Spice up your meal with Chef Tom's delicious Cajun Grilled Oysters! Enjoy the smoky, wood-fired flavor that only a wood-fired oven can provide. Treat your taste buds to something truly special - the perfect appetizer for your next meal.
WHAT YOU’LL LOVE
- Shell as the cooking dish: Oysters cooked rounded side down hold their own liquor in the shell, so they steam in it as the shells pop open.
- Wood-fire heat: Setting the oysters next to the fire cooks them in a few minutes and adds a faint wood smoke.
- Strained garlic butter: Butter, hot sauce, lemon juice, crushed garlic, Cajun rub, and cayenne cook gently together, then get strained, so the sauce carries the garlic flavor without garlic bits.
- Simple finish: Removing the flat top shells and spooning on the butter sauce, topped with parsley, takes seconds.
Cajun Grilled Oysters
Tom Jackson
Rated 5.0 stars by 1 users
Category
Appetizer
Cuisine
Cajun
Servings
2
Prep Time
15 minutes
Cook Time
15 minutes
Calories
483
Chef Tom fires up the Clementi Wood Fired Oven for an incredible, simple Cajun Grilled Oysters recipe. The perfect appetizer to warm up your pizza oven!
Ingredients
- 8-12 oysters
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter
-
3 tbsp Killer Hogs Hot Sauce
- 3 tbsp lemon juice
- 6 cloves garlic, crushed
-
1 1/2 tsp Code 3 Spices Sea Dog Rub
- 1/2 tsp ground cayenne
- 1 tbsp parsley, minced
Directions
Build a wood fire in the center of the deck of the Clementi Pulcinella 80x60 Wood Fired Pizza Oven. As the initial fire breaks down into coals, slide the coals off to the side, contained with the burn grate. Continue to add sticks of wood to feed the fire.
- Place the oysters, rounded side down, on the cooking rack grate of the Clementi Multicooking System. Swing the oysters into the oven and next to the fire. Grill the oysters just until the shells open. Carefully remove from the grill and place on a cooling rack or rock salt, to prevent them from tipping over.
While the oysters cook, combine the butter, hot sauce, lemon juice, crushed garlic and blackening seasoning in a Lodge 8” Cast Iron Skillet. Place in an indirect cooking area, inside the oven. Cook gently for a few minutes to draw out the garlic flavor. Remove from the heat. Strain the sauce. Add the minced parsley.
- Remove the top/flat shells from the oysters. Serve the oysters topped with a spoonful of the butter sauce.
Recipe Note
Recipe FAQ
Why cook the oysters rounded side down?
The deeper rounded shell sits on the grate and holds the oyster's natural liquor as it heats. That keeps the oyster plump and moist while the shell opens.
How do I know the oysters are done?
The shells will pop open as the oysters heat. Remove them from the heat once they've opened and the oysters are hot. Discard any oyster that doesn't open.
Are cooked oysters safe to eat?
Oysters can carry bacteria such as Vibrio, so they should be cooked until the shells open and the meat is hot, about 145°F. Anyone who is pregnant, elderly, very young, or has a weakened immune system or liver disease should avoid raw or undercooked shellfish.
Why set the cooked oysters on a rack or rock salt?
A cooling rack or a bed of rock salt keeps the shells level so the liquor doesn't spill out before serving.
Why cook the butter sauce gently?
Keeping the butter on low, indirect heat for a few minutes pulls flavor from the crushed garlic without burning it, which would make the sauce bitter.
Why strain the butter sauce?
Straining out the garlic and spice solids leaves a smooth, spoonable sauce that coats each oyster without clumping.
How should I store live oysters before cooking?
Keep them refrigerated on ice, covered with a damp towel, in a container that lets any melting water drain away. Discard any with cracked shells, or open shells that won't close when tapped.
Can I cook these without a wood-fired oven?
Yes. A charcoal or gas grill over medium-high heat, or an oven broiler, works the same way. Cook them rounded side down until the shells open, which takes a few minutes.
How should I store leftover butter sauce?
Because it contains fresh garlic, refrigerate it within 2 hours and use it within about 3-4 days.
How indoor-friendly is this recipe?
4 out of 5. A hot oven broiler or a stovetop grill pan can open the shells, and the butter sauce is a stovetop recipe. You'd lose the wood smoke.
Recipe Highlights
In-shell cooking: Keeps the oyster in its own liquor.
Wood-fire heat: Opens the shells fast with a hint of smoke.
Strained garlic butter: Gives a smooth, spicy sauce.
Quick finish: Top shell off, sauce on, serve.
Recommended Recipes
Nutrition
Nutrition
- Nutrition Serving Size
- 4 oz
- per serving
- Calories
- 483
- Carbs
- 18 grams
- Protein
- 30 grams
- Fat
- 32 grams
- Sodium
- 777 milligrams
