Say Cheese
If you have ever visited New Orleans, you will know that their food is the dog’s balls. When we visited the city last year, we had our first oyster experience in a local seafood restaurant named Deanies. I was a little hesitant at first as I had never eaten oysters before but by the time I left, I was a huge fan. We would genuinely go back to New Orleans just for the oysters! This dish is known in N’awlins as ‘charbroiled oysters’ and it’s pretty much a huge plate of cheesy grilled oysters with herbs and butter, on the half shell, with a side of french bread.
Charbroiled isn’t even a word in the UK so we had a bit of a task on our hands with recreating the dish. If you’re looking for a quick, naughty sharer with little effort then cheesy grilled oysters are your pal. This is also a great way to introduce your pals to the salty delicacy.
Ingredients
- 12 live oysters or large oysters on the half shell (the bigger, the better)
- Grana Padano Cheese 3/4 ounce
- Parmigiano-Reggiano 3/4 ounce
- Pinch of Dried Oregano
- Tablespoon Dried Parsley
- Salt
- Pepper
- 8 Tablespoons Butter
- 2 x teaspoons Garlic (minced garlic is WAY easier)
- French Bread or a crusty baguette
How to Make Cheesy Grilled Oysters
- Turn on the grill.
- Mix the butter, garlic, pepper and oregano in an oven-friendly bowl. Stick the bowl under the grill for a minute to soften the butter if needed.
- Place all oysters in an oven dish, pouring a little of the butter mix into each oyster.
- In a small bowl, mix together the different cheeses.
- Spoon the cheeses on the oysters, on top of the butter mix.
- Sprinkle some parsley on top of the oysters.
- Pop the oven dish under the grill for 5-7 minutes. The oysters themselves take no longer than 5 minutes to cook but grilling a little longer will crisp up the cheese.
- Serve on the shell alongside sliced crusty bread.
