Broiled Oysters With Garden Herbs and Garlic Butter

My sister came over today much to everyone’s (especially the kids’ who are obsessed with her) delight and of course, being two foodies who love to cook (and one an actual chef), we got to working on shucking a baker’s dozen (plus an extra one) of oysters I had picked up at the market just a little earlier. Nothing makes me more happy to live on the coast than access to gorgeous and fresh seafood–and these oysters were large, plump, so unbelievably fresh, and just $.99 cents each.

My garden is also in full swing so we decided to do oysters broiled with an herb butter and a smidge of my salt cured lemon puree and it was straight heaven. We froze the oysters for a few hours and then thawed them out under running water so they were easier to open, but it’s also possible to just steam them quickly first just so the shells are just loose. They’ll be cooked anyway, but sometimes you might lose some of the juices during steaming. While that was happening, we went into my garden and harvested a plethora of herbs, pureed them with oil, butter, a clove of garlic, some salt and pepper, and dropped a dollop on each of the shucked halves. Into the air fryer they went, until they were bubbly and the herb mixture just browning slightly.

These morsels of the ocean were so delicious that we almost went back to the market to get some more, just so we didn’t miss out. If there was ever a taste of a Long Island summer that has embedded itself deep into my soul, this would be it: the flavors of the bountiful sea, the sun that has helped the garden grow and thrive, and my own two hands that had lovingly placed them into the earth, I couldn’t ask for anything more.

Ingredients

• 1 small bunch of parsley
• 1 small bunch onion chives
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 small sprig of thyme
• 1 small sprig of savory
• 1 small sprig of oregano
• 2 small sprigs of basil
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons white wine
• 2 tablespoons butter
• Salt and pepper to taste
• A dozen or so oysters (the more the merrier)
• Salt cured lemon puree, to taste

1. Shuck oysters and leave them in the shells, place them on a lined tray.
2. In a food processor, combine the herbs, garlic, wine, olive oil, and butter until smooth. Spoon a generous teaspoonful on each oyster.
3. Add a small bit of salt cured lemon puree on each.
4. Broil at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 7-8 minutes.
5. Serve hot and bubbling.