Grilled oysters with charred corn salsa

Some of the highest geographical points in my low-lying home state, Florida, are oyster shell mounds left by the indigenous peoples who once lived on our coasts. A gentle reminder of the importance of the oyster in Gulf Coast cooking — and on the Planet Barbecue grill. In this version, grilled oysters come topped with a charred corn salsa. Think briny, smoky, and sweet —and don’t think of summer grill season without them.

Grilled oysters with charred corn salsa. Credit: Planet BBQ

• serves

  4

• prep

  10 minutes

• cook

  15 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

Ingredients

Charred corn salsa

• 2 cobs sweet corn, husked
• 28 g butter, melted
• Coarse salt (sea or kosher)
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 2 jalapeño chillies
• 3 scallions (green onions)
• 1½ tbsp chopped fresh dill
• Juice of 1 lime, or more to taste

Oysters

• 12 fresh live oysters
• 42 g butter, melted

You’ll also need: An oyster rack (optional); an oyster knife.

Instructions

1. Heat the grill to high. Brush and oil the grill grate.
2. Make the salsa: Brush the corn with melted butter and season with salt and pepper. Arrange the corn, chillies and scallions on the grill grate and grill, turning as needed, until the corn and scallions are darkly browned and the chillies are charred and blistered. Transfer to a cutting board to cool.
3. Cut the corn kernels off the cob and place in a medium bowl. Stem and seed the chillies, then finely dice. Thinly slice the scallions crosswise. Add both to the corn. Stir in the dill, lime juice, and more salt and pepper to taste. Set aside. (The salsa can be made several hours in advance.)
4. Shuck the oysters, being careful not to spill the juices. Arrange on an oyster rack. (Alternatively, balance the oysters between the rungs of the grill grate.) Place a small spoonful of melted butter in each oyster. Grill for 5 to 8 minutes, or until the juices are bubbling.
5. Top each oyster with a spoonful of corn salsa. Serve hot.

 

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.