Baked Oysters!!!

by
Foodie Fish

Yummy? Check. Crispy? Check. Tender? Check—check, check!

I loooove oysters. Always have and always will. Today we had about a dozen or so oysters fresh from the market. We also had bread lying around that we had to do something with. So I though tonight was a breaded and baked oyster kind of night. Broiling the oysters made the breading so crispy, but the oysters were still so tender.

12 large fresh oysters, strained and out of their shells*
3/4 cup of freshly made breadcrumbs
4 chopped garlic cloves
1 lemon zest
1 tablespoon of chopped fresh basil
2 teaspoons of thyme
3 teaspoons of marjoram
2 tablespoons of freshly grated Parmesan*
1 teaspoon of chili oil*
3 teaspoons of Dijon mustard

From there on, it is quite simple. Combine breadcrumbs, garlic, zest, basil, thyme, marjoram, and Parmesan. Then mix in the oil and mustard. Preheat your oven and put it on the broiler setting. Coat each oyster with the mixture and add the excess mixture on top. Lay the oysters out on a baking pan, then broil them for about 6 minutes or until the breadcrumbs look dark and crispy.
Serve them hot with lemon wedges on the side.

*Notes: Shells can later be used to place the cooked oysters in for presentation
The type of Parmesan you use could really impact the way the oysters taste. Try using good quality Parmesan with a great deal of aroma to add as much flavor as possible.
Chili oil is simply oil that has been used to marinate spicy chilies. This dish is not hot since there is only enough oil to add flavor.

Breadcrumbs:

2 slices of regular sandwich bread

Preheat the oven to 250 degrees Fahrenheit. Tear the bread into smaller pieces and lay the pieces out on to a pan. Place the pan in the oven until it begins to dry out. Then, turn up the heat to 350 degrees. When all the pieces look brown enough, take them out and put a few pieces into a blender at a time. Set your blender to “cut”. You could also use a meat tenderizer or a roller to pulverize the bread.