oysters-a130522-01-8429-md110267.jpg Credit: John Kernick
oysters-a130522-01-8429-md110267.jpg Credit: John Kernick
oysters-a130522-01-8429-md110267.jpg Credit: John Kernick
oysters-a130522-01-8429-md110267.jpg
Credit: John Kernick
“What is an oyster, if not the perfect food?” Anthony Bourdain wrote in the second chapter of his book A Cook’s Tour. We couldn’t agree more—but how do you feel about oysters?
Do oysters conjure up a vacation, an outdoor table under an umbrella, glistening oysters on the half-shell, your worries far away? Or are they a memory of a visit to the grand old Oyster Bar in New York where you tasted oysters Rockefeller for the first time, creamy under a warm blanket of spinach and Hollandaise? Oysters imply celebration—even if you pulled them off a rock and slurped them with only waves for company.
The question with oysters is how to prepare them: Au naturel or all dressed up? The purist’s approach is delightful: Raw, with a wedge of lemon and a slice of buttered bread. Or try Oysters on the Half Shell with Mignonette, pictured above. The smaller you mince the pieces of shallot, the better the mignonette for your raw oysters will be. The sharp little onions add both sweetness and bite to the vinegar, balanced with the fragrance of pink peppercorns.
You could bake or fry them to tuck into rolls for po’ boys, or roast them over open coals. And there are the old-school dishes that deserve serious revival, like oyster stew (“a supper to sleep on” wrote American food writer MFK Fisher in Consider the Oyster), oysters casino, and oyster dressing.
Now that we’ve gotten you hungry for oysters, try one of these delicious ways to prepare them.
Shucked Oysters with Three Sauces Shucked Oysters with Three Sauces View Recipe It's not easy to choose between the classic mignonette with its shallot-y bite, the zing of horseradish, and the heat of jalapeño but luckily you don't need to choose; with this recipe you can try all three dipping sauces. If it's your first time shucking, check out our guide before you dive in. Grilled Oysters with Compound Brown Butter Grilled Oysters with Compound Brown Butter View Recipe Cooking butter until the solids turn pale brown transforms it into a nutty sauce. With shallots and fresh herbs it is delicious spooned atop oysters hot from the grill. Dinner ready in 10 minutes! chesapeake blue crab cake with fried oysters Chesapeake Blue Crab Cakes with Fried Oysters View Recipe You might think it's hard to make crisp crab cakes even more delicious, but top them with crunchy-and-creamy fried oysters and they are downright decadent. stewed oysters with virginia ham Oyster Stew with Virginia Ham View Recipe If you have never made an oyster stew, this comforting and incredibly flavorful dish will beguile you. Plump, tender oysters, savory ham, and a cider reduction to balance the cream will have you licking your bowl. hot crab and oyster dip Hot Crab-and-Oyster Dip View Recipe Sweet crabmeat tumbled with crème fraîche and good cheese makes a luxurious bed for shucked oysters, which are nestled into the dip just before the dish is broiled until bubbling hot. oysters on the half shell with vinegar sauce Oysters on the Half Shell with Vinegar Sauce View Recipe Fragrant with allspice and hot with chiles, this spicy vinegar sauce is for heat-lovers‑and it's wonderful with cold oysters. clams-and-oysters-casino_102801736.jpg Clams and Oysters Casino View Recipe Our clams and oysters casino are filled with savory titbits: ciabatta, pancetta, parmesan, garlic, red pepper, oregano, all soused in vermouth. Butter makes them crisp as they sizzle under the broiler. 102782985-oyster-dressing.jpg Oyster-and-Bacon Dressing View Recipe The Thanksgiving pairing of smoky bacon with svelte oysters is too good to limit to one occasion. Fragrant with celery, onion, white wine and sage, we think it makes a superb supper. Just add a crisp-leafed salad. oyster-po-boy-147-d111289.jpg Fried Oyster Po' Boys View Recipe When you do fry an oyster, do it the time-honored, buttermilk-and-cornmeal way. It delivers a delectable crust. Slip the hot mollusks into hot dog buns and slather with tartare sauce. oyster-dressing-0116-d110470.jpg Oyster and Cracker Dressing View Recipe Coarsely ground saltine crackers mixed with good butter is a foundation for fresh oysters in this rustic meal for a blustery day. Successive layers of crackers, thyme, and oysters follow, moistened with cream, before the dressing is baked until bubbling. baked-oysters-mslb7105.jpg Roasted Oysters View Recipe Roasting oysters is easy. Topping them with a bacon-rich compound butter is the chef's touch, and easily done if the butter is prepped well in advance and chilled. 6076_010511_oysters.jpg Oysters Rockefeller View Recipe Herbsaint (an anise liqueur loved in New Orleans), baby spinach, watercress, tarragon, and basil—oh my. This is a very fragrant spin on oysters Rockefeller that will make your guests swoon. scalloped-oysters-m109160.jpg Scalloped Oysters View Recipe Aromatic, creamy, with a crunchy crust, scalloped oysters are an elegant and easy supper. Fragrant with aromatics and a dash of sherry, the assembled dish is cooked briefly in a searing-hot oven. oysters with mignonette Chilled Oysters with Apple-Ginger Mignonette View Recipe The crunch of sweet apples and the heat of fresh ginger transform a stalwart mignonette, the two flavors flirting with the oyster's famous seaside brine.
Shucked Oysters with Three Sauces Shucked Oysters with Three Sauces View Recipe It's not easy to choose between the classic mignonette with its shallot-y bite, the zing of horseradish, and the heat of jalapeño but luckily you don't need to choose; with this recipe you can try all three dipping sauces. If it's your first time shucking, check out our guide before you dive in.
Grilled Oysters with Compound Brown Butter Grilled Oysters with Compound Brown Butter View Recipe Cooking butter until the solids turn pale brown transforms it into a nutty sauce. With shallots and fresh herbs it is delicious spooned atop oysters hot from the grill. Dinner ready in 10 minutes!
chesapeake blue crab cake with fried oysters Chesapeake Blue Crab Cakes with Fried Oysters View Recipe You might think it's hard to make crisp crab cakes even more delicious, but top them with crunchy-and-creamy fried oysters and they are downright decadent.
stewed oysters with virginia ham Oyster Stew with Virginia Ham View Recipe If you have never made an oyster stew, this comforting and incredibly flavorful dish will beguile you. Plump, tender oysters, savory ham, and a cider reduction to balance the cream will have you licking your bowl.
hot crab and oyster dip Hot Crab-and-Oyster Dip View Recipe Sweet crabmeat tumbled with crème fraîche and good cheese makes a luxurious bed for shucked oysters, which are nestled into the dip just before the dish is broiled until bubbling hot.
oysters on the half shell with vinegar sauce Oysters on the Half Shell with Vinegar Sauce View Recipe Fragrant with allspice and hot with chiles, this spicy vinegar sauce is for heat-lovers‑and it's wonderful with cold oysters.
clams-and-oysters-casino_102801736.jpg Clams and Oysters Casino View Recipe Our clams and oysters casino are filled with savory titbits: ciabatta, pancetta, parmesan, garlic, red pepper, oregano, all soused in vermouth. Butter makes them crisp as they sizzle under the broiler.
102782985-oyster-dressing.jpg Oyster-and-Bacon Dressing View Recipe The Thanksgiving pairing of smoky bacon with svelte oysters is too good to limit to one occasion. Fragrant with celery, onion, white wine and sage, we think it makes a superb supper. Just add a crisp-leafed salad.
oyster-po-boy-147-d111289.jpg Fried Oyster Po' Boys View Recipe When you do fry an oyster, do it the time-honored, buttermilk-and-cornmeal way. It delivers a delectable crust. Slip the hot mollusks into hot dog buns and slather with tartare sauce.
oyster-dressing-0116-d110470.jpg Oyster and Cracker Dressing View Recipe Coarsely ground saltine crackers mixed with good butter is a foundation for fresh oysters in this rustic meal for a blustery day. Successive layers of crackers, thyme, and oysters follow, moistened with cream, before the dressing is baked until bubbling.
baked-oysters-mslb7105.jpg Roasted Oysters View Recipe Roasting oysters is easy. Topping them with a bacon-rich compound butter is the chef's touch, and easily done if the butter is prepped well in advance and chilled.
6076_010511_oysters.jpg Oysters Rockefeller View Recipe Herbsaint (an anise liqueur loved in New Orleans), baby spinach, watercress, tarragon, and basil—oh my. This is a very fragrant spin on oysters Rockefeller that will make your guests swoon.
scalloped-oysters-m109160.jpg Scalloped Oysters View Recipe Aromatic, creamy, with a crunchy crust, scalloped oysters are an elegant and easy supper. Fragrant with aromatics and a dash of sherry, the assembled dish is cooked briefly in a searing-hot oven.
oysters with mignonette Chilled Oysters with Apple-Ginger Mignonette View Recipe The crunch of sweet apples and the heat of fresh ginger transform a stalwart mignonette, the two flavors flirting with the oyster's famous seaside brine.
Shucked Oysters with Three Sauces Shucked Oysters with Three Sauces View Recipe It's not easy to choose between the classic mignonette with its shallot-y bite, the zing of horseradish, and the heat of jalapeño but luckily you don't need to choose; with this recipe you can try all three dipping sauces. If it's your first time shucking, check out our guide before you dive in.
Shucked Oysters with Three Sauces
Shucked Oysters with Three Sauces
View Recipe
It’s not easy to choose between the classic mignonette with its shallot-y bite, the zing of horseradish, and the heat of jalapeño but luckily you don’t need to choose; with this recipe you can try all three dipping sauces. If it’s your first time shucking, check out our guide before you dive in.
Shucked Oysters with Three Sauces
Shucked Oysters with Three Sauces
Shucked Oysters with Three Sauces
Shucked Oysters with Three Sauces
Shucked Oysters with Three Sauces
It’s not easy to choose between the classic mignonette with its shallot-y bite, the zing of horseradish, and the heat of jalapeño but luckily you don’t need to choose; with this recipe you can try all three dipping sauces. If it’s your first time shucking, check out our guide before you dive in.
Grilled Oysters with Compound Brown Butter Grilled Oysters with Compound Brown Butter View Recipe Cooking butter until the solids turn pale brown transforms it into a nutty sauce. With shallots and fresh herbs it is delicious spooned atop oysters hot from the grill. Dinner ready in 10 minutes!
Grilled Oysters with Compound Brown Butter
Grilled Oysters with Compound Brown Butter
Cooking butter until the solids turn pale brown transforms it into a nutty sauce. With shallots and fresh herbs it is delicious spooned atop oysters hot from the grill. Dinner ready in 10 minutes!
Grilled Oysters with Compound Brown Butter
Grilled Oysters with Compound Brown Butter
Grilled Oysters with Compound Brown Butter
Grilled Oysters with Compound Brown Butter
Grilled Oysters with Compound Brown Butter
Cooking butter until the solids turn pale brown transforms it into a nutty sauce. With shallots and fresh herbs it is delicious spooned atop oysters hot from the grill. Dinner ready in 10 minutes!
chesapeake blue crab cake with fried oysters Chesapeake Blue Crab Cakes with Fried Oysters View Recipe You might think it's hard to make crisp crab cakes even more delicious, but top them with crunchy-and-creamy fried oysters and they are downright decadent.
chesapeake blue crab cake with fried oysters
Chesapeake Blue Crab Cakes with Fried Oysters
You might think it’s hard to make crisp crab cakes even more delicious, but top them with crunchy-and-creamy fried oysters and they are downright decadent.
chesapeake blue crab cake with fried oysters
chesapeake blue crab cake with fried oysters
chesapeake blue crab cake with fried oysters
chesapeake blue crab cake with fried oysters
Chesapeake Blue Crab Cakes with Fried Oysters
You might think it’s hard to make crisp crab cakes even more delicious, but top them with crunchy-and-creamy fried oysters and they are downright decadent.
stewed oysters with virginia ham Oyster Stew with Virginia Ham View Recipe If you have never made an oyster stew, this comforting and incredibly flavorful dish will beguile you. Plump, tender oysters, savory ham, and a cider reduction to balance the cream will have you licking your bowl.
stewed oysters with virginia ham
Oyster Stew with Virginia Ham
If you have never made an oyster stew, this comforting and incredibly flavorful dish will beguile you. Plump, tender oysters, savory ham, and a cider reduction to balance the cream will have you licking your bowl.
stewed oysters with virginia ham
stewed oysters with virginia ham
stewed oysters with virginia ham
stewed oysters with virginia ham
Oyster Stew with Virginia Ham
If you have never made an oyster stew, this comforting and incredibly flavorful dish will beguile you. Plump, tender oysters, savory ham, and a cider reduction to balance the cream will have you licking your bowl.
hot crab and oyster dip Hot Crab-and-Oyster Dip View Recipe Sweet crabmeat tumbled with crème fraîche and good cheese makes a luxurious bed for shucked oysters, which are nestled into the dip just before the dish is broiled until bubbling hot.
hot crab and oyster dip
Hot Crab-and-Oyster Dip
Sweet crabmeat tumbled with crème fraîche and good cheese makes a luxurious bed for shucked oysters, which are nestled into the dip just before the dish is broiled until bubbling hot.
hot crab and oyster dip
hot crab and oyster dip
hot crab and oyster dip
hot crab and oyster dip
Hot Crab-and-Oyster Dip
Sweet crabmeat tumbled with crème fraîche and good cheese makes a luxurious bed for shucked oysters, which are nestled into the dip just before the dish is broiled until bubbling hot.
oysters on the half shell with vinegar sauce Oysters on the Half Shell with Vinegar Sauce View Recipe Fragrant with allspice and hot with chiles, this spicy vinegar sauce is for heat-lovers‑and it's wonderful with cold oysters.
oysters on the half shell with vinegar sauce
Oysters on the Half Shell with Vinegar Sauce
Fragrant with allspice and hot with chiles, this spicy vinegar sauce is for heat-lovers‑and it’s wonderful with cold oysters.
oysters on the half shell with vinegar sauce
oysters on the half shell with vinegar sauce
oysters on the half shell with vinegar sauce
oysters on the half shell with vinegar sauce
Oysters on the Half Shell with Vinegar Sauce
Fragrant with allspice and hot with chiles, this spicy vinegar sauce is for heat-lovers‑and it’s wonderful with cold oysters.
clams-and-oysters-casino_102801736.jpg Clams and Oysters Casino View Recipe Our clams and oysters casino are filled with savory titbits: ciabatta, pancetta, parmesan, garlic, red pepper, oregano, all soused in vermouth. Butter makes them crisp as they sizzle under the broiler.
clams-and-oysters-casino_102801736.jpg
Clams and Oysters Casino
Our clams and oysters casino are filled with savory titbits: ciabatta, pancetta, parmesan, garlic, red pepper, oregano, all soused in vermouth. Butter makes them crisp as they sizzle under the broiler.
clams-and-oysters-casino_102801736.jpg
clams-and-oysters-casino_102801736.jpg
clams-and-oysters-casino_102801736.jpg
clams-and-oysters-casino_102801736.jpg
Clams and Oysters Casino
Our clams and oysters casino are filled with savory titbits: ciabatta, pancetta, parmesan, garlic, red pepper, oregano, all soused in vermouth. Butter makes them crisp as they sizzle under the broiler.
102782985-oyster-dressing.jpg Oyster-and-Bacon Dressing View Recipe The Thanksgiving pairing of smoky bacon with svelte oysters is too good to limit to one occasion. Fragrant with celery, onion, white wine and sage, we think it makes a superb supper. Just add a crisp-leafed salad.
102782985-oyster-dressing.jpg
Oyster-and-Bacon Dressing
The Thanksgiving pairing of smoky bacon with svelte oysters is too good to limit to one occasion. Fragrant with celery, onion, white wine and sage, we think it makes a superb supper. Just add a crisp-leafed salad.
102782985-oyster-dressing.jpg
102782985-oyster-dressing.jpg
102782985-oyster-dressing.jpg
102782985-oyster-dressing.jpg
Oyster-and-Bacon Dressing
The Thanksgiving pairing of smoky bacon with svelte oysters is too good to limit to one occasion. Fragrant with celery, onion, white wine and sage, we think it makes a superb supper. Just add a crisp-leafed salad.
oyster-po-boy-147-d111289.jpg Fried Oyster Po' Boys View Recipe When you do fry an oyster, do it the time-honored, buttermilk-and-cornmeal way. It delivers a delectable crust. Slip the hot mollusks into hot dog buns and slather with tartare sauce.
oyster-po-boy-147-d111289.jpg
Fried Oyster Po’ Boys
When you do fry an oyster, do it the time-honored, buttermilk-and-cornmeal way. It delivers a delectable crust. Slip the hot mollusks into hot dog buns and slather with tartare sauce.
oyster-po-boy-147-d111289.jpg
oyster-po-boy-147-d111289.jpg
oyster-po-boy-147-d111289.jpg
oyster-po-boy-147-d111289.jpg
Fried Oyster Po’ Boys
When you do fry an oyster, do it the time-honored, buttermilk-and-cornmeal way. It delivers a delectable crust. Slip the hot mollusks into hot dog buns and slather with tartare sauce.
oyster-dressing-0116-d110470.jpg Oyster and Cracker Dressing View Recipe Coarsely ground saltine crackers mixed with good butter is a foundation for fresh oysters in this rustic meal for a blustery day. Successive layers of crackers, thyme, and oysters follow, moistened with cream, before the dressing is baked until bubbling.
oyster-dressing-0116-d110470.jpg
Oyster and Cracker Dressing
Coarsely ground saltine crackers mixed with good butter is a foundation for fresh oysters in this rustic meal for a blustery day. Successive layers of crackers, thyme, and oysters follow, moistened with cream, before the dressing is baked until bubbling.
oyster-dressing-0116-d110470.jpg
oyster-dressing-0116-d110470.jpg
oyster-dressing-0116-d110470.jpg
oyster-dressing-0116-d110470.jpg
Oyster and Cracker Dressing
Coarsely ground saltine crackers mixed with good butter is a foundation for fresh oysters in this rustic meal for a blustery day. Successive layers of crackers, thyme, and oysters follow, moistened with cream, before the dressing is baked until bubbling.
baked-oysters-mslb7105.jpg Roasted Oysters View Recipe Roasting oysters is easy. Topping them with a bacon-rich compound butter is the chef's touch, and easily done if the butter is prepped well in advance and chilled.
baked-oysters-mslb7105.jpg
Roasted Oysters
Roasting oysters is easy. Topping them with a bacon-rich compound butter is the chef’s touch, and easily done if the butter is prepped well in advance and chilled.
baked-oysters-mslb7105.jpg
baked-oysters-mslb7105.jpg
baked-oysters-mslb7105.jpg
baked-oysters-mslb7105.jpg
Roasted Oysters
Roasting oysters is easy. Topping them with a bacon-rich compound butter is the chef’s touch, and easily done if the butter is prepped well in advance and chilled.
6076_010511_oysters.jpg Oysters Rockefeller View Recipe Herbsaint (an anise liqueur loved in New Orleans), baby spinach, watercress, tarragon, and basil—oh my. This is a very fragrant spin on oysters Rockefeller that will make your guests swoon.
6076_010511_oysters.jpg
Oysters Rockefeller
Herbsaint (an anise liqueur loved in New Orleans), baby spinach, watercress, tarragon, and basil—oh my. This is a very fragrant spin on oysters Rockefeller that will make your guests swoon.
6076_010511_oysters.jpg
6076_010511_oysters.jpg
6076_010511_oysters.jpg
6076_010511_oysters.jpg
Oysters Rockefeller
Herbsaint (an anise liqueur loved in New Orleans), baby spinach, watercress, tarragon, and basil—oh my. This is a very fragrant spin on oysters Rockefeller that will make your guests swoon.
scalloped-oysters-m109160.jpg Scalloped Oysters View Recipe Aromatic, creamy, with a crunchy crust, scalloped oysters are an elegant and easy supper. Fragrant with aromatics and a dash of sherry, the assembled dish is cooked briefly in a searing-hot oven.
scalloped-oysters-m109160.jpg
Scalloped Oysters
Aromatic, creamy, with a crunchy crust, scalloped oysters are an elegant and easy supper. Fragrant with aromatics and a dash of sherry, the assembled dish is cooked briefly in a searing-hot oven.
scalloped-oysters-m109160.jpg
scalloped-oysters-m109160.jpg
scalloped-oysters-m109160.jpg
scalloped-oysters-m109160.jpg
Scalloped Oysters
Aromatic, creamy, with a crunchy crust, scalloped oysters are an elegant and easy supper. Fragrant with aromatics and a dash of sherry, the assembled dish is cooked briefly in a searing-hot oven.
oysters with mignonette Chilled Oysters with Apple-Ginger Mignonette View Recipe The crunch of sweet apples and the heat of fresh ginger transform a stalwart mignonette, the two flavors flirting with the oyster's famous seaside brine.
oysters with mignonette
Chilled Oysters with Apple-Ginger Mignonette
The crunch of sweet apples and the heat of fresh ginger transform a stalwart mignonette, the two flavors flirting with the oyster’s famous seaside brine.
oysters with mignonette
oysters with mignonette
oysters with mignonette
oysters with mignonette
Chilled Oysters with Apple-Ginger Mignonette
The crunch of sweet apples and the heat of fresh ginger transform a stalwart mignonette, the two flavors flirting with the oyster’s famous seaside brine.
