Grilled Smoky Chipotle Oysters with Zucchini Tomatillo Salsa Verde. A world class qualifier in the Ultimate Cookoff, World Food Championships!

Recently I entered the Ultimate Cooking Contest. World Food Championships.
This was my 4th year entering, winning in Taste of America and representing Pennsylvania! I was extremely honored to win a Golden Ticket in Seafood!

Golden tickets are earned in contests held all over the world to try to win one of 500 seats to compete for a chance to win $100.000! Total purse for all the competitions is over $350.000!
My category, Seafood, started out 43 contests to fill 50 seats at the competition in Kitchen Arena held this year in Dallas, Texas. Thousands Entered and I was one of 41 contests to make the final cut.
champ
First competition in Kitchen Arena narrowed us down to the top ten. I made the cut!
We competed for $10,000 and as category champ, get to go on to compete for $100,000! I didn’t place first but what an awesome experience to come out as a 2019 Top Ten Seafood Champion in the world!
medal
Here’s the recipe!

Smoky Chipotle Oysters with Zucchini Tomatillo Salsa Verde

Print Recipe

Ingredients

6 oysters, shucked keep oysters and juices on shell
2 strips bacon, baked then chopped
2 cups chard, julienne cut
1/8 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
green sauce
1/2 lb tomatillos peels, cut into quarters
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped zucchini
1 tbsp lime juice
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1/16 tsp black pepper
1 clove raw garlic
2 tbsp fresh cilantro
1/2 tsp xanthan gum
2 tbsp olive oil
chipotle sauce
3 tbsp unsalted butter
1/2 cup tomato puree
1 tsp chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, skin removed
1/8 tsp smoked salt
1/8 tsp cumin
1 tsp adobo sauce from can
1/4 cup roasted pepitas

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Place bacon strips on parchment paper lined sheet tray. Bake at 400 for about 15 minutes until bacon is crisp but not brittle. Reserve bacon grease.
Make green sauce
Cook tomatillos, zucchini, onion, lime juice and salt and pepper in a 2-quart saucepan over medium heat. Cook about 5 minutes until tomatillos lighten in color and soften slightly. Transfer to food processor.
Add garlic, cilantro, xanthan gum to the cooked vegetables in the food processor. Pulse to chop slightly. Drizzle olive oil into mixture while food processor is running to reach desired consistency. Set aside.
Make chipotle sauce
Add butter, tomato puree, chipotle pepper, adobo sauce, smoked salt and cumin into a 1-quart saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stir as needed, until flavors blend, about 5 minutes.
Drain bacon fat into small skillet, Saute chard, and bacon pieces. Cook untill tender. Sprinkle with red pepper flakes.
Grill oysters in shells over medium high heat for about 3 minutes until they begin to bubble. Remove from heat. Spoon out oysters onto a plate. Be careful to reserve juice.
Add greens to shell. Return oysters. Spoon on chipotle sauce. Return to grill and cook an additional 3 to 4 minutes until hot and bubbling and thoroughly cooked. Remove from heat. add aadditional sauce if desired. Top with pepitas. Serve with green sauce on the side.