Wine & Dine: Grilled Oysters Rockefeller and Perfect Pairings with Inniskillin Winery & Beyond

Grilled Oysters Rockefeller

With lemon sauce and crispy garlic

A bright spot in the summer of 2020 was my visit to wine country in Niagara-On-The-Lake. The timing and weather was perfect, it was just a short distance from Toronto, and when my friends and I decided that we would bike around the region, it seemed that the world was our oyster. Upon my insistence that we book a tasting at Inniskillin Estate Winery, it was our first stop of the day and wow, the instincts were correct. Shortly after arriving, we were seated at a secluded table amongst the vines where we each selected three varietals that called to us - with help from the knowledgeable staff, of course. It felt completely private, romantic and exclusive, but in reality you can easily book online. Inniskillin is one of the oldest winemakers in the region and is actually the first winery here that I was introduced to many years ago. I distinctly remember seeing it featured on Mark McEwan’s (Top Chef Canada Head Judge) 2006 television show, “The Heat with Mark McEwan”, and I also did a media trip visit there almost ten years later, complete with a local and sustainable 3-course meal in their wine cellar. All along, I have held the winery in such a high regard when making selections at the Wine Rack for reds, whites and everything in between. With over 35 years experience producing award-winning wines in Canada and after being considered the leader of creating a Canadian industry for icewine, it’s no wonder they have been able to leave such an impression on decades of Canadians and international visitors. Here are a few photos from our visit:

Now in 2021, it is an honour to collaborate with Inniskillin & Wine Rack Canada to present a new recipe that has been specifically designed together and I have more perfect pairings to come! This recipe is inspired by Inniskillin Winery’s Sauvignon Blanc and my last visit to the winery. As we went jetting off on bikes, I snapped a photo of the oysters that were about to be freshly shucked for the day’s guests. Piggybacking off this proven pairing and after sampling Inniskillin’s Sauvignon Blanc again, I loved the bright grapefruit citrus notes and thought this easy-drinking summer wine would play well with a briny oyster. The Oysters Rockefeller is a classic steakhouse kind of recipe, but we adapted it for the grill to better enjoy the great outdoors during summertime. I added more hits of lemon by adding lemon zest to my sauce and serving the oysters with grilled lemon slices and took the crunch over the top with crispy garlic slices. We also wilted the greens in garlic-infused oil, so there are tons of layers of flavours here. All around, you still get that cheesy, crispy yet juicy oyster bite, but with an extra punch in the flavour profile from the lemon and BBQ smokiness.

Grilled Oysters Rockefeller with Inniskillin Winery’s Sauvignon Blanc

Ingredients

12 Oysters - Note: Pick a larger size, with a deep cup so they can handle the grill. We used Fanny Bay oysters from British Columbia!
2 Lemons
4 Tablespoons of Sunflower Oil or another high heat oil
1 cup of Panko Breadcrumbs
1 Stick of Unsalted Butter
6 tablespoons of White Flour
5 cloves of Garlic
1/3 cup of Cream
2 Cups of Arugula and/or Spinach and/or Microgreens
1/2 cup of Gruyère Cheese
1/2 cup of Parmesan Cheese

Method

Fire up the grill to high heat. Place your oysters on the grill (flat side up, cup side touching the grill) for 2-3 minutes. This will open up most of the oysters and make it easier for you to shuck them! Shuck your oysters and set aside on a bed of ice or use mounds of salt so the cups stay upright and don’t spill their juices.
For the sauce, I used a small cast iron pan on the grill on medium heat (you can also use a stovetop). Make a “roux” by first melting 3 tablespoons butter and sautéing 2 minced garlic cloves in the butter until the garlic is fragrant. Next, whisk in 6 tablespoons of flour until it is a light brown colour and smells nutty. Then, add in the cream and simmer for 5 minutes to reduce by about a third - creamy, buttery, not too loose or sticky. Lastly, zest one of your lemons, stir in the lemon zest, add salt and pepper and set aside.
Clean your cast iron pan, then add 4 generous tablespoons of sunflower oil. Slice your remaining garlic and fry. Remove crispy garlic slices from the oil with a slotted spoon or fork as they turn golden brown and set aside. Garlic will continue to cook and brown off heat, so be careful.
Use the garlic oil that is still in the pan to quickly sauté and wilt your greens. Set aside the greens separately.
For the last oyster topping, use remaining garlic oil if any and/or melt two tablespoons of butter in your cast iron pan. Toss in your panko bread crumbs to begin the crisping and browning. Set aside.
To assemble: Take your shucked oysters on the half shell, and first place down a few leaves of the greens on the oysters. Then, add a dollop of the lemon garlic sauce, followed by a sprinkle of Gruyère, then Parmesan, and then add the crunchy toppers of panko crumbs with a few crispy garlic slices. NOTE: Oysters come in all shapes and sizes, so please take into account the size of your oyster when building these up! We want these full, but not overflowing once the cheese melts.
With BBQ on high heat, place your oysters on the grill carefully. As an alternative method for the winter and/or a serving a larger group, you can use a sheet pan with a little mountain of rock salt below each oyster and then broil the oysters at the end.
Throw a few lemon slices on the grill to serve alongside! A squirt of grilled lemon juice will be a great touch at the end.
Close the grill’s hood to “Bake” the oysters at high heat for roughly 3-5 minutes, until the cheese is nice and bubbly. The key is we want the cheese melted, but we don’t want to overcook the oysters so it’s important to keep watch and take your oysters’ sizes into account! The larger the shell cup, the longer to cook.

I hope you enjoy this delicious dish paired with Inniskillin Sauvignon Blanc. You can pick up a bottle at your local Wine Rack, on their website, or via Uber Eats/SKIP. Stay tuned for more perfect pairings!