Cooking is like love. It should be entered into with abandon or not at all.
Harriet Van Horne
Living on the shore of a Puget Sound inlet usually means a bounty of shellfish. In my case, oysters a'plenty! Specifically, as my 18 year-old son tells me...'singles'...are the best for eating. 'Singles' in terms of oysters, means the shell is not any bigger than a deck of cards. The benefit of these little oysters is less chewiness around the outer edge of the meat, which is perfect because I can't stand a chewy oyster!
This appetizer recipe is for the oyster lover. Only a step away from slurping them up raw. No side dishes needed-only a good crusty loaf of bread to sop up the juices as you savor these tender, juicy morsels of sea goodness. Just pure steamed oysters in their own liquor and a few other tasty ingredients to enhance their flavor.
Large Stockpot w/lid
Barbeque grill
16 oysters-singles, bought or collected (from a safe shoreline)
1 stick of organic salted butter-melted
1 bottle chilled white wine-1/2 cup reserved for sauce (Green Fin Organic White Table Wine is perfect for both drinking and this dish)
1 teaspoon fresh chopped organic dill
2 cloves organic garlic-crushed/minced
Juice of half an organic lemon
Pinch cayenne pepper (if you like a bit of heat)
Pinch salt and pepper to taste
Warmed crusty loaf of bread (Trader Joe's Par-baked Half Loaf of Organic Ciabatta is lovely)
Pour one cup of chilled white wine into a glass. Take a long sip. Mmmmmm. Ready? Here we go, friend. Start the grill-it needs to be hot enough to boil water. Rinse the outside of oyster shells if needed and place in the bottom of the pot. Fill pot just enough to cover the bottom of the pot and NOT cover the oysters. Place lid on the pot. When grill is hot-put pan on the grill.
While the water is heating and the oysters are steaming combine the rest of the ingredients in a small saucepan. Bring to a quick boil and then turn on low to keep warm. Check the oysters-they should steam open just a crack. Once they open-take them off the heat. If they do not all open, you may have to shuck them open. Use a large bowl, oyster shucking gloves and an oyster shucking tool to open the oysters. Make sure to let all of the oyster liquor (the juice inside the oyster shell) drain into the bowl while shucking-this adds tremendous flavor to the sauce. Once all of the oysters and liquor are in the bowl-you are ready to eat! Add the warmed ingredients in the saucepan to the bowl of oysters. Toss lightly to mix and coat the oysters.
At my place, we usually cannot wait to serve them in individual bowls-so we all grab a spoon and dig right in out of the same bowl....mmmmm...tasty!
