Holiday Recipe: Eel Town Oysters grilled with spicy citrus butter

Here’s a holiday recipe for Eel Town Oysters grilled with spicy citrus butter from our friends Bert Waife and Laurene Meehan.

They grow delectable oysters in pristine surface waters near Jessup Neck in Noyack Bay at the intersection of Shelter Island Sound, where the swift currents bring up nutrients for oysters to feast on.

Take a break from the traditional raw oysters on the half shell and treat yourself and your guests to this grilled version of our local delights.

Eel Town Oysters

“Bert and I eat our share of raw oysters, but we also love to place them on the grill with yummy toppings such as this spicy citrus compound butter,” Meehan told us.

“The heat from the grill will concentrate the oyster’s brine, and the oyster will simmer in the flavorful melting butter. This recipe will elevate your New Year’s Eve,” she said.

[Editor’s note: Thank you, Bert and Laurene! As we all prepare for holiday gatherings, we’re happy to share recipes from members of our Island Directory. To find out where to go and what to do here all winter long, use this form to sign up for our free weekly Life Between the Ferries newsletter.]

Grilled oysters with spicy citrus butter

(Serves 4-6 depending on how many oysters you offer per person)

Ingredients

• 2 dozen Eel Town Oysters, shucked on the half shell
• 1/4 cup softened butter
• 2 tsp. finely minced shallots
• 1 tsp. sriracha
• 1 tbs. lime zest (then juice the lime and reserve)
• 1/4 tsp. kosher salt
• 2 tsp. minced cilantro

Method

Eel Town Oysters are surface grown and are very clean and easy to open. Here’s a method to set the oysters up for cooking: Line a baking sheet with a layer of coarse salt (or scrunched up tin foil) to keep the open shells balanced; use a shucking knife with a blunt tip and short shaft to open each oyster, preserving as much liquid as possible; and set each oyster on the baking sheet, using the salt (or foil wrinkles) to keep the liquid from spilling out.

1. Prepare the fresh oysters (as above or using your favorite method), and place them in the fridge to keep them cool
2. Mix/mash the butter with the shallots, sriracha, lime zest, salt and cilantro
3. Let the butter mix cool in the fridge
4. Heat the grill (or broiler) until hot
5. Remove oysters and butter mix from fridge
6. Spoon a dollop of butter mix onto each oyster
7. Set the oysters directly on the hot grill (or set the pan on the grill or under broiler) and cook for 3 to 4 minutes
8. Spoon some of the reserved lime juice over the oysters before serving

Self-serve oyster stand

The Eel Town Oysters self-serve stand at 9 North Ferry Road will be open throughout the holidays, stocked with bags of 18 oysters for $20. For larger orders, call or text 631-949-5459.

In addition to oysters, check out the cool merch available with the Eel Town Oysters logo. Visit eeltownoysters.com to find hats, T-shirts, and hoodies for gifts or as local keepsakes.