Italian Baked Oysters (Oysters Mosca)

Here’s an oyster side dish which is worth making and serving. Mention “oysters” and you either love them or hate them. In Louisiana, you love them. Oysters are seafood delicacy in South Louisiana; part of our culinary culture. Oysters are plentiful because they are harvested in the brackish waters and estuaries of coastal Gulf of Mexico and Lake Ponchatrain. “Raw Oysters on the Half Shell” appears on the menus of most seafood restaurants. I’m a little squeamish about eating raw oysters. But, how about baked oysters? Recently, I ate the best dish, “Italian Baked Oysters,” that you could ever dream of. We dined the small, iconic roadway restaurant outside of New Orleans which is loosely connected historically to the New Orleans crime family of Carlos Marcello. Although the Italian oyster recipe is a secret, I came home, took a deep dive, and gave it my best attempt to re-create the dish. Success; and my husband says that my version is even better. Here is my baked oyster dish.

“Baked Italian Oysters” is loaded with garlic, parsley, butter and olive oil with a little Parmesan cheese for accent. Of course, oysters are hidden under the bread crumb topping. All those great Italian flavors shine in this preparation! Let’s give a toast to the authentic Italian chef — Provino Mosca — who created this recipe. And, I’m going to brag. My knock-off oyster dish is excellent, too.

Mosca’s Italian Baked Oysters

The roadway restaurant, Mosca’s, serves traditional Italian food in a family-style setting. Little has changed over the years. Not the classic, old juke box nor the menu, the tables or photos on the walls. “Baked Oysters Mosca” is always served in 9″- diameter aluminum pie pan for the table to share. Here is Mosca’s baked oyster dish.

Mosca’s Restaurant

Sometimes the best meals are found in small, unassuming restaurants. Mosca’s is a hidden gem. But the locals know about the restaurant and have been patronizing it since the opening in 1946. It is still operated by descendants of the original chef. The restaurant closed only once to repair damage done as a result of Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

If you are not looking, you will probably drive right by Mosca’s Restaurant. The building is along Hwy 90 in Westwego, across the Mississippi River on the West Bank and 15 miles from the city of New Orleans towards the bayou country. You feel like you are driving right into the swamp. Okay, we didn’t literally drive into the swamp. This photo was taken of a bayou which was a short distance from the restaurant. We’re in Louisiana now.

The restaurant was opened by Provino Mosca, an Italian immigrant, and his wife Lisa. They owned a restaurant in Chicago Heights, Illinois. Legend has it that Provina Mosca was a chef for Al Capone in Chicago, but the Mosca family denies that fact. The Moscas moved south to New Orleans after his daughter married an oyster fisherman in the area. Between 1946 and 1947, gambling was quite popular in the area. Patrons would come to Mosca’s restaurant at night after the gambling parlors closed to enjoy the delicious food. The reputation of the restaurant spread and the restaurant thrived.

And the reputation of this Italian immigrant chef and resturant continues. The classic Italian food and atomsphere can’t be beat.

The building (and much of the surrounding land) was owned by New Orleans crime family boss Carlos Marcello. Marcello became a regular customer at the restaurant in the 1940s. His son owns the building now.

Special Visit to Mosca’s Restaurant

Our reason to visit the restaurant was a special one. A dear acquaintance from Indiana was touring the country visiting family and friends. Every time he comes to see us, his one request is to take a trip to eat at Mosca’s. The restaurant is 80 miles from where we live; but we always oblige. It is an afternoon adventure!

Mosca’s Menu

The menu at Mosca’s is family-style and the dishes are intended for the entire table to share — we ordered almost every item on the short menu.

Thr most famous dish at Mosca’s is “Chicken a la Grande.” This whole cut-up chicken is cooked in a skillet. It includes 10 cloves of garlic, red wine and rosemary. (I featured this recipe in a blog post in April 2015. See reference.)

Here is “Shrimp Mosca.” Jumbo shrimp in shells are sautéed in olive oil, white wine and garlic. This is an iconic Louisiana menu item. It is the best way to eat shrimp in shells, in my opinion!

“Sausage Johnny” is homemade pork sausage served with roasted potatoes. It was the surprise item on the menu. A bit of midwestern influence, perhaps? Well, I love both potatoes and sausage. Who could argue with this menu choice.

No authentic Italian restaurant could exist without homemade spaghetti. Our table was served a huge plate. Dig in!

Italian Baked Oysters Recipe

Back to my recipe. For “Italian Baked Oysters,” I did a little sleuthing and was able to figure out most of the ingredients which are included in this Italian dish.

“Italian Baked Oysters” has lots of garlic flavor so I included fresh minced garlic. For good measure, I added a shallot. The Italian flavors come from herbs — fresh parsley, dried oregano and thyme. Since we are in Louisiana, I thought that adding some Creole seasoning and pepper would spice things up. However, this seemed to overpower the Italian seasonings. I omitted the Creole seasoning in my final ingredient list. I also omitted the salt in my final ingredient list as the oyster liquor is salty. Parmesan cheese is included in the recipe — but at an reduced the amount since I didn’t want the cheese to shine over the oysters. The recipe includes both butter and oil — true to both Louisiana cuisine and an Italian recipe. There are lots of Italian seasoned bread crumbs — as this is essentially an “oyster breading” dish.

Fresh, raw oysters are a “must have” in this dish.

Fortunately, our local Rouse’s grocery store — headquartered in New Orleans — sells raw, shucked oysters which contain a bit of oyster liquor.

Oyster liquor a mixture of seawater and the oyster’s own juices which surrounds the oyster in its shell. This imparts an delicious flavor. We will use the liquor in this recipe.

When is the best time to find Louisiana oysters? Although oysters are available year-around, the best time to delve into oysters is October through April — Just remember the “r” months. Those are the peak harvesting months, and the oysters are the freshest.

Making the Recipe

I simplified the recipe; it is actually quite easy to prepare. A few practice run attempts help, since the goal is to achieve cooked, but juicy oysters (rather than chewy and rubbery oysters) and a bread crumb topping which is crisp and not soggy.

Drain the oysters and reserve the oyster liquor. I added some of the liquor back to extend the sauce.

It is a good idea to sort through the oysters to make sure that any pieces of shell have been removed.

To prepare the recipe, make a garlic butter sauce. Sauté chopped shallots in melted butter and olive oil over medium heat for several minutes. Add fresh, minced garlic and sauté for another minute. Then add all of the seasonings. Add back 1/2 cup reserved liquor and the oysters. Heat until just bubbly. Add in the fresh parsley.

Last stir in the Parmesan cheese. I added the Parmesan cheese to the oyster filling — not the seasoned bread crumb topping. It is too easy to burn Parmesan cheese if added to the topping. This dish needs to bake until the bread crumbs are quite toasty and brown and at a high oven temperature — too long for Parmesan cheese, in my opinion.

Pour the sauce into either an oiled aluminum pie pan, a stoneware pie pan or a Pyrex pie pan. (I used an 8″- diameter stoneware pie pan.) Make sure that the oysters are spaced out and in a single layer. Add a little more oyster liquor, if needed.

The oysters should be sticking up out of the liquid.

You can double this recipe, using 1 lb raw oysters rather than an 8 oz container. Use 9″-diameter pie pan; the remaining ingredient quantities can remain the same.

Top with seasoned bread crumbs which have been moistened with a little butter.

I used one cup of Italian seasoned bread crumbs and spread them to the edges of the dish completely covering the oysters and sauce. It is alot of bread crumbs, but this is essentially an “oyster breading.”

Bake in a 400 degree oven for about 20 minutes until the bread crumbs are nice and browned and the casserole is bubbly. Serve the entire pie pan at the table. Pass Italian bread or crackers.

The goal here is juicy oysters and a seasoned bread crumb-type topping. We did it! My husband loves my dish.

Raw oysters? Not me. But this baked oyster dish is great. If you don’t believe in oysters, then try my recipe which is patterned after the one at Mosca’s.

Over the years, we have enjoyed exploring many places and restaurants in Louisiana. The cuisine in this state is unique and flavorful. I would never imagine a visit Mosca’s had it had not been for the persistance of our dear friend from Indiana. The last time I visited Mosca’s is in 2015. It was time for another meal there. Our road trip was a memorable experience; The friendship was great!

If you come visit Louisiana, try some oysters. And, perhaps take a visit to Mosca’s for a unique Louisiana visit. Reserve your table well in advance!

And, this dish also makes a great one for a winter holiday dinner or buffet. Enjoy!

Italian Baked Oysters (Oyster Mosca)

Servings: 4 servings or one 8-inch diameter stoneware pie pan
Time: 45 minutes
Difficulty: easy
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Ingredients:

8 oz raw, shucked oysters plus liquor*
1/4 cup butter, plus 1 Tbsp
2 Tbsp plive oil
1 medium-size shallot, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1/2 tsp dry oregano
1/2 tsp dry thyme
dash black pepper
2 Tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
fresh parsley, garnish, optional

Method and Steps:

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly oil a 7 to 8″-diameter aluminum pie pan, casserole dish or stoneware pie pan.*
Drain the oysters, reserving the liquor. Sort through the oysters, removing any stray pieces of shell. Set aside.
Place 1/4 cup butter and olive oil in a medium-sized sauce pan over medium heat. Melt butter, taking care not to burn butter.
Add chopped shallots. Stir and cook for 3 minutes.
Add garlic and cook for 1 additional minute, stirring frequently.
Stir in dried oregano, dried thyme and a pinch of black pepper.
Add 1/2 cup reserved oyster liquor and drained oysters. Stir and heat until simmering, about 1 – 2 minutes.
Stir in fresh, chopped parsley and Parmesan cheese.
Transfer the oysters plus butter garlic sauce to the prepared pie pan. Arrange oysters in a single layer with space between each oyster. Add additional liquor if needed. However, oysters should stick out above the sauce.
Melt remaining 1 Tbsp butter in a small bowl in microwave oven. (Heat for about 20 seconds.) Stir in Italian seasoned bread crumbs until the bread crumbs are moistened.
Spinkle the bread crumbs evenly over the top of the oyster mixture, spreading all the way to the edges. The bread crumbs should form a thick layer.
Bake in 400 degree oven for 20 minutes until bubbly and bread crumbs are toasted and brown.
Garnish with additional fresh parsley, if desired. Serve entire pie pan at table.

*NOTE: You can double this recipe by using 1-lb raw, shucked oysters. Use a 9″-diameter pie pan. The remaining ingredients can remain the same; the oysters will be spaced closer together.

Reference:

https://moscasrestaurant.com