It was actually my dad who suggested that I should try making Angels on Horseback. He had heard about the dish from a friend, who claimed that oysters wrapped in bacon were one of the best things you could serve. Normally my dad isn’t the person I go to for cooking advice, but the idea sounded intriguing, and since I had brought home two big buckets of fresh oysters from the Wadden Sea, I didn’t really have an excuse not to give it a try.
Angels on Horseback is a classic British recipe that dates back to the nineteenth century, when it was served as a small snack with drinks. Oysters and bacon might sound like a strange combination, but the salty, crispy bacon together with the warm, tender oyster is a surprisingly delicious bite. Hard to describe, but trust me, it tastes wonderful.
The name Angels on Horseback is said to come from the way the cooked oysters curl slightly and take on an angel wing–like shape as the bacon crisps around them. Somewhere along the way it also got a mischievous counterpart: Devils on Horseback. The “devils” are usually prunes or dates wrapped in bacon, sometimes stuffed with chutney or cheese. Same idea, different personality. Where Angels on Horseback feel light and a little coastal, Devils on Horseback are rich, sweet and more of a winter party favorite.
Notes
You’d want the bacon crisp and cooked, so try to find thinly sliced bacon and only wrap the bacon once around each oyster. Depending on their size, you will need between half and a whole slice of bacon per oyster.
I serve the bacon-wrapped oysters in the cleaned oyster shells. It looks really nice on the plate.
You can soak the toothpicks in water for about 20 minutes before using them to prevent splintering or burning in the oven.
Recipe: Angels on Horseback – oysters wrapped in bacon
6
oystersKeep the screen of your device on
Ingredients
3-6 slices of bacon
6 fresh oysters
finely chopped parsley
lemon
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 220°C (about 430°F).
- Shuck the oysters and gently remove them from the shells. Save the shells for later if you want to serve the oysters in the shell.
- Wrap each oyster in bacon and secure with a toothpick.
- Place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or in an ovenproof dish.
- Bake for about 10 minutes, turning them halfway so the bacon becomes golden and crispy on all sides. Keep an eye on them, as the time can vary depending on your oven and the thickness of the bacon.
- Sprinkle with finely chopped parsley and serve warm with a lemon wedge so everyone can add a squeeze of lemon juice before eating.
