Beard House Recipe: Oyster Crudo with Prosecco Mignonette

Oyster Crudo with Prosecco Mignonette / La Dolce Vita

Emmy Award–winning chef Giada De Laurentiis is known for many things: her celebrated Food Network shows, elegant California-inflected Italian cooking, and contagious smile, among them. Now with an eponymous Las Vegas restaurant under her belt, the petite powerhouse’s brand continues to grow ever more fierce—and New York City diners were treated to an evening of Sin City decadence when the celebrity chef brought her iconic fare to the Beard House at the end of November. The evening was a culinary slam-dunk from start to finish, from her delicate lemon–crab arancini to her hearty rigatoni with vegetable Bolognese to her decadent barolo-braised beef short ribs with lemon smashed potatoes.

Another favorite of the night was a surprisingly simple yet utterly elegant canapé that we think should be part of every home cook's entertaining repertoire: oyster crudo with Prosecco mignonette. A riff on the classic oyster condiment, Giada's version features sparkling Italian white wine in place of the standard vinegar and whimsical pink peppercorns in lieu of the usual cracked black pepper—yielding an easy-to-produce passed hors d'oeuvre that's equally pleasing to the eyes and palate. Want to give this dish a whirl at home? Get the recipe.

View all upcoming Beard House event menus and book your seat at jamesbeard.org/events.

To learn about Giada's favorite recipes, biggest on-screen disasters, how she overcame her greatest personal and professional hurdles, and more​, read our interview with her.

--

Elena North-Kelly is senior editor at the James Beard Foundation. Find her on Twitter and Instagram.