I am a big fan of oysters, despite this incident. I love them raw, fried, in soups, atop pastas and most of all I love them charbroiled. Unless you are from New Orleans or a frequent visitor to the city you probably have never had them prepared this way. As far as I am concerned, this recipe could convince even the pickiest of eaters to indulge in these meaty molluscs.This isn't a recipe you typically make at home. Charbroiled oysters are popping up on restaurant menus around the city and although most are good, none can compare to the original recipe from Drago's Seafood Restaurant in Fat's City. Drago's created the dish and as it often goes, no one can top the original. And I wasn't trying to do that with this recipe. We made them as an event. Drago's has their charbroiled oyster "recipe" posted on the internet and we have made them at home before on a few special occasions. This recipe is so much more than just a recipe for a dish to be served to your guests. This recipe takes involvement. Mixing together the sauce is easy and mindless, but someone has to shuck the oysters before they are ready for the grill and that is where the fun comes in. Everyone has to help before they can enjoy this dish. It involves special knives, special gloves, and a technique (cold beers help too!) People need to shuck, people need to grill and it all needs to be done in assembly line fashion in order to get this delicious dish on the table for enjoyment.
Drago’s Charbroiled Oysters Recipe
Drago's Seafood Restaurant
The Sauce:
4 Stick Unsalted Butter, very soft
1/4 tsp Kosher Salt
4 tsp Freshly Ground Black Pepper
4 Tbsp Minced Garlic
16 Tbsp Pecorino Romano
1/4 tsp Cayenne
1/4 tsp White Pepper
1/2 of a squeezed Lemon Juice
4 tsp Minced Italian Parsley
For the Oysters:
4 Dozen Large freshly shucked Oysters on the half shell (preferably Louisiana)
1 Recipe of the Sauce, above
Pecorino Romano to finish
Minced Italian Parsley for garnish
Fresh Bread
Lemon wedges
Mix together all of the ingredients for the sauce,
set aside.
Heat a charcoal or gas grill until very, very hot. Place the oysters on the hottest spot on the grill and let them cook in their own juices for a few minutes, just until they start to bubble and the edges curl.
Top each with a generous portion of the sauce, enough to fill up the shell.
When the sauce starts to bubble and sizzle sprinkle each oyster with about a Tbsp of Pecorino Romano. Let the Oysters go until the sauce on the edges of the shells gets nice and brown. Garnish with minced Parsley.
Serve while still sizzling with Lemon wedges and fresh bread for dipping in the sauce.
