Grilled Oysters On The Half Shell Food

CHAR-GRILLED OYSTERS

Steps:

• For the cheese topping: Mix the Parmesan, mozzarella, garlic, lemon juice, lemon zest and parsley in a bowl and reserve for later use.
• For the finishing butter: Place the butter, lemon juice, hot sauce, Worcestershire, chopped garlic, granulated garlic and 1/2 cup water into a small pot on the stove. Slowly melt and whisk ingredients until incorporated.
• For the oysters: Preheat the grill until it is very hot, about 400 degrees F.
• Top each oyster with a liberal amount of the cheese mixture. Carefully place the oysters on the grill and close. Cook until the cheese is melted and the oysters are starting to get some color, about 10 minutes.
• Remove the oysters from the grill with tongs and place them onto a cookie sheet or a heat-proof surface.
• Arrange 6 oysters per plate or leave on the large platter. Ladle some melted garlic butter over the oysters.
• Serve with grilled bread to soak up the juices and butter!

GRILLED OYSTERS WITH LEMON DILL BUTTER

Steps:

• Heat a charcoal or gas grill. If using charcoal, make sure you have a full layer of hot coals on the grate.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the butter, garlic, dill, lemon zest, lemon juice, 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
• Place the oysters (oyster-side up!) on a platter. With two small spoons, place a small dollop (about 1 teaspoon) of the herbed butter on each oyster. Place lightly crinkled sheets of aluminum foil loosely on the grill grates. Place the oysters on the foil, making sure they're level so the butter doesn't spill out. (The foil keeps the oyster shells from tipping over.) Cover the grill with the lid, making sure the vents are open, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until the butter comes to a simmer and the oysters are just heated through. Sprinkle with sea salt and serve hot.

GRILLED OYSTERS THREE WAYS

Steps:

• For the mignonette: Stir together the red wine vinegar, white balsamic vinegar, shallots and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper in a small bowl. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
• For the bourbon BBQ sauce: Stir together the barbecue sauce and bourbon in a small bowl. Set aside.
• For the scampi butter: Mash to combine the butter, white wine, lemon juice, garlic, shallot, 1 tablespoon of the parsley, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper in a medium bowl. Side aside.
• For the oysters: Prepare an outdoor grill for medium-high heat. Add the coarse sea salt in mounds to a large 9-by-13-inch aluminum roasting pan.
• Cooking in batches if necessary, put the oysters with their cupped side down in the roasting pan, nestling them in the salt so the flat side is facing up and they do not tip. Put the roasting pan on the hottest part of the grill and close the lid. Cook until the shells open slightly (wide enough to slide a knife in), 5 to 8 minutes, depending on the size of the oysters.
• Carefully remove the roasting pan from the grill. Insert the tip of an oyster knife or small sharp paring knife in the shell opening and run the knife along the inside of the top shell to release the oyster; remove the top shell. Run the knife under the oyster meat in the bottom shell to release the oyster, keeping the oyster and juices in the shell. Repeat with the remaining oysters, placing 12 of them on a platter and the remainder back in the pan. Serve the oysters on the platter immediately with the mignonette, or refrigerate until ready to serve. (See Cook's Note.)
• Spoon the bourbon BBQ sauce over 12 of the remaining oysters in the roasting pan (about 1 teaspoon each). Top each with some of the bacon and chives.
• Put a dollop of the scampi butter over the 12 remaining oysters in the roasting pan (about 1 teaspoon each).
• Return the roasting pan to the grill, close the lid and cook until the oyster fillings are just starting to bubble, about 5 minutes. Remove from the grill and transfer to a serving platter.
• Sprinkle the scampi butter oysters with the remaining 1 tablespoon chopped parsley and serve immediately.

HOW TO GRILL OYSTERS

Steps:

• Preheat grill to high (very important, otherwise they will not get hot enough to pop open the shells).
• Check oysters for freshness by tapping each oyster gently on a work surface to make sure they close their shells when tapped. Discard any oysters that don't close.
• Place the oysters on the grate with the deeper shell down to hold in the juices.
• Grill for 5-8 minutes. Remove each oyster from the grill the second the shell pops open (even if it is ever so slightly open) dumping out the juices onto the coals. Do not delay in removing them from the grill, as they will cook up to nothing!
• Pry off top shells with an oven mitt, pull the oyster off of the top shell. Dump out juices, return oyster to the shell and serve immediately.

GRILLED OYSTERS

Steps:

• Rinse the oysters in cold water. Discard any with shells that are open and won't stay closed when gently squeezed shut. Heat a gas or charcoal grill to medium-high.
• Set the oysters, with the cupped side down, on the cooking grate.
• Cover the grill and cook until the oysters have opened and the meat is opaque and cooked through but not yet dried out, about 5 minutes for smaller oysters and 8 to 10 minutes for larger ones. (Note that most oysters will open their shells enough to make it easy to lift off the top shell, but not as wide as cooked mussels and clams.)
• Use tongs or heavy-duty oven/grilling mitts to remove the oysters from the grill.
• Remove the top shell and, for easy eating, run a sharp knife along the inside of the bottom shell to detach the oyster.
• Serve the oysters hot or warm with melted butter, hot sauce, lemon wedges, or any other desired toppings.