Grilled Oysters

1 . Stage

Make the sauce: Heat a small sauce pan over medium-low heat. When hot, add the olive oil and the butter. Add the garlic and saute until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the lemon juice, chili pepper flakes, salt, pepper and parsley. Turn off heat.

2 . Stage

Shuck and grill the oysters: If you are a shuckmeister: Shuck the oysters, spoon a little sauce in each oyster. Place oysters on a very hot, preheated grill, cover and cook for 5-6 minutes or until the edges of oysters curl slightly. If you can't shuck: Place the oysters, cup side up on a very hot, preheated grill, cover and cook for 1 minute. The oysters should now be slightly open. Quickly remove the oysters. Hold an oyster with an oven mitt and use a shucking knife (or a clean screwdriver if you don't have one) to pry open the oyster. It should easily open. Spoon sauce into each oyster and return oysters to the grill. Cover and grill 4-5 minutes. Links: How to Grill Oysters video from Eating Richly The Big Oyster: History on the Half Shell - terrific book about the history of New York City from the perspective of the oyster business, by Michael Kurlansky, author of Salt: A World History and Cod: A Biography of the Fish That Changed the World