WEEK 33: YOUR BEST WAY TO PREPARE OYSTERS
Grilled (or Broiled) Oysters with a
Sriracha Lime Butter
Photography by Sarah Shatz
BY MELISSAV | MAKES AT LEAST 2 DOZEN OYSTERS AND SERVES 4 TO 6 AS A FIRST COURSE
A&M: We wish more people would grill or broil oysters—it’s so easy, and the quick blast of heat concentrates the oysters’ brine and browns their edges without drying them out. Here you mash up butter with Sriracha, shallots, lime juice, and cilantro, and as the oysters cook (we broiled them) the flavorful butter melts and poaches the plump little bivalves. We think the spicy butter would also be pretty great on clams, fish, shrimp, crab, and even corn. One detail to keep in mind: the lime juice will not fully mash into the butter, so just spoon the juices over the oysters after dabbing them with the butter.
4 tablespoons (½ stick) butter, softened
2 teaspoons finely minced shallot
1 teaspoon Sriracha
1 tablespoon lime juice
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons minced cilantro
2 dozen oysters on the half shell
- In a small bowl, mix the butter with the shallot, Sriracha, lime juice, salt, and cilantro. Let it set up in the fridge. It doesn’t have to set up completely, but it should be more solid than liquid—give it at least an hour.
- Meanwhile, heat the grill (or broiler) until very hot.
- Top each oyster with a dollop of the flavored butter.
- Grill (or broil) until the oysters plump up and their edges begin to curl, 3 to 4 minutes.
- Enjoy! But be careful, as the shells will be very hot.
Photography by Sarah Shatz
TIPS AND TECHNIQUES
Melissav: “Shucking is a task. If you aren’t up for it, most fish stores will shuck oysters for you. If I pick them up late enough in the day, I have them shuck them and leave them on the half shell. If there’s a bit of time between the trip to the fish store and dinner time, you can have them shuck the oysters and put the oysters and the oyster liquor in a small container with the shells on the side. When it’s time to prepare the oysters, just place an oyster in each shell along with a small spoonful of the liquor. Not as ideal as a freshly shucked oyster, but a great time saver.”
ABOUT THE COOK
To learn more about Melissav, see her recipe for Ciabatta Stuffing with Chorizo, Sweet Potato, and Mushrooms.
WHAT THE COMMUNITY SAID
Rhonda35: “Really looking forward to trying this to night. Making Valentine’s Day dinner—think we’ll start with some bubbly and these delightful-sounding morsels, move on to lobster risotto with a lemony green salad, and finish with something dark and chocolatey.”
Rhonda35 (follow-up!): “I usually prefer my oysters raw with just a squeeze of lemon, but this recipe is so unbelievably fabulous that I just might have a new preference!”