When someone tells me they don’t like oysters, I make it my mission to convert them, and a baked or grilled oyster is the best way to do so. Don’t get me wrong, a good raw oyster is fantastic, but cooked oysters have a deep umami that you don’t get with raw oysters, and they are much more palatable for novices. This recipe is also perfect for people who don’t know how to shuck an oyster or don’t have a shucking knife.
Laura
- Live oysters in their shell – at least 6 per person
- Butter, Parmesan cheese, lemon or hot sauce
Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil (see “Bakeware” tip).
Place live oysters onto prepared baking sheet, cupped side facing up. The idea is to cook the oyster in its brine.
Bake oysters for 10-20 minutes, depending on size. When you start to see liquid bubbling out of shells, cook for another 3-5 minutes (oysters are difficult to over cook).
Remove pan from oven. Using a shucking knife, butter knife, or other implement (e.g. screw driver) carefully remove top shell from oyster by inserting knife at the hinge or between the shell and twisting. Try to reserve the brine in the shell.
Eat immediately with garnish or choice. Sip the brine.
Variations:
Instead of baking, simply place live oysters directly on the grates of a grill.
After removing the top shell, add a small pat of butter or other garnish. Place back in oven for a few minutes to melt the butter and cheese.
Oyster Tips:
How to keep oysters alive until you cook them:
-Place oysters in a bowl, cover with a damp towel, and place in the fridge. The towel maintains humidity, and protects the top layer of oysters from getting too cold. Re-moisten the towel every day. The oysters should be fine for up to 3 days this way.
-Alternatively, keep oysters on ice in a cooler, making sure to drain melted ice water from cooler, and top off ice whenever it is needed. Oysters should keep for 3 days to a week this way, depending on how fresh they were when purchased.
Checking if an oyster is dead or alive:
–Before cooking, if you find an oyster that is cracked open, do not use it. When an oyster dies its muscles relax and it can no longer keep its shell closed.
-Tap oysters together. Dead oysters have a hollow sound because they have lost their liquid.
-If an oyster has been dead for awhile, you will know it. They smell awful.
-When cooked, oysters do not pop wide open like clams or mussels. The shells often open just slightly. Do not discard oysters that appear closed after cooking, provided they were closed before you cooked them.
Bakeware:
-Oysters will spill some brine with cooking, causing metal bakeware to rust. I recommend using oven-proof glass dishes, older metal pans, or lining your bakeware very well. I have opted to dedicate an old baking sheet to oysters.
-To retain brine in the oyster shell when cooking, stabilize the oysters somehow. Some options:
- Use a muffin tin, placing one oysters in each muffin well
- Balance the oyster on a baking sheet using an oven-proof utensil
- Fill baking sheet with a large amount of rock salt. Nestle oysters into the salt.
Spencer Family Cookbook 