For a simple summer supper, toss a few oysters on the grill and whip up some compound butter. (Photo: Mary Jane Miller)
By Mary Jane Miller
Now that it’s summer and you’re firing up the grill, why not add some briny oysters? Three or four oysters served with soda crackers is enough for an easy and elegant appetizer. A dozen will make a meal for two with a salad and a loaf of crusty bread.
I came up with this idea during a solo trip to Napa for work. I picked up a bag of oysters from the Tomales Bay Oyster Company right on the shore and was looking forward to an indulgent dinner at my Airbnb in the middle of a remote vineyard. That night, I lit a fire, poured a glass of wine and shucked a few oysters, which I drizzled with some mignonette sauce I’d picked up at the oyster farm. (Mignonette sauce is essentially red wine vinegar and chopped shallots.) Lovely.
I shucked a few more, had a little more wine and eventually realized I’m not the best oyster shucker. Little bits of broken shell kept falling into the flesh. By then, the fire had burned down to a nice bed of coals, so I swung the grill over the coals and tossed a couple of test oysters on top, just to see what would happen. And sure enough: The shells popped open after just a few minutes.
I used a towel to pull off the flatter top shell. The oysters still had a silky texture, but the oyster liquor — the briny mix of seawater and the oyster’s own juices — was steamy and delicious without a speck of broken shell. A few drops of the sauce made them even better.
Back home I tried out my new trick on my gas grill with oysters I picked up for $1.25 at Waterfront Seafood Market. (It’s the best place to buy locally. There’s good turnover.) The oysters were bigger than my batch in California and the shells didn’t all pop open, but I suspected they were done when some of the liquor started dribbling out. And I was right: The shells popped right off with a little coaxing. I dressed them up with a bit of homemade mignonette sauce and some compound butters, just to gild the lily. The butters were the star, melting into the hot juices. (Next time, I’ll save the mignonette sauce for chilled raw oysters.)
The butter
In the kitchen at Aunt Maude’s in Ames, we used to make something called “snail butter” to serve with escargot and garlic bread. Its French name sounds fancy — beurre maître d’hôtel — but it’s pretty simple. Just mix 1 stick of softened butter with a quarter cup of finely chopped parsley and chives, two grated cloves of garlic, a tablespoon of lemon juice, and a dash of salt and pepper to taste. If you have leftovers, just spread a bit on crusty bread and enjoy. (Another tip: Mix 1 stick of butter with a quarter cup of finely chopped kimchi and spoon a dollop onto eggs, toast or hot cooked rice or vegetables.)
The platter
Before grilling the oysters, I like to cover a serving platter with an inch-thick layer of rock salt (often sold for homemade ice cream). It keeps the finished oysters steady and upright.
The grill
To grill the oysters, get the grill very hot. Place the unopened oysters on the grill with the flat side up. Close the grill’s lid and cook the oysters for 5-10 minutes, or until they just start to open and the juices start to bubble out. Use tongs to lift the oysters to a rimmed baking sheet. With a towel protecting your hand from the hot shell, use an oyster knife to pry off the flat top shell and detach the morsel inside. The top shells usually pop off so easily, a sturdy butter knife works, too.
Place the oysters on the prepared platter and top each one while it’s still hot with a spoonful of softened compound butter. Serve with a few lemon wedges. When it’s time to dig in, I like to lift each oyster onto a soda cracker or a piece of bread and sip any remaining juice right from the shell.
The surprise inside
You might find a bonus in your oysters: a pea crab. These tiny stowaways are harmless and live inside healthy oyster shells. They are sweet, briny and delicious.
