Grilled Oysters Recipes with Homemade Barbecue Sauce, Bacon, Cheese
This is a lovely way to enjoy fresh oysters in their shells, topped with homemade barbecue sauce, crispy bacon, celery hearts, fresh chilies and a squeeze of lemon juice. Simply delicious and looks very appealing as well.
This is the ideal dish for people who want to enjoy oysters in their shells, but can't or don't want to eat raw oysters. Also included is a classic grilled oyster recipe with cheese. Both recipes are easy to prepare.
The key to success is to find plump, very fresh oysters in their half shell, and to use a good quality outdoor charcoal grill.
This imparts a delicate smoky taste to the oysters that adds to their appeal. You will really enjoy oysters prepared cooked in this way that retains the taste of the oysters without overwhelming them.
Grilled Oysters with Crispy Bacon
Ingredients for the Homemade Barbecue Sauce
1/4 cup molasses
1/2 onion, chopped
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 tablespoon dry mustard
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 tablespoons white vinegar
Rice bran or grape seed oil
Freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup minced fresh chillies
2 cups ketchup, or tomato sauce
1 bunch fresh thyme, finely chopped
Ingredients for Assembling the Oysters for Grilling and Serving
1 pound (500 g) bacon cooked until very crisp and chopped
2 dozen large oysters on the half shell
Yellow leaves from the heart of a celery bunch
Lemon wedges
Fresh chili slices for garnishing
Method
Prepare the barbecue sauce by heating oil in a heavy frying pan. Fry the onion until translucent, and then add the garlic and chili and cook for 1-2 extra minutes. Add all the other ingredients apart from the thyme. Gently simmer the sauce in the pan for about 10-15 minutes. Turn off the heat, and then add thyme, salt and pepper to taste. Transfer to a small jug.
Assemble each oyster prior to grilling by pouring on a small dash of BBQ sauce, and some chopped bacon. Grill or barbecue the oysters until the sauce has started to caramelize and bubble. Remove from the grill, and dress each oyster with slivers of yellow celery leaf, some extra bacon, and a dash of lemon juice.
Barbecued (Grilled) Oysters Topped with Butter and Cheese
Ingredients
Pinch dried oregano
8 ounces (250g) softened butter
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
2 tablespoons garlic, finely chopped or grated
1/4 cup of a mixture of grated Parmesan and Romano cheeses
1 1/2 dozen large, fresh, shucked oysters on the clean half shells
Method
Pre-heat the charcoal grill (or a gas one) to medium-hot. Combine the butter, garlic, pepper and oregano in a medium-size bowl. Carefully put the oysters onto the grill in the area with the hottest temperature. Spoon a small amount of the seasoned butter mix into each the oyster in the shell. Cook the oysters for about 5 minutes or until they get plump and start to curl on the sides. Remove the oysters, and quickly top with some grated Romano and Parmesan cheese. Then add some parsley on top, and serve immediately while still warm.
