Easy weeknight dinner: oysters!
“He was a bold man that first ate an oyster.” –Jonathan Swift
Late winter and early spring is peak oyster season, especially the prized Bluepoint oysters named for Blue Point, Long Island where they originate. They are large and plump and full of flavor. Equally important, they’re one of the most nutritious and well balanced foods you can eat; rich in zinc, iron, calcium, Vitamin C, and Vitamin A.
Urban legend contends that it is unsafe to eat oysters in any month that does not contain the letter R. This is mainly because those are the summer months and before refrigeration it could indeed be dangerous to consume oysters at these times. It is now safe to eat oysters all year round, but the peak months are September-April.
Oysters with garlic butter: Serves 2
Ingredients: 8 Oysters, a stick of butter, salt and pepper, a tsp of minced parsley, a head of garlic, 2 lemon wedges.
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Tightly wrap a head of garlic (unpeeled) in aluminum foil. Put it in the oven to roast about 45 minutes. Remove the garlic from the oven, unwrap, and let it cool at room temperature. When its cool enough to touch, squeeze the garlic out of the cloves into a bowl.
Let a stick of butter soften at room temperature. When its nice and soft, mash it in the bowl with the garlic. Add a pinch of salt, a teaspoon of minced parsley, and mash it all together with the back of a fork.
Preheat a grill pan (I love the cast iron ones made by Lodge — they work the best and they are inexpensive). Place 8 oysters on the pan and spread the tops of each with the seasoned butter. Grill 4 minutes. Serve with lemon wedges.
Serve with a fresh green salad for an easy dinner for two.
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Yum… I love oysters but usually eat them raw with an ice cold beer! I’ve never actually brought any home to cook. When you put them on the grill (and please excuse my ignorance here)… do you put them shell down? or are they opened and turned over so the oyster meat is touching the grill?
Good question Amy! Grill with shells down so you don’t lose all the juices in the oyster.
usualy though we grill them completely closed and when they are done they will make a little “pop” and open themselves..this recipe is a little different though.