Marinated Shrimp With Champagne Beurre Blanc

Ingredients:

For the Sauce:

2 cups champagne or 2 cups other dry sparkling wine
1/3 cup shallot, finely chopped 
2 tablespoons champagne vinegar or 2 tablespoons other white wine vinegar
1/4 teaspoon whole black peppercorn

For the Shrimp:

1 cup champagne or 1 cup other dry sparkling wine
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons shallots, minced
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
24 uncooked jumbo shrimp, peeled with tail left intact, deveined
1 tablespoon fresh chives, minced
1 tablespoon fresh tarragon, minced
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, minced
Vegetable oil cooking spray
1 cup chilled unsalted butter, cut into 16 pieces

How to cook:

To prepare the sauce; combine champagne, shallots, vinegar, and peppercorns in a saucepan. Boil until reduced to 1/4 cup liquid, about 20 minutes. Cover it up and let it wait at least 4 hours in room temperature. 

To prepare the shrimp; combine champagne, olive oil, shallots, and ground pepper in resealable plastic bag. Add shrimp to bag and seal; shake bag to coat shrimp evenly. Marinate shrimp at room temperature at least 30 minutes and up to 1 hour, turning bag occasionally.

Mix chives, tarragon, and parsley in small bowl. Preheat broiler. Spray broiler pan with nonstick vegetable oil spray. Drain shrimp; discard plastic bag with marinade. Arrange shrimp on prepared pan in single layer. Broil shrimp until just opaque in center, about 2 minutes per side. Stand 3 shrimp, tails upright, in center of each plate.Rewarm sauce base over medium-low heat. Whisk in butter 1 piece at a time, just allowing each to melt before adding next (do not boil or sauce will separate). Season beurre blanc to taste with salt and pepper. Spoon warm sauce around shrimp. Sprinkle with fresh herbs and serve. Kali oreksi!

Oysters With Champagne Sauce

Ingredients:

1/2 cup champagne or sparkling white wine

1 hallot, finely chopped

125ml (1/2 cup) thickened cream

Freshly ground white pepper

Rock salt, to serve

12  pieces of oyster, in the half shell

Fresh chives, chopped

How to cook:

Place the champagne and shallot in a saucepan and bring to the boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 3-5 minutes (until reduced by half). Add the cream and season with white pepper. Simmer for 3-4 minutes (until reduced by half) and the sauce is thick and creamy.

Preheat grill on high. Scatter rock salt over the base of 2 small heatproof serving dishes. Arrange the oysters on the rock salt. Pour the cream mixture evenly among the oysters. Cook under grill for 1-2 minutes. Set aside for 2 minutes to cool slightly. Sprinkle with chives to serve. Kali oreksi!