Roast Oysters and Tomato Butter
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Ingredients
- ½cup whole peeled tomatoes, juices drained and saved for soup
- Rock salt
- 12small to medium oysters, like Island Creeks or Montauk Pearls
- ¼cup (½ stick) unsalted butter, warmed to room temperature
- 2tablespoons finely chopped shallot or red onion
Preparation
- Step 1
Heat the broiler to high. In a small roasting dish or toaster pan, roast the tomatoes for 10 to 12 minutes on the highest rack, until they’re blackened in places.
- Step 2
Spread enough rock salt onto a baking sheet to make a layer into which oysters will firmly sit. While the tomatoes are roasting, shuck the oysters by holding a dish towel in your nondominant hand, and holding the oyster around its rounded tip, with its cup side down, on a counter, then inserting an oyster knife into its hinge, wiggling it in entirely until the hinge gives, and then moving it around. (Even better, watch our video on how to shuck, several times, and then approach the task confidently.) Detach each oyster from its bottom shell. As each is done, secure it in a little well in the rock salt, so that it retains its oyster liquor.
- Step 3
Leaving the broiler on high, combine the roasted tomatoes with the butter in a blender or food processor or with an immersion blender or with a lot of elbow grease. The resulting mixture will be mottled and ugly but will melt to glossy perfection. Stir in the shallot.
- Step 4
Place a ½ teaspoon dollop of tomato butter into each oyster. Place the tray into the oven, and broil until the tomato butter is melted and the oyster is beginning to darken and curl around its edges, around 8 to 12 minutes. Serve very hot, immediately.
Private Notes
Cooking Notes
This would be good with larger, strong-flavored oysters. I used a smaller oyster and the roasted tomato butter, while delicious, seemed to overpower them. The left-over butter was fantastic on haricot vert.
Sure. If fact if they don't open with heat that means you shouldn't eat them.
Could you put the oysters in the oven for a minute instead of shucking them? Would they open or at least be easy to open? I know you can do that with Clams Casino.
I made this tonight and it was delish! However, I found it hard to shuck the oysters and placed them in the oven at 450 degrees for 5-7 minutes. I took out each oyster once as they started to open. I then added the toppings and stuck it in the broiler for another 3 minutes. I was nervous with this approach and was pleasantly surprised! I will def make this again!
I let the oyster open in a hot oven (5 mins at 400 or so). Then remove the top shell (save the shells for using with pre-shucked oysters next time ;)
LOVED these. Used larger oysters and way more than 1/2 tsp of tomato butter. Use it all ya’ll. Trust me! The tomato butter mixed with the briny oyster liquor is a winning combination. Didn’t find anything overpowering about any of it- flavor melding at its finest.
The tomato butter does overpower the oyster flavor a little but it is GOOD. This is a good way to serve oysters to people are so-so on oysters.
Oysters do not open like clams when you steam them or heat them. Basically, you have to open fresh oysters before cooking them. For holidays I have a collection of old, clean oyster shells that I have saved over the years and I buy shucked oysters to put into them before cooking. I would never eat oysters from a can of shucked oysters raw, but for Oysters Rockefeller or Oysters Bienville they are fine.
I made this tonight and it was delish! However, I found it hard to shuck the oysters and placed them in the oven at 450 degrees for 5-7 minutes. I took out each oyster once as they started to open. I then added the toppings and stuck it in the broiler for another 3 minutes. I was nervous with this approach and was pleasantly surprised! I will def make this again!
Can/should you use canned peeled whole tomatoes?
Either canned or fresh should work just fine.
Could you put the oysters in the oven for a minute instead of shucking them? Would they open or at least be easy to open? I know you can do that with Clams Casino.
Sure. If fact if they don't open with heat that means you shouldn't eat them.
This would be good with larger, strong-flavored oysters. I used a smaller oyster and the roasted tomato butter, while delicious, seemed to overpower them. The left-over butter was fantastic on haricot vert.
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