Canapes à la Cadogan

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •12-inch (30 cm) heavy skillet with lid
• •Small heavy saucepan
• •Rimmed broiler-safe sheet pan
• •Wire cooling rack
• •Paring knife and teaspoon
• •Clean kitchen towel
• •Instant-read thermometer

Instructions

1. 1

   Heat the broiler

   Set an oven rack 3 to 4 inches (8 to 10 cm) below the broiler, the home equivalent of the classical salamander, and heat it on high for at least 10 minutes. Have a bare broiler-safe sheet pan ready. A broiler that is still warming will dry the oysters before it colors the Mornay, so give it the full preheat.

2. 2

   Shape the bread

   Cut each bread slice into an oval about 3 by 2 inches (7.5 by 5 cm). Score a smaller oval inside each piece, leaving a rim about 1/4 inch (6 mm) wide and cutting only halfway through the crumb. Press the inner crumb down firmly with the back of a teaspoon to form a shallow hollow. Do not cut through the bottom; the oysters need a cradle, not a leaking floor.

3. 3

   Prepare buttered spinach

   Put the spinach in a wide skillet over medium-high heat, cover, and turn the leaves until just wilted, about 2 minutes. Transfer it to a clean towel, let it cool enough to handle, then squeeze out the water firmly and chop it. Melt 2 tablespoons (30 ml / 28 g) of the butter in the skillet, add the spinach and salt, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes until glossy with butter but no longer releasing water. If liquid gathers in the pan, keep cooking until it evaporates; wet spinach would soften the toast and send the sauce sliding. Transfer the spinach to a covered bowl and keep it warm.

4. 4

   Fry the canapés

   Wipe the skillet clean and melt 3 tablespoons (45 ml / 42 g) of butter over medium heat. Fry four bread ovals, flat side first, until deep butter-gold, about 60 to 90 seconds per side. Repeat with the remaining 3 tablespoons (45 ml / 42 g) of butter and bread. If the butter darkens before the bread colors, wipe out the pan, lower the heat slightly, and continue with fresh butter. Drain the fried ovals briefly on a wire rack, hollowed side up. The book says fried in butter, and that stays; baking or dry-toasting loses the rich, crisp foundation that supports the oysters.

5. 5

   Warm the Mornay

   Warm the finished Mornay sauce gently in a small saucepan, stirring until it falls from the spoon in a broad, heavy ribbon. Do not boil it, or the cheese may tighten and release fat. If it turns oily, take the pan off the heat and whisk in 1 teaspoon of cool water until smooth. Ça se rattrape. Keep the sauce warm only long enough to assemble the canapés.

6. 6

   Layer each canapé

   Arrange the fried bread ovals on the sheet pan, hollowed side up. Divide the warm spinach among them, using about 1 rounded tablespoon on each and keeping it inside the rim. Lay exactly two dry oysters over each bed of spinach, then spoon about 2 tablespoons of warm Mornay over each canapé, covering the oysters without flooding the bread. Work promptly so the toast, spinach, and sauce reach the broiler warm.

7. 7

   Glaze hard and fast

   Slide the tray beneath the fully heated broiler and watch without leaving it. Glaze for 2 to 3 minutes, until the Mornay bubbles, takes scattered bronze marks, and the oysters curl slightly at their edges; an oyster tested at its center should register 145°F (63°C). If the sauce remains pale after 90 seconds, move the tray one level closer for 20 to 30 seconds instead of leaving the oysters beneath weak heat. The aim is a rapid glaze, not a dark crust. Transfer the canapés immediately to a warm platter and serve while the bread is crisp. À table!

   Small or medium oysters suit this quick glaze. Large oysters need longer cooking and will tighten before the Mornay colors.

Chef Tips

• •Buy small or medium oysters from a reliable fishmonger and keep them at or below 40°F (4°C) until needed. Drain and blot them just before assembly; rinsing washes away their character, but stray shell must be removed.
• •The Mornay must be a finished sauce, warm and thick enough to cover the oysters without running off. Add no extra grated cheese or breadcrumbs. The source relies on the Mornay's own cheese for the glaze.
• •Pain de mie is ideal because its close crumb fries evenly and holds the shallow hollow. Ordinary firm white sandwich bread works honestly; very open sourdough leaks sauce and turns ragged in the butter.
• •These canapés do not wait well. Serve them directly from the broiler, and discard any shellfish canapés left at room temperature for more than 2 hours. A cold glass of brut Champagne belongs happily beside them.

Advance Preparation

• •The Mornay sauce is a separate finished component and may be prepared up to 1 day ahead. Chill it with parchment pressed against its surface, then reheat it very gently before assembly without letting it boil.
• •The spinach may be wilted, squeezed, and chopped up to 1 day ahead. Refrigerate it covered, then finish it with its measured butter and salt shortly before frying the bread.
• •Shape and hollow the bread several hours ahead, then keep it covered at room temperature. Fry it near serving time so its buttered crust remains crisp.
• •Do not assemble the canapés ahead. Oyster liquor softens the bread and the Mornay forms a skin; the final layering and glaze belong to the last 5 minutes.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 225g)