Oysters on the Beach

This time of year we are beginning to have a few nice days where an afternoon on the beach is pleasant and the oysters are splendid!! If invited to join someone delightful at a beach fire, by all means, attend. If you can grab a few items on the way, it will make things a little more civilized, you can enjoy the beach and a few bivalves with very little.

Good basic items to have are some sort of a grill, a heavy duty mitt, butter, a lemon, hot sauce and a small metal vessel, or a jelly jar, for melting the butter.

If you can also find a pair of tongs, some chopped garlic for the melted butter, a cold bottle of sauvignon blanc and a few more jelly jars to drink from, sing a round of “Oh Happy Day”!

Put the butter in the jelly jar
and set it on a log near the
fire to melt.

Squeeze the
lemon juice into the
melted butter mixture.

Arrange the oysters with the “cup” side down on the grill (this will keep more of the oyster liquor in the shell).

When the flames have died down a little and there is a good base of embers, build a frame or stand for the grill using beach wood or rocks and rest the grill on the frame.

If you don’t have a grill, find rocks and place them in the fire in a way that the oysters can rest on top of them and cook.

Absent the tongs or mitt, beach wood sticks can be used “chopstick style” to remove the bivalves from the fire.

The liquor will begin bubbling around the edges of the shells. You will soon see a little gap between the shells.

Remove the oysters from the fire and
easily pry the shell open using any sort of
a knife, or you can probably open it
with your hands.

Pour some of the lemon-butter over the oyster and enjoy!

Hopefully, you’ll recall a feeling of pleasant satisfaction each time you smell that smoky, salty-outdoor scent on your jacket over the next few days.