Roasted Oysters on the Half Shell with Mustard Butter
SERVES: 4 to 6
TIME: 55 minutes
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley, divided
1 tablespoon whole-grain mustard
24 oysters, 2 1⁄2 to 3 inches long, well scrubbed
Lemon wedges
BEFORE YOU BEGIN: You'll need an oyster knife and a large serving platter for this recipe. Using oysters that are 2 1⁄2 to 3 inches long ensures that they will cook evenly. Placing the oysters on crumpled foil prevents them from tipping.
1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 450 degrees. Stir butter, 2 tablespoons parsley, and mustard in bowl until well combined. Gently crumple and uncrumple two 24-inch lengths of aluminum foil. Place 1 piece in 18 by 13-inch rimmed baking sheet and second piece on large serving platter; cover foil on platter with dish towel for presentation, if desired. Nestle oysters, cupped side down, into foil on prepared sheet and bake until oysters open slightly, about 5 minutes. (It's OK to eat oysters that don't open.) Let oysters rest until cool enough to handle, about 5 minutes.
2. Shuck 1 oyster and discard top shell. Return oyster to foil, being careful not to spill much liquid. Repeat with remaining oysters.
3. Distribute mustard butter evenly among oysters, about 3⁄4 teaspoon per oyster. Bake until thickest part of largest oyster registers 160 to 165 degrees, 5 to 8 minutes. Let rest for 5 minutes. Using tongs, carefully transfer oysters to prepared platter, nestling them into foil or towel to hold them level. Sprinkle remaining 1 tablespoon parsley over oysters. Serve, passing lemon wedges separately.
WHY THIS WORKS: Roasting is a great option if you're nervous about shucking or eating raw oysters or simply want a new way to serve them on the half shell. Warming them in a hot oven made them easier to shuck, and placing them on crumpled aluminum foil steadied the oysters so that they didn't tip over. Dolloped with mustard butter after shucking and returned to the oven to cook through, the oysters emerged plump, tender, and dressed with a punchy sauce.
Recipes provided by America’s Test Kitchen; used with permission.
You can watch past episodes of America's Test Kitchen on WSKG Passport.
For more information about WSKG Passport, please visit our support page.
To see other recipes from America's Test Kitchen and other shows, visit Cooking with WSKG.