Shucks, Why Did We Wait So Long? Grilled Oysters with Garlic-Chile Butter

We're looking forward to returning to New Orleans, reclaiming our seats at Cochon's bar, and grazing through several of the small plates on the menu. But in the meantime, I will continue to pull out Real Cajun: Rustic Home Cooking from Donald Link's Louisiana, which has recipes for some of dishes served at Link's Cochon.  Delicacies like Fried Oyster and Bacon Sandwiches and Grilled Oysters with Garlic-Chile Butter. I can't believe I've waited this long to try these grilled oysters at home!

The Garlic-Chile butter is incredible on the oysters, but I'm convinced it would be awesome on just about any grilled fish or shellfish, or even corn on the cob.

Garlic-Chile Butter

We took the scenic drive to the newly remodeled Point Loma Seafoods to buy our oysters, and a loaf of freshly baked sourdough bread. Add a bottle of wine, grilled vegetables, my man and my puppy, and it doesn't get any better on a warm summer evening in Coronado.

Grilled Oysters with Garlic-Chile Butter
From Rustic Cajun: Rustic Home Cooking from Donald Link's Louisiana

1/2 pound (2 sticks) butter
3 cloves garlic
2 anchovy fillets
Zest and juice of one lemon
2 tablespoons Vietnamese garlic chile paste**
2 teaspoons crushed red chile flakes
¼ teaspoon cayenne
1 teaspoon salt
16 oysters
Lemon wedges, for garnish

**Sriracha is a Vietnamese red chili sauce, but it is strictly chiles and doesn't have much depth to it - just a lot of heat. Vietnamese hot garlic chili sauce is different; it's made from chiles and garlic and has a little bit of sweetness that balances the heat.

Cut the butter into 1-inch cubes and allow it to soften to room temperature.

Mince the garlic, anchovy fillets and lemon zest (or mash in a mortar and pestle), and then fold in the butter, lemon juice, garlic chili sauce, red pepper flakes, cayenne, and salt.

Roll the butter into a log, or pack into small ramekins, cover with plastic and refrigerate until needed.

Open the oysters as you would for oysters on the half shell, discarding the top shells. Place about a tablespoon of the chilled compound butter on each oyster, and carefully place on a hot grill until the juices begin to bubble and the oyster curls up around the edges, 6 to 10 minutes (it's good to have some melted compound butter on hand to drizzle over the grilled oysters, to replenish any that spills out during grilling). Serve immediately, with wedges of fresh lemon.

What about me? I'd like to slurp down a few of those!