Grilled Barbecued Oysters Recipes

NEW ORLEANS' DRAGO'S GRILLED OYSTERS RECIPE

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients.
• Heat a gas or charcoal grill to high heat. Ideally, the grill should hit 500 F. In a small saucepan, gently melt the butter. Mix the melted butter with the garlic, pepper, and oregano. Reserve in a small bowl.
• Place the oysters on the half shell right over the hottest part of the grill. The oyster shouldn't be cut loose from the shell as they can slip and fall right through the grill.
• Spoon enough of the seasoned butter over the oysters so that some of it will overflow into the fire and flame up a bit. The oysters are ready when they puff up and get curly on the sides, about 5 minutes.
• In a small bowl, mix together the grated Parmesan and Romano cheeses. Top the oysters with the cheese mix and parsley. Serve on the shells immediately.

GRILLED OYSTERS WITH LEMONY GARLIC-HERB BUTTER

Steps:

• Ignite a full chimney of coals and spread out under one side of the grill once they are fully covered in gray ash, or heat half the burners of a gas grill to high. Cover and let the grill heat for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, cut off a sheet of aluminum foil twice the length of a 13-by-18-inch rimmed baking sheet. Crumple it up so that it fits into the baking sheet. The crumpled foil should be able to support the cupped side of the oysters without allowing them to tip over.
• Prepare the garlic-herb butter: In a food processor, combine the butter, parsley, basil, garlic, lemon zest and juice, a large pinch of salt and a few grinds of pepper. Process until the herbs are finely chopped and there are no large chunks of butter remaining, about 30 seconds total, stopping to scrape down the sides of the processor with a rubber spatula a few times as needed. Transfer the mixture to a small, oven-safe saucepan.
• Using tongs, arrange the oysters over the hot side of the grill, placing them with the cupped sides down, doing your best to set them in the grates so that oyster juices don't pour out of the cups as they open. Cover and cook, checking on them every minute or so, and transferring any oysters that have begun to gape open to the foil-lined baking sheet. After a total of 4 minutes, transfer any remaining oysters to the foil whether they have opened or not. Place the saucepan on the cooler side of the grill.
• As soon as the oysters are cool enough to handle, pry off the top shells with a butter knife or oyster knife, severing through the muscle that holds the oyster to the shell and retaining as much juice in the shell as possible. For oysters that aren't already gaping open, the easiest way to pry off the lids is by inserting the tip of the knife into the joint and firmly twisting it until the joint releases.
• Spoon a generous teaspoon of the garlic-herb butter (which should be fully melted by now) into each oyster, then return the oysters directly onto the grates on the hot side of the grill. Cook, uncovered, until the sauce mixture is bubbling hot, about 1 minute. Return the oysters to the foil-lined baking sheet and serve immediately.

GRILLED BARBECUED OYSTERS

Steps:

• Combine the hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, olive oil, salt, pepper, and garlic in a small saucepan, and stir well.
• Prepare grill.
• Place saucepan containing sauce on grill rack. Place the oysters on grill rack, and grill 5 min or so until a few oysters begin to open.
• Remove oysters from heat. Carefully open oysters, leaving on the half shell.
• Sprinkle oysters with parsley, and drizzle with sauce.
• Serve with lemon wedges.