It's Almost Too Easy To Grill Up Oysters In A Flash

Oysters were not always the fancy food item they are considered to be these days. According to Mark Kurlansky's book, "The Big Oyster: History on the Half Shell," at one point in the late nineteenth century, their numbers were so prolific that "at any moment at least six million oysters were on barges tied up at the waterfront." 

This made them a very affordable meal for the working class then, a far cry from the champagne and oyster dining fantasies of today. 

Oysters are usually best in the colder months, which means that it is not particularly easy to get fresh oysters of high quality during the summer. While there are good reasons for not purchasing frozen oysters, cooking them makes them safe and tasty for consumption when the weather is warm. And what better way to prepare oysters in warm weather than to fire up the grill and cook them on the half-shell? A bonus of this method is that it cooks up in a flash, perfect for a party with friends or a solo treat-yourself evening at home.

If the oysters you have on hand have already been shucked and are on the half-shell, then the difficult part is over. The half shell that oysters sit in should be the curved side (as opposed to the flat side), holding the oyster meat snugly like a little bowl. You are all set to grill oysters at home. 

Heat your grill to as hot as it will go, to at least 400 F. If you choose, dot the oysters with flavored butter. When the grill is hot enough, arrange the oysters in their shells on the grill's grates. If you are concerned about stability, arrange the oysters on a heat-proof sheet tray and place the whole thing onto the grill.

You'll need to cover the exposed tops of the oysters. Use foil, another tray, or just close the grill. After about two minutes, the oysters should be cooked through by the grill's high heat. Remove from the grill, then garnish and season accordingly. Lemon juice and Tabasco sauce are classic options, as are mignonette sauces. You could also approximate the flavors of Oysters Rockefeller and sprinkle over grated parmesan and fresh herbs. Any route you take will be delicious, all for a fraction of the price of an oyster bar.

If your frozen oysters have not arrived pre-prepared and on the half-shell, you can open them relatively easily. It is likely that they have already been scrubbed clean before being packed and frozen, but if you are concerned, you can always clean the oyster shells first.

There are a couple of ways you can open oysters safely without shucking. The first uses a microwave. While that will technically pre-cook the oysters, it is only in the microwave for a short while until the shell pops open, which will take under a minute. You can then leverage them open relatively safely. 

Another way to open frozen oysters that will take even less effort is to simply thaw them. Place them in a single layer on a tray and let them sit in the fridge for up to 18 hours. The shells will pop open as they thaw, after which you can manually open them the rest of the way and proceed with the rest of the grilling process.