To get the bivalve’s true flavor, it’s best to go classic.
You’ll want to spill a bit of butter into the flames of your grill to get the fire to flare up and char the oyster shells a little.
— Robb Walsh
Grilled Oysters on the Half Shell
1 cup butter, melted
2 tablespoons garlic, chopped
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
3 dozen oysters in the shell, fresh or frozen
Parmesan cheese, for garnish
Chopped fresh parsley, for garnish
Prepare a hot fire for direct-heat grilling in a charcoal or gas grill.
In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat, being careful not to let it brown. Stir in the garlic, salt, and pepper, then remove from the heat. (This can be done on the grill.)
You can shuck the oysters, leaving them on the half shell. Or, you can put the unshucked oysters on the grill grate, and when the shells pop open, remove the top shell from each oyster. Spoon the butter mixture evenly over the oyster meats and grill for 3 – 5 minutes, until cooked through. Transfer to platters and sprinkle with a little Parmesan and parsley. Serve at once.
Robb Walsh is a veteran food writer and three-time James Beard Award winner. His latest cookbook, Texas Eats: The New Lone Star Heritage Cookbook, with More than 200 Recipes (Ten Speed Press, 2012) includes recipes for oysters, fish, crab, and shrimp in addition to plenty of chuck wagon cook-off fare and vintage Tex-Mex.
Recipes reprinted with permission from Texas Eats: The New Lone Star Heritage Cookbook, with More than 200 Recipes by Robb Walsh, © 2012. Published by Ten Speed Press, a division of Random House Inc.
From the February/March 2012 issue.