Fresh Oysters

Doc_Eggerton

Thinking of grilling fresh oysters in the shell.  Looking for advice how to preserve them until cooking tonight or tomorrow, how to open the shells (I have oyster knife and gloves, but it has been so long I've forgotten the routine.).

I was thinking the drill was put them directly into a cooler with ice, off the ice so they don't freeze and cover with a wet towel until used.

Any other advice on grilling them will be appreciated.

ChillyWillis

If you're going to put them in a cooler with ice just make sure that they won't get submerged in any water You could kill them if they're submerged in fresh water for an extended amount of time.

If your planning on grilling them then they should pop open on their own when they're done.

JethroVA

Yep, what Chilly said. They are fine for a week on ice, not underwater. They need to breath and will open their shells periodically to do so. They can consume all of the O2 in water while washing away the briny oyster liquor. I transport them often as I'm an oyster gardener (hobbyist). My fav method is to freeze gallon jugs of water to keep in the cooler. No melted ice issues.

beemrider

Just jumping in here but I have a question. I've never had grilled/cooked oysters ... always believed that raw was best. What is the best way to eat grilled oysters? Spicing, condiments etc.

Doc_Eggerton

We do anything from parmesan cheese, lemon, butter, to horseradish cocktail sauce, to just a dash of Crystal.

Just like for raw you have to cut the oyster free from the shell to slurp or fork it.

KiterTodd

Okay...now any minute now Nola is going going to come in and tell me I'm doing it wrong but in NC they do oyster roasts all the time.  They're fantastic.  I do it the same way...

I buy oysters by the bushel for this.  Case, cases, bushels...buy a lot.  Don't get a couple dozen.
Charcoal or lump is best, but you can do it on your gasser also.
Put a pile of oysters on the grill...depending on the size of your grill, this could be 18-24 oysters.  On big long banquet charcoal grills I have seen them lay out almost an entire bushel in a line.
Then close the grill.  If it is an open grill, you can also cover the oysters with a burlap sack that has been soaked in water (to keep it from burning).

Let the oysters cook until you start to see steam coming out of the grill, then you can check them.
The "pile" method ends ups with oysters cooked at all doneness levels.  The ones on the bottom will have opened up (the juice running out causes the steam) and these oysters will be "well done"and are more like steamed oysters if you catch them right.
The middle oysters will be cooked medium...fully cooked in the shell, but still with all the juice.  These are the best..everything is hot, the juice is awesome!
The top oysters will be rare...the juice will be hot, the oyster will be partially cooked.

You mileage may vary...I find that people who swear they do NOT like oysters, will try them this way and will like them.  The ones the newbies like will be the ones that looked shrivled and dry but they'll feel good about eating it because it doesn't look gross and it tastes like a sweet piece of chicken.

They're good right off the fire, plain.
They're good with cocktail sauce.
I like them with garlic butter and a dash of hot sauce.   Awesome!!!

Anyway, it is a very fun user participation kind of thing.  You shovel them off the grill onto a piece of plywood.  Have gloves and shuckers on the table and let everyone go at it!  They can make 'em up the way they like 'em.

It's a lot of fun.  Between batches people that like them raw can reach into the cooler and open them up cold and raw.  So everybody gets to eat 'em they way they like 'em!   Some guest will tell you he has a great oyster rockefeller recipe and he'll do a dozen or so of those that you don't have to mess with. 

buzd504

I prefer my grilled oysters shucked prior to cooking, so they sizzle in their own liquor (and the garlic/butter/cheese/pepper that you add to them).