Emeril’s Coastal Pasta Bordelaise with Fried Oysters

Ingredients

2 tablespoons canola oil
½ cup minced shallots
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1/2 cup veal demi glace or 2 tablespoons concentrated beef bouillon base or broth concentrate
2 1/2 cups heavy cream
4 slices bacon, cooked crisp, drained, and chopped
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice, or to taste
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 pound spaghetti, fettuccine, or linguine, cooked al dente and drained (reserve 1 ½ cups pasta cooking water separately)
1/3 cup toasted Panko breadcrumbs, for garnish
Freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano, for garnish
Finely grated zest of 1 lemon, for garnish
Fried Oysters for Pasta Bordelaise [3]

Heat a large skillet or sauté pan over medium heat; add the canola oil, then the shallots and garlic and sauté until softened and fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the demi glace or concentrated bouillon, the heavy cream, bacon, lemon juice, and season lightly with salt and pepper (Note: if you use concentrated bouillon, you probably won’t need to add any salt). Cook, whisking occasionally, until the sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, usually 4 to 6 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary. Add the pasta, tossing it in the sauce until it is warmed through, adding a bit of the reserved pasta cooking liquid if necessary to achieve the desired consistency.

Serve the pasta in wide, shallow pasta bowls, garnished with the Fried Oysters, toasted panko crumbs, Parmesan, and lemon zest.