Grilled Oysters with Garlic & Herb Butter

Have you ever considered grilled oysters for your barbecue? Well, you should. Oysters cooked on the BBQ are such a treat, and so easy to throw together. The oysters can be grilled shucked or unshucked so if you’re not too keen on shucking, you can pop them on as they are. These oysters coated in the melted herb butter are an ideal starter for your BBQ guests!

1. Allow the butter to soften then in a bowl or food processor, mix the butter, garlic and parsley and blend until well combined.
2. Empty the butter mix onto a sheet of parchment or cling film and roll it into a sausage shape.
3. Wrap the ends of the parchment or clingfilm and put the butter in the fridge to chill until firm – this could take between 30 mins and 2 hours, depending on your fridge.
4. Fire up your barbecue and wait for it to heat up
5. For unshucked oysters, place them on the grill cup side down and wait for the shells to open. This usually takes 5 to 10 minutes. It is advisable to keep your barbecue lid closed in case any of the oysters burst open from the heat.
6. Once all the oysters are open, remove from the grill and, using a heatproof glove, prise off the top shell.
7. Add the herb butter to the top of each oyster and wait for it to melt – you could place them back on the grill to melt the butter quicker.
8. If you’re shucking your oysters, place a thin disk of the herb butter onto each opened oyster and set them on the grill.
9. Once the butter is bubbling and the oyster meat curls slightly, they’re ready to eat. Remove carefully from the grill with tongs and try to avoid spilling butter on the charcoal.
10. Allow the oysters to cool a little before eating – you don’t want to burn all your tastebuds and not experience all those amazing flavours.