters are a natural aphrodisiac.
Anyway, moving back to G rated stuff!
Oyster Mornay is very popular here in Australia and many places that offer them on their menu. It’s awfully hard to resist plump briny oysters in thick, rich and buttery sauce topped with melted golden cheese!
Hubby doesn’t eat oysters or any kind of seafood, but he would always say yes to my oyster mornay and Lobster Mornay, as he loves the sauce.
Mornay sauce may sound a little daunting to make, but it’s actually quite easy to whip up and best of all, only a few ingredients are required. This mornay sauce is thick, so it clings to the oysters. I also like adding a splash of wine to give the sauce more depth. Your partner will love you even more after you serve them these gorgeous oysters!
Here’s to more oyster love!
Japanese Oysters
Oysters with Pomegranate Vinaigrette
Oysters Kilpatrick
Mignonette Sauce For Oysters
Ingredients for Oyster Mornay
Pacific oysters – these oysters were originally from Japan and the Pacific coast of Asia, it’s now farmed around the world. Pacific oysters are quite large and meaty, with a mild creamy taste of the sea. If you can’t get your hands on Pacific oysters, don’t worry, as any variety of oysters would work as long as it’s large, raw and super fresh.
Plain flour (all-purpose flour) does not contain any leavening agents. The mornay sauce for this recipe is quite thick, so it grabs onto the oysters nicely. If you prefer a thinner sauce, remove 1 teaspoon of flour from the amount called for in this recipe.
Dry white wine is lower in sugar levels than other varieties of white wine. Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay and Pinot Grigio are popular dry white wine varieties.
Parmesan cheese – It’s worth the effort to grate your own parmesan cheese rather than buying store-bought pre-shredded cheese. This is because most pre-shredded cheese contains an anti-caking agent, which may cause problems with melting the cheese into the sauce. It may also result in a grainy sauce instead of a silky one, and fresh parmesan cheese tastes much better!
Shredded cheese – I used tasty cheddar cheese, however, any variety of melting cheese would work. Swiss, Monterey Jack, mozzarella and all types of cheddars are great choices.
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Watch how to make Oyster Mornay
Written step-by-step guide with photos
Scrunch up some foil and lay it out on a large tray. Doing this will help the oyster grip on to something so they will stay upright when grilling. Place the oysters onto the foil and preheat the grill (broil) or top element of the oven to high or 200°C (390°F)
Melt the butter in a small frying pan or saucepan over medium heat, then add in the flour and stir quickly. The mixture should foam up, stir for another minute or until the mixture is a little darker. Pour in the wine and drizzle in the milk whilst stirring quickly. The mixture will look lumpy at first, this is okay, just continue to mix quickly and it will smooth out.
Decrease the heat to medium-low, then add in the parmesan and salt. Stir until the parmesan has completely melted into the sauce. Give the sauce a taste and add in more salt or pepper if needed. Remove the pan from the heat, the mornay sauce should thicken slightly.
Place approximately a tablespoon of mornay sauce on top of each oyster, then place the shredded tasty cheese on top. Grill for approximately 10 minutes or until golden. You may need to rotate the tray halfway during cooking to get an even colour on the oysters.
I’ve used a third-party application to calculate the calories and nutritional information, so please use this as an approximate guide only.
Cooking measurements are in Australian standard spoon and cup measurements. For specific details and conversions, visit our Australian Cooking Measurements page.
I would love your feedback and support if you made this recipe. To do this, please rate this recipe and provide a comment by scrolling down this page or by clicking that green circle on the bottom left. An email address is required (for spam), but it won’t be published. I would also love to see your dish, so don’t forget to tag me on my Instagram account ‘3catsfoodie’
Cheers – Cat T
Oyster Mornay
Ingredients
- 12 Pacific oysters (or large-sized oysters) (NOTE 1)
- 30 gm unsalted butter
- 1 tbsp + 3 tsp plain flour (or 1 tsp less for thinner mornay sauce) (NOTE 2)
- 2 tbsp dry white white (NOTE 3)
- 200 ml milk (full cream or whole milk)
- ¼ cup freshly shredded parmesan cheese (NOTE 4)
- ¼ tsp salt
- ½ cup shredded tasty cheese (NOTE 5)
Instructions
- Scrunch up some foil and lay it out on a large tray. Doing this will help the oyster grip on to something so they will stay upright when grilling. Place the oysters onto the foil and preheat the grill (broil) or top element of the oven to high or 200°C (390°F)
- Melt the butter in a small frying pan or saucepan over medium heat, then add in the flour and stir quickly. The mixture should foam up, stir for another minute or until the mixture is a little darker. Pour in the wine and drizzle in the milk whilst stirring quickly. The mixture will look lumpy at first, this is okay, just continue to mix quickly and it will smooth out.
- Decrease the heat to medium-low, then add in the parmesan and salt. Stir until the parmesan has completely melted into the sauce. Give the sauce a taste and add in more salt or pepper if needed. Remove the pan from the heat, the mornay sauce should thicken slightly.
- Place approximately a tablespoon of mornay sauce on top of each oyster, then place the shredded tasty cheese on top. Grill for approximately 10 minutes or until golden. You may need to rotate the tray halfway during cooking to get an even colour on the oysters.
