Wood Oven Roasted Oysters Recipe

Clean oysters

Scrub the oyster shells under cold running water with a stiff brush to remove dirt and debris. Place cleaned oysters on a tray, cup-side down, and keep chilled until ready to shuck.

Preheat wood oven

Preheat your wood-fired oven to about 500–650°F (260–343°C). If you don't have a wood oven, preheat a conventional oven to 475°F (246°C) and use the hottest setting available.

Shuck oysters

Using an oyster knife, hold each oyster with a towel or glove. Insert the knife at the hinge, twist gently to pop, run the knife along the top shell to detach the muscle, lift off the top shell, and loosen the bottom muscle so the oyster rests freely in its half shell. Arrange shucked oysters on a rimmed baking sheet or ovenproof tray. For stability, nestle them into a bed of coarse salt or rock salt so they don't tip.

Cook tasso

In a medium skillet over medium heat, add the diced tasso and cook, stirring occasionally, until it renders its fat and becomes lightly browned, about 3–4 minutes. Remove the tasso with a slotted spoon and reserve, leaving about 1 tablespoon of the fat in the pan.

Make garlic butter

Reduce heat to medium-low. Add the unsalted butter to the pan and let it melt. Add the minced garlic and minced shallot and cook gently until fragrant and translucent, about 1–2 minutes (do not brown the garlic). Stir in the cooked tasso, chopped parsley, thyme, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, and Kosher salt. Taste and adjust seasoning. Keep warm off the heat.

Portion butter

Spoon approximately 1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons of the tasso garlic butter onto each oyster so the butter coats the oyster meat and fills the shell slightly. Reserve any extra butter for serving or to repeat a second bake if needed.

Add cheese & breadcrumbs

Sprinkle about 1/2 teaspoon of freshly grated Romano cheese over each buttered oyster. If using, lightly dust each oyster with a pinch of panko breadcrumbs for added texture.

Roast oysters

Transfer the tray to the preheated wood oven. Roast until the butter is bubbling, the cheese is golden and the edges begin to brown, about 4–7 minutes depending on oven heat and distance from the fire. In a conventional oven at 475°F, roast 6–8 minutes, watching closely to prevent overcooking. Oysters should be just cooked through and slightly firm at the edges.

Finish & garnish

Remove the oysters from the oven. Immediately sprinkle with chopped chives and a light crack of black pepper. Serve hot with lemon wedges on the side for squeezing over the oysters.