4 Ways to Cook Oysters with a Frigidaire Gallery Range for Oyster Day
Celebrating a holiday a couple days late is never a bad thing. Take National Oyster Day for example! If you couldn’t celebrate on August 5th, it’s not too late to enjoy those delectable, delicious oysters.
But you don’t have to drop big bucks at a fancy restaurant to get your own taste of the sea! Cooking oysters right at home is pretty simple, and there are plenty of ways to get the flavor you’re craving. With induction, gas, and electric options, as well as a quality and refinement that would be right at home in your favorite seafood eatery, a Frigidaire Gallery range is the perfect way to cook up these special dishes—or any dish for that matter!
So break out your oyster forks (okay, a regular fork should do just fine) and get cooking!
How to Shuck an Oyster
Before you start cooking your oysters, some of these techniques will require you to shuck them, or remove them from the shell. This is a pretty simple process, but it does require two tools: a tea towel, and a curved oyster knife.
Start by holding your oyster in the tea towel with the deep side of the shell on the bottom (you don’t want any of those delicious juices to leak out!). Then stick the oyster knife into the hinge of the shell, twist, and pry it open from the back. Finally, use that curved tip to loosen the oyster meat from the top shell, so that it’s floating in the bottom half of the shell. And you’re done! Easy peasy. Now it’s time to move on to the fun part…
Grill ‘Em
It’s hard to beat the rich, bold flavors of grilled oysters, and the secret is all in the butter. The best grilled oysters call for compound butter, which is butter mixed with garlic, lemon, and the herbs of your choice (parsley, tarragon, and chives are all great options).
After cleaning and shucking your oysters (but keeping the meat in the bottom half of the shell), place them shell-side down on a grill pan heated to 450 degrees on your Frigidaire rangetop. Top each oyster with a generous scoop of the compound butter and cover with tin foil. After about 5 minutes, your oysters will be fully cooked and ready to be served as incredible hors d’oeuvres!
Steam ‘Em
Steaming is one of the most popular methods for preparing oysters, and for good reason. This classic recipe stands the test of time and is as simple as it is delicious. You’ll want to start by scrubbing—but not shucking—your oysters. On your Frigidaire stovetop, fill a pot with about 3 cups of water plus your favorite seasonings, like garlic, paprika, lemon pepper, or a splash of white wine.
Bring to a boil and place about a dozen oysters into a colander or steaming basket. Lower the basket into the water, and in about 10 minutes, your oysters should be ready to serve with lemon, cocktail sauce, or some herb butter!
Roast ‘Em
For this next recipe, you’ll want to fire up your oven and fill a baking sheet with a generous layer of rock salt. Yes, rock salt. Bear with us—once your oven is hot, stick the pan full of rock salt into the oven and let that heat up for about 15 minutes. This step helps give the oysters a more even heat and helps them stay upright in the oven.
Next, you’ll want to wash your oysters thoroughly, leaving them slightly damp, then place them on the hot salt in the pan, with the deeper, cupped half of the shell on the bottom. In about 7 minutes, or once the shells have all popped open, you can remove from the oven and serve with butter, a touch of hot sauce, or as-is!
Fry ‘Em
A fun summer favorite, even the pickiest eaters won’t be able to resist these fried delicacies! First, heat a few inches of oil in a pot or skillet and shuck your oysters, removing the meat entirely from the shell. While the oil heats, roll the oysters in a mixture of flour with a dash of pepper and two dashes of salt. You can add other spices to this flour mixture if you like, like paprika or seafood seasoning, but you can’t go wrong with a classic combo of flour, salt, and pepper.
Next, dip the coated oysters in egg (you’ll need about two, well-beaten) and roll in a bowl of breadcrumbs or crushed potato chips. Place the oysters into the sizzling oil and allow to cook about 2 minutes each, until they become a beautiful, golden brown. Keep an eye on the heat—Frigidaire Gallery ranges have great temperature control, so your oysters should fry to perfection every time. A tartar sauce dip is the perfect complement to this delicious dish!
With a Frigidaire Gallery range, celebrating National Oysters Day is a breeze. What’s your favorite recipe? Comment on this post or stop by our store today! Trust us, we love to talk about everything Frigidaire Gallery.