Servings: 4 appetizer-sized portions
Start to finish: 15 minutes
1 dozen shucked oysters
Green Garlicky Butter (see recipe below)
Hot Sauce for serving
Lemon wedges for serving
Prepare a gas or charcoal grill for medium direct heat.
Line a sheet pan with the bottom oyster shells from the shucked oysters. Top each oyster with a generous spoonful of the oyster liquor (liquid that the oysters are packed in) and the green garlic butter.
Place oysters directly on the cooking grates. Cover the grill and cook until butter is melted and liquid is bubbling, about 2-3 minutes. You can tell if the oysters are cooked if they are opaque and puffed up. The edges will also stand out slightly.
Transfer to a serving platter lined with kosher salt and serve immediately with lemon wedges and favorite hot sauce, if desired.
GREEN GARLIC BUTTER (a.k.a. ESCARGOT BUTTER)
Grating garlic with a microplane provides a garlic paste that is more easily mixed into the butter.
1 stick unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
3 cloves of garlic, peeled and grated
1 small shallot, grated
1/2 teaspoon granulated or dehydrated garlic
2-4 teaspoons dry white wine, such as a French Burgundy or French-style Chardonnay, depending on taste
1/2 teaspoon sea salt (or more to taste)
Mash or stir butter until it is smooth and slightly fluffy. Add parsley, garlic, shallot and dehydrated garlic. Mix together, mashing with the back of a fork to make sure all the ingredients are incorporated. Add wine and salt. Mix until smooth and fully incorporated. Taste for seasoning. Add more salt if needed.
On a piece of parchment or plastic wrap, drop butter in spoonsful to form a log. Roll butter in plastic wrap and smooth out to form a round log about 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Refrigerate until firm and easy to cut into pieces. Can be made in advance and stored tightly covered in the refrigerator for up to a week and in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Chef’s note: When I make this for the grilled oyster recipe above, I drop generous and equal spoonsful of the soft butter on a piece of parchment paper and place it in the freezer to harden. This way, the butter is already portioned out for each oyster. You can do this in advance and place the individual butter patties in a resealable plastic bag in the freezer for up to 2 weeks.
Nutrition information per serving: 284 calories; 183 calories from fat; 21 g fat (12 g saturated; 1 g trans fats); 121 mg cholesterol; 415 mg sodium; 9 g carbohydrate; 0 g fiber; 0 g sugar; 15 g protein.
Elizabeth Karmel, Associated Press
