Golden baked oysters with creamy chard

Method

1. To make the creamed chard, heat the rapeseed oil in a medium sized heavy based pot and sweat the shallot and garlic until softened. Add the white wine and reduce by half. Add the cream and reduce by half. Add the chard and cook for 1 minute to soften. Season with black pepper and set aside whilst opening the oysters.

2. To shuck the oysters, prepare a roasting tray with a bed of salt.

3. Fold a clean tea towel in half twice lengthways. Place the oyster in the centre of the folded towel cup side down with the hinge of the oyster facing in the direction of your more dominant hand.

4. Place the tip of the oyster knife at the hinge of the shell applying pressure. Twist and wiggle the knife to pop the hinge. The hinge is the at the pointed end of the oyster.

5. Angle the knife towards the cup side of the shell and run your knife towards the top side of the shell. Turn the knife at a 90-degree angle to separate the flat side of the shell from the cup.

6. Run the knife under the adductor muscle of the oyster to detach the oyster from the shell. Remove any shell fragments that might be present.

7. To finish, add the rapeseed oil to a frying pan on a medium low heat. Then add the panko breadcrumbs and toast until golden brown, stirring all the time to ensure even caramelisation. Once golden-brown set aside.

8. Preheat the oven to 220°C/gas 7.

9. Place a teaspoon of the creamed chard in each oyster and bake for 6 minutes. Remove from the oven and add a heaped tsp of the toasted breadcrumbs. Return to the oven for a further 2 minutes.

10. Serve with wedges of lemon.