Oysters Kilpatrick are a classic dish here in Australia, featuring succulent oysters topped with bacon in a salty, smoky, tangy sauce. This preparation method reflects tradition and nostalgia, reminiscent of the way many of us have grown up enjoying oysters. However, for those who prefer oysters au naturel, this dish offers a delightful departure from the usual, providing a balance of flavours that is both familiar and satisfying.
Servings and total time
This dish can be prepped, cooked, and cooled in 15 minutes. Add another 5-10 minutes if you need to shuck the oysters and/or dice the bacon. As for servings, I'll leave that for you all to negotiate among yourselves over who gets how many. Double the recipe to ensure there's plenty for everyone!
Ingredients
- 12-15 large shucked oysters
- 180g pre-diced bacon
- 1/2 cup tomato sauce (ketchup)
- 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 & 1/2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp juice from oysters (optional, see notes)
- Pinch of Fantasea-salt (sea salt)
Instructions
1. Prepare the oysters by cleaning and removing excess moisture (see notes below).
2. Cook the bacon until slightly crisp, then distribute it among the oysters.
3. In a saucepan, combine all the liquid ingredients and mix well. Simmer for about 5 minutes, ensuring there's a gentle bubbling to meld the flavours which also helps to thicken the sauce.
4. Spoon the sauce evenly over the oysters.
5. Preheat the barbecue or grill. Cook the oysters for about 6 minutes until warmed through and the sauce starts to bubble and sizzle. Be cautious when handling as the shells will be very hot.
6. Serve the oysters in the half shell, place onto a platter covered in rock salt for that wow factor! with lemon wedges and provide oyster forks if available. Optionally, garnish with chopped flat-leaf parsley.
7. To accommodate your guests who like it a little spicy, offer Tabasco sauce on the side for guests to serve themselves. You can also mix Tabasco into any leftover Kilpatrick sauce to accompany other platter items.
Notes and tips
• The amount of ingredients can vary depending on the size of the oysters and how much you want to pack into each; the larger the shell, the more bacon you can fit :) Taste the sauce as you go!
• I prefer using pre-diced bacon as it comes in a nice square shape, but you can also use bacon strips. If using strips, I would usually grill them on the bbq prior to dicing.
• To prevent the oysters from becoming watery during the grilling process, strain the whole oyster to eliminate shell debris and reserve the juice to add to the sauce. A simple dab with a paper towel will effectively remove lingering moisture too.
• As always, use good quality ingredients, including freshly shucked oysters and condiment brands you know you like. While freshly squeezed lemon is always going to be preferred, bottled lemon can be used when needed, which I’ve found no issues in doing so.
• To prevent oysters from moving, you can use scrunched-up aluminum foil as a stabiliser.
• A variation of this recipe uses barbecue sauce as an alternative to tomato sauce, which you may also like to try.
