Oysters Kilpatrick - Chef Recipe

Recipe: Oysters Kilpatrick Recipe »

I'm sharing the recipe for the best Oysters Kilpatrick! Fresh oysters are topped with a rich, spicy tomato sauce and crispy guanciale for an unforgettable restaurant style starter. If you think you don't like Oysters Kilpatrick, this recipe might just change your mind (it did mine!).

About This Oysters Kilpatrick

These Oysters Kilpatrick are the best ones I've ever tasted. They're made with a spicy, delicious tomato based sauce and diced guanciale. This is not your ordinary Oysters Kilpatrick!

Where do Oysters Kilpatrick come from? They were invented in San Francisco by Chef Ernest Arbogast of the Palace Hotel. They are hugely popular all over the world, especially for people that don't like eating raw oysters.

I'm going to put my hand up and say I was previously not a huge Oysters Kilpatrick fan! I preferred dressed raw oysters with ginger and lime dressing or mignonette but when I tried the Oysters Kilpatrick at a restaurant called Social Dining, I changed my mind completely. Their Oysters Kilpatrick were incredible and they said that the secret was that they used their own house made bacon.

I hear you. Making your own bacon? Only for Valentines Day gifts honey!

But the texture was very similar to the guanciale in carbonara or amatriciana sauce and I decided to try making it with that. And it pops! And Social Dining's Chef Anthony Musa was kind enough to give me the sauce recipe.

Why You'll Love These Oysters Kilpatrick

It's seriously easy. Tomato juice, ketchup/tomato sauce, Worcestershire sauce and Tabasco make up the sauce. Stir it, cook it down for 5 minutes and then add to the oysters and grill!

Guanciale is the food of the gods. It's like bacon but better. This is worth making a trip to the Italian deli for this. I cut it up into small blocks and freeze it so that I have it ready for sauces. Pancetta can also be used (or a mixture of pancetta and guanciale although I prefer all guanciale because deep down I'm a big back!).

Video How To Make Oysters Kilpatrick

Video: Oysters Kilpatrick recipe

Ingredients For Oysters Kilpatrick

Oysters - Sydney Rock oysters are the best oysters for Kilpatrick as they have a sweetness and minerality to them. They also have a firmer muscle and flesh so they don't shrink or go mushy when cooked (some Pacifics can do that when grilled).

Guanciale - This is an Italian cured pork jowl or cheek. Usually found at Italian delis and sold in blocks. Don't trim the fat off guanciale, that is where the beauty lies! ;)

Tomato juice - Just regular tomato juice.

Tomato sauce/ketchup - Use your favourite tomato sauce/ketchup

Worcestershire sauce - One of the signature flavours of Oysters Kilpatrick.

Tabasco sauce - For a hit of spice!

Chives - Fresh chives, just to give that restaurant touch!

Tips For Making Oysters Kilpatrick

1 - Dicing up guanciale is honestly a bit of a punish. But my tips are to freeze the guanciale for 30-45 minutes and then remove the rind with a sharp knife. Then slice and dice it.

2 - I like using a small, sharp serrated knife to remove the rind and then a chef's knife to dice it. The most important thing is that the knives are sharp.

3 - Start the guanciale in a cold pan and heat to medium and stir to cook and crisp up the cubes. They will get this gorgeous crispy texture to them.

4 - You can make and cook the sauce 4-5 days ahead of time and then add it on the day you want to grill them.

5 - Definitely serve these kilpatrick oysters with a wedge of lemon! It really makes it pop.

Oysters Kilpatrick Recipe

Adapted from Chef Anthony Musa

Recipe Overview

Preparation time: 20 minutes

Cooking time: 20 minutes

Makes: 12 oysters

Ingredients Needed

For Kilpatrick Sauce

• 80ml/2.8fl ozs tomato juice
• 80ml/2.8fl ozs tomato sauce/ketchup
• 20ml/0.7fl ozs Worcestershire sauce
• Tabasco sauce to taste

For Oysters

• 1 dozen oysters
• 120g/4ozs chopped guanciale, rind removed, frozen for 30-45 minutes
• 3 tablespoons finely chopped chives

Step-By-Step Instructions

Step 1 FRY - Place guanciale in the freezer for 30-45 minutes beforehand. Remove rind with a sharp knife and then cut into a fine dice around 5mm square or 1/4 inch. Place in a cold frying pan with no oil on low to medium heat and cook for around 8-10 minutes until crispy and golden on the outside. Line a bowl with a double layer of paper towels and drain the oil when cooked.

Step 2 SAUCE - Mix the tomato juice, tomato sauce/ketchup and Worcestershire sauce together and add Tabasco to taste. Heat in a small saucepan on low to medium heat and simmer for 3-4 minutes until slightly thickened (like ketchup in texture). Set aside in a jug.

Step 3 GRILL - Heat the grill to 200C/400F and scrunch up a length of foil and then unfurl it so that the surface is ridged. Place the oysters on the grill and pour some sauce in each oyster (enough to cover the oyster). Grill for 4 minutes.

Step 4 FINISH - Add the guanciale cubes generously covering the oyster and then add another teaspoon of sauce. Grill for 1 minute. Sprinkle with chives and serve with a wedge of lemon.

Substitution notes:

Pancetta and bacon can also work but I think guanciale is incredible.

Personal Note

I really wanted to make these but I had to send Mr NQN out to buy the oysters. The reason why I couldn't go is because I can't go out during the day because I got a laser treatment done on my skin and during the day I have to wear sunscreen and stay inside.

I now have to avoid the sun completely for 2 weeks. Even if you don't leave the house you still have to put 50+ sunscreen on because there is still light or UV inside the house. And not only do you have to put it on but you have to reapply it every 2 hours! So that means I can only go out at night.

I'm basically now a vampire! ;)

So tell me Dear Reader, do you like Oysters Kilpatrick? And have you ever had to stay indoors (outside of COVID times)?