Oysters On The Half Shell* Recipe

Chill and prepare serving bed

Arrange crushed ice on a large serving platter or individual plates to create a stable, chilled bed for the oysters. Keep the platter in the refrigerator while you prepare sauces and shuck the oysters.

Shuck oysters

Keep oysters cold until ready to shuck. Using an oyster knife and a thick towel or glove, hold an oyster flat side up. Insert the tip of the knife into the hinge, twist to pop, run the blade under the top shell to cut the muscle and remove the top shell. Tilt the oyster to drain any excess liquid into a bowl (reserve if desired), then run the knife under the oyster to free it from the bottom shell, leaving oyster meat in the half shell. Place each shucked oyster on the bed of crushed ice, meat side up, so it sits level in its shell. Repeat for all oysters. Discard any oysters that do not smell fresh or that have open shells that do not close when tapped.

Garnish and serve

Arrange lemon wedges around the oysters. Place small bowls of cocktail sauce, fresh grated horseradish, and mignonette on the platter or on a separate tray. Serve immediately so oysters are chilled and fresh.

In a small bowl combine ketchup (1 cup), prepared horseradish (3 tbs), lemon juice (2 tsp), Worcestershire sauce (1 tsp), hot sauce (1 tsp), salt (1 tsp) and black pepper (1/2 tsp). Whisk until smooth and well blended. Taste and adjust heat or acidity by adding more horseradish or lemon juice as desired. Chill for at least 15 minutes to allow flavors to meld. Transfer to a serving bowl and keep chilled until serving.

Using a vegetable peeler, remove the outer skin of the horseradish root. Coarsely chop the peeled root. In a food processor or with a microplane, grate the horseradish root finely. Immediately mix the grated horseradish with white vinegar (1 tbs) and salt (1/4 tsp) to brighten and stabilize the flavor. Taste and add a few drops more vinegar if too mild. Place in a small bowl, cover, and chill. Note: freshly grated horseradish is pungent — start with a small amount on an oyster and add more to taste.

In a small bowl combine red wine vinegar (1/2 cup), finely minced shallot (2 tbs), freshly ground black pepper (1 tsp), sugar (1/2 tsp, optional), and salt (1/4 tsp). Stir to dissolve the salt and sugar. Let the mignonette rest at least 10–15 minutes at room temperature or chilled for 30 minutes to allow the shallot to mellow and flavors to marry. Taste and adjust seasoning: add a touch more vinegar if tang is low or a pinch more sugar if too sharp. Refrigerate until ready to serve.