Inspired by spice-ridden Calabrian cuisine, chef Chaz Lindsay of Pulito Osteria in Jackson, Mississippi blends Southern and Italian culinary cultures with these n’duja oysters. Usually extremely firey, Lindsay mellows out the n’duja with butter to give the spread a smoother, silkier taste. Top roasted oysters with this tangy richness and it is guaranteed to “hit all the notes on the palate.”
recipe 
yields
Serves 2
3 ounces n’duja (Lindsay prefers Smoking Goose brand)
6 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon salt, plus more for seasoning
Rock salt for sheet pan (optional)
6 Gulf oysters (Lindsay prefers Murder Points)
1 cup canola oil for frying
2 ounces pine nuts
2 fresh oregano stems
Special equipment: Deep-fry thermometer
ingredients
steps
- In a small mixing bowl, place n’duja and butter. Season with lemon juice and salt. Cover with plastic wrap. Place in warm part of kitchen and allow to come to room temperature.
- Fill small sheet pan with bed of rock salt or line with aluminum foil. Shuck oysters. Place on sheet pan.
- Line plate with paper towels. In a small pot, heat canola oil until it reaches 325 degrees on a deep-fry thermometer. Fry pine nuts until golden brown; use slotted spoon and transfer to paper-towel lined plate. Season with salt.
- Add oregano to same oil. Fry until leaves become dark green and translucent; make sure they are no longer “popping” (this means moisture is gone and will make them crisp). Add to paper-towel-lined plate, season with salt.
- Preheat oven to broil or grill to high. With rubber spatula, fold together room-temperature n’duja and butter until smooth. Place 1 ounce of mixture on each oyster. Broil or grill until n’duja mixture has slightly caramelized and oysters are bubbling. Use tongs to remove from heat, and place onto serving dish. Garnish with fried pine nuts and fried oregano leaves.
Date Published: 12.08.23
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Recipe By
From Chaz Lindsay of Pulito Osteria in Jackson, Mississippi
