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Roasted oysters with chipotle butter

Time35 minutes
YieldsServes 6 to 8
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Cooking oysters changes their flavor and their texture. What was once aggressively briny, tasting like cold, clean seawater, is calmed, allowing the mollusks’ natural sweetness to shine through. The seductively slippery texture is firmed, turning from wet and wild to soothingly custardy. The transformation is magical.

From the story: Oysters, beyond raw

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1

Heat the oven to 450 degrees. Melt the butter in a small skillet. In a blender, puree the garlic, 2 chipotles and the adobo until smooth. With the blender running, add the butter. Taste the butter and blend in additional chipotles if desired. Spoon the mixture into a bowl and set aside to cool.

2

Spread the rock salt in the bottom of a jellyroll pan. Place the oysters, cup-side down, on the rock salt. Roast until the oysters begin to open, 8 to 10 minutes.

3

Remove the oysters from the oven and open them, separating the muscle at the top and the bottom and discarding the flat top shell. Spoon about one-half teaspoon of the chipotle butter mixture onto each oyster and then return them to the oven until the butter melts and the oyster plumps and firms, about 3 minutes. Serve immediately.