Oysters With Sambal Compound Butter
I have a lot of love for these tasty bivalves, and serving them at home is a festive and incredible treat.
Though I love oysters served raw with a wedge of lemon, shucking oysters can be a bit intimidating for home cooks. Another way to serve them is roasted, dotted with a tasty compound butter. I prefer to serve them directly from the roasting pan to the table, to make sure I don’t lose any of that glorious oyster-butter liquor.
Choose oysters that are tightly closed and feel dense for their size. I recommend using larger oysters (3–4 inches are great!); the meat will shrink as they cook.
SERVE S 6
AS AN APPETIZER
SAMBAL COMPOUND BUTTER
8 Tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 Tablespoon storebought sambal oelek (or your favorite chili-garlic sauce)
1 Tablespoon finely chopped shallot
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 Lemon, halved lengthwise
OYSTERS
Rock salt or aluminium foil
1 Dozen live oysters, kept
chilled until ready to use
MAKE THE COMPOUND BUTTER
● In a small bowl, add the butter, sambal, shallot, and juice of half the lemon. Mix until thoroughly combined. (Cut the other half of the lemon into wedges and save for serving.) Taste and season with salt and pepper. Shape the butter into a log and wrap it tightly in plastic wrap, twisting the ends and knot to seal. Refrigerate until ready to use. (You can make the butter ahead of time and keep it, tightly wrapped, in the refrigerator for up to a week or in the freezer for up to a month.)
ROAST THE OYSTERS
● Preheat the oven to 450 F.
● Cover the bottom of a quarter baking sheet (13x9 inches) with rock salt or slightly crumpled foil. This acts as a cradle for the oysters as they roast. Gently nestle the oysters in the pan, cup side down. Roast until they open slightly, about 4 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and let the oysters rest until they are cool enough to handle.
● Shuck the oysters by removing and discarding the top shell, taking care not to spill the oyster liquor. Run a small knife between the oyster meat and the bottom shell to release the muscle completely. Return the oysters to their nests.
● Dot each oyster with a heaping teaspoon of Sambal Compound Butter (save the rest for another, tasty use). Return oysters to the oven, and roast for another 5 minutes, until the butter is melted and bubbly. Serve immediately.