There is truly nothing better in the summer than delicious garlic butter oysters.
OK forget summer, they’re good literally any time of year!
I’m lucky enough to live in Massachusetts, where the shellfish is plentiful, but luckily oysters are pretty abundant across the US, so you should be able to get them at your local fish counter.
And since we’ll be cooking these oysters, the quality has a bit of flexibility as opposed to raw oysters.
I’ll walk you through a few ways to have these garlic butter oysters and you’ll be serving them up at every party!
There are two ways to prepare the oysters. Cooking them first or shucking them raw.
Cooking them first makes them easier to open, but also easier to overcook. It’s really a choose your fighter scenario.
Keep in mind, any oyster that’s open before you cook it is dead and should NOT be eaten!!!
If cooking first, place oysters into a 450° preheated oven or grill until they slightly open. The timing can vary depending on the size of the oyster, but it’s typically 4-8 mins. Remove them as they open.
If shucking raw (a beneficial skill to learn!), it’s highly recommended you use a specialty oyster knife given its specific shape.
PS – Oyster knives usually come with a special glove that can help protect your other hand! Here’s the one I use.
Vic Trick: Shuck the oysters over a bowl to catch the yummy brine – we’ll be using that later.
Stick the tip of the knife into the hinge of the oyster and begin to wiggle side to side, until it begins to pry open.
Pull apart the shell and use the knife to separate the oyster from the adductor muscle so it’s loosely sitting in the half shell. Repeat with all the oysters and set aside.
Vic Trick: Keep the oysters over ice if you did the shucking method. I put a few cubes into my smallest baking sheet and it works perfectly!
Once your oysters are ready, it’s time to make the garlic butter!
You can definitely have fun here and add your favorite flavors, but the classic combo is butter + garlic + parsley.
Combine 4 tbsp of softened or melted butter with 3 cloves of minced garlic (or 2 tsp garlic powder), 1 tsp of parsley (fresh or dried), and the brine you collected in the bowl.
Spoon into each oyster on the half shell and place into the 450° oven or grill for 4-5 minutes or until bubbly and delicious.
And that’s it!
Once you get through the shucking, they really are so quick and easy! Give them a shot and let me know your thoughts in the comments!
Vic’s Tricks To…Garlic Butter Oysters
Ingredients
- 12 oysters
- 4 tbsp butter, softened or melted
- 3 cloves minced garlic OR 2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp parsley (fresh or dried)
Instructions
- Open the oysters by cooking or shucking:
- If cooking first, place oysters into a 450° preheated oven or grill until they slightly open. The timing can vary depending on the size of the oyster, but it’s typically 4-8 mins. Remove them as they open.
- If shucking raw, over a large bowl, stick the tip of an oyster knife into the hinge of the oyster and begin to wiggle side to side, until it begins to pry open. Pull apart the shell and use the knife to separate the oyster from the adductor muscle so it’s loosely sitting in the half shell. Repeat with all the oysters and set aside onto ice.
- Combine softened or melted butter with minced garlic (or garlic powder), parsley (fresh or dried), and the brine you collected in the bowl.
- Spoon into each oyster on the half shell and place into a 450° oven or grill for 4-5 minutes or until bubbly and delicious.
- And that’s it!!! Enjoy your delicious buttery garlicky oysters!
Happy Eating!
Happy everyday！