BBQ oysters on the half shell
Oysters are the perfect addition to the Super Bowl party menu this weekend, both as a nod to two seafood-centric coastal teams, New England and Seattle, and to our own Gulf oyster season still underway.
Louisiana oysters have been pricier than usual this year because of the dip in supply; beds are continuing to bounce back after the Deepwater Horizon spill. But fresh oysters are easy to find at regional seafood markets and are worth the splurge. A 16 oz. container is running about $11. For parties, I like to serve them baked or grilled on the half-shell. For the Super Bowl in particular, adding bacon and barbecue sauce makes them festive football fare.
One of my favorite oyster recipes is Oysters Fitzpatrick, a straightforward formula found in the Junior League of Baton Rouge’s 1959 classic, River Road Recipes. It involves rubbing fresh garlic on a cleaned, dry oyster shell, dousing it with a few shakes of hot sauce and adding a fresh oyster (or two).