Wood Fired Oysters

Roasted oysters with compound butter and melted cheese create a briny, smokey, delicious bite. Great for an appetizer or main course.

Course Appetizer, Main Course

Cuisine French, American

Preheat the oven to 800 - 900 deg F. (Pecan makes a nice mellow smoke and is a good wood to use for this recipe.)
Brush off any sand, dirt, or debris on the outside of the oyster shells. Look for any open oysters and discard. Note: Do keep your oysters in a bowl of ice until you are ready to use them.
Place the closed oysters in the oven on a sheet pan and raised metal tray. (This keeps any oyster juice from spilling on the firebrick cooking floor.) Bake for 2-3 minutes or until the shells start to pop open.
Remove the tray from the oven and using a heat-resistant glove and an oyster knife, carefully open and remove the top shell. Loosen the oyster from the shell and remove any little pieces of dirt or shell that may have fallen in when you open them. Do try to keep the juice in the shell, as it adds to the overall flavor combination.
Reposition the open oysters on the rack, and add 1/2-1 tablespoon of compound butter directly on each oyster. Sprinkle on the cheese, and return to the oven until the butter melts and the cheese bubbles and browns (1 - 2 minutes.)
Remove from the oven and put them on a plate or platter with some coarse salt and whole peppercorns on it. (This looks pretty and helps hold the oysters in place.) Squeeze fresh lemon over the oysters. Add a drizzle of dry white wine. Serve hot.

Keyword oyster, compound butter, Parmesan Cheese