When an oyster is grilled, it retains its delicacy and yet, is also fortified by fire and smoke, which gives the oyster an ethereal richness that tends toward meatiness. Grilled oysters partner with tarragon particularly well, as tarragon's fresh, green licorice-like flavor is delicate enough to balance oysters without overpowering them.

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How to Grill Oysters

The most popular way to grill oysters is to set them, cup-side down, on a grill and allow them to cook until they open up just slightly before you pry away the top shell and add a pat of butter. This method allows the oysters to steam a bit in their own juices.

Ever the contrarians, my husband and I prefer a different approach. First, we shuck the oysters and then set them on a grill, cup-side down, dropping a spoonful of seasoned butter onto each oyster. Their juices will warm and begin to bubble, the butter will melt and baste the oysters as they cook and the smoke perfumes the delicate shellfish just enough to give them a wonderfully rich, meaty flavor.

1 dozen

Grilled Oysters Recipe

Tarragon's sweet, licorice-like notes pairs well with briny oysters left just slightly smoky from the grill. Grilling oysters leaves them wonderfully meaty, and further enriched with butter. Choose large oysters, if you can, as they'll shrink, slightly, while they cook. For people concerned about eating shellfish raw, grilled oysters make a nice alternative.

Prep Time15

Cook Time10

Total Time25

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Ingredients

8 ounces salted butter
1 medium shallot diced
¼ cup loosely packed tarragon leaves
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
⅛ teaspoon fine sea salt
12 large oysters

Instructions

Toss the butter, shallot, tarragon, vinegar and sea salt into food processor, and process on high speed until uniformly combined.
Preheat the grill to medium.
Shuck the oysters, reserving as much juice as you can. Top each oyster with about 2 teaspoons prepared tarragon butter.
Place the oysters cup-side down on the grill. Cover the grill and allow the oysters to cook until the butter melts, and their juices begin to bubble - about 10 minutes. Remove from the grill and serve warm.

Where to Find Sustainably-Farmed Oysters

Oysters are particularly nutrient-dense, rich in vitamins B12 and D as well as the minerals zinc and selenium while also being very low in mercury.

They are also sustainably farmed, taking relatively little space to produce large volumes of oysters, providing safety and shelter for other sea creatures, and they require no supplementary feed, only clean water.