Inspired by a New Orleans favorite, these charbroiled oysters are cooked with paprika herb butter and topped with Parmesan cheese and lemon.
We just got back from an incredible trip to New Orleans and I am still dreaming of the charbroiled oysters (specifically the ones from Cochon!) Doused in an herby spiced butter sauce and of course with lots of bread to soak up that fabulous butter. There is nothing better! For a great appetizer that is going to impress your guests, try my Steak crostini.
We ate our weight in Beignets from the famous spot, Cafe Du Monde and I have immediate plans to make beignets from scratch. For another quick impressive appetizer try my Pan Con Tomate with Jamón.
What Oysters to Use
Living in the Pacific Northwest, we have the small to medium sized oysters, such as kumamoto which I used in this recipe. However, the oysters in New Orleans were certainly larger.
I prefer the smaller oysters when I'm enjoying them raw but the larger ones , such as Olympia oysters would be perfect for broiling or for making fried oysters. The oyster shell will be large enough to hold the delicious butter sauce.
Use the Same Recipe for Chargrilled Oysters or Charbroiled Oysters
These charbroiled oysters are done in the oven, but can certainly be cooked on a grill as well. It's one of those "not a recipe-recipe" and if we were talking in person, I would say to melt butter, add herbs, paprika and garlic and pour over oysters and bake for 5 min, then broil for another minute. As Ina would say, "how easy was that?"
In the mood for more seafood recipes?
- Seafood and Chorizo Paella with salmon, clams and mussels
- Julia Child's Mussels Mariniere with white wine
- Moqueca (Brazilian Fish Stew) with tomatoes and coconut milk
Charbroiled Oysters with Garlic Butter and Parmesan
LittleFerraroKitchen.com
Ingredients
- 12 shucked oysters
- 1 stick unsalted butter
- 3 garlic cloves grated
- 4-6 fresh thyme sprigs leaves removed and roughly chopped. Save some for garnish.
- 1 lemon zested then cut in quarters for serving
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ¼ cup Parmesan cheese freshly grated
- Few slices of bread for serving
- Hot sauce for serving, optional
Instructions
- Start by pre-heating your oven to grill to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and line a baking dish or cast iron with rock salt or rice. This will help keep the oysters from moving. Nestle shucked oysters into the pan.
- Next, in a small pot, melt 1 stick of butter along with grated garlic, fresh thyme, lemon zest and paprika and stir everything together.
- As soon as butter is melted, use a spoon to pour butter mixture over each oyster.
- Top with a generous dusting of Parmesan cheese and bake oysters for 4-5 minutes until butter begins to bubble. If you are using larger oysters, you may have to cook them for a few minutes more.
- Once cooked, turn on broiler for 2-3 minutes to broil the cheese.
- Once done, remove from oven and garnish with thyme leaves, lemon wedges and lots of bread to soak up the butter sauce.
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