Yesterday at the market I saw these AMAZINGLY HUGE oysters - they were fresh and local, so I couldn't resist. I asked for 8, and the lovely woman behind the counter said "okay, but you'll have to give me a minute to get them." She had to go in the back to get them - they could only fit 4 at a time in the ice display, I kid you they were huge. She gave me to big bags, each had 4 oysters. Every one of them was at least the entire size of one of my hands - a couple were even bigger. I was in oyster heaven! As I was taking the bags the woman behind the counter said "these are great on the grill." I paused and thought "really?" But so as not to appear like she had some knowledge that I didn't, I simply said "yep! Can't wait!" On the grill?? Really?? I was intrigued!
I still wanted to open one up and eat it raw. Come on, it's freakin' huge. So I scrubbed them clean, and keith stood eagerly nearby while I shucked two - one for each of us. That slimy little fucker was massive. Not ideal for raw consumption, just too big. But we did it anyway. I threw on a little red wine vinegar and a couple of dashes of hot sauce and down it went. VERY briny and of the sea, almost a little too much. But still, great intensity of flavor. So the decision was made - the rest would be grilled. I looked up a few recipes and just decided to go simple. 8 - 10 minutes on a HOT grill, covered, until they start to pop open. Then shuck them as necessary (I still had to fight a couple of them), add a small pad of butter to each, and for me also a few dashes of hot sauce.
The grilling was awesome - not for the oysters, but for me. They were steaming/boiling in their own shells. Poor guys. Oh well, they tasted great! I'm higher on the food chain, so whatever. :) I ripped off the top shell of each and severed the muscle attaching each oyster to the shell. The shells stayed hot pretty long, so the butter melted easily. I also added just a dash of garlic salt to each because I felt the need. They were great - still very briny, but deliciously so. A great appetizer, if I do say so myself!
No comments:
Post a Comment