Oysters Sautéed With Country Ham And Wild Mushrooms Over Grilled Bread Recipe

Follow your nose and the red chicken tracks on the front porch of this restaurant roost with Lowcountry/French Huguenot–inspired pluck. Fat Hen’s “coop” has a convenient Johns Island address, situated virtually equidistant from downtown and the upscale resort barrier islands Kiawah and Seabrook. Congenial chef-owner Fred Neuville is a veteran chef and a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America. He draws heavily on French classical technique and the ingredients indigenous to the Lowcountry at Fat Hen — so named because Fred wanted something that evoked nurturing images and a French undertone. Plus, it’s so much fun to say!Fat Hen lays all kinds of golden dishes, from succulent short ribs braised in a rich veal broth to seared duck leg and thigh served with butter beans and garlic spinach. The sophisticated yet homey French country look and smashing food draw an eclectic, animated crowd. “Our price structure is such that we get the full gamut,” says Fred. “People drink Bud Light and people drink Cristal champagne.”His oyster recipe (the fifth-biggest seller at the restaurant) was something he created many years ago, as a young chef working at a French bistro in Richmond, Virginia. He resurrected it at Fat Hen because it was a natural fit with the restaurant’s theme. “Oysters and country ham are very Lowcountry and the preparation ties in the French angle. The French have their hams, too,” says Fred.Adapted from "The Charleston Chef's Table" by Holly Herrick.