Grilled oysters with chorizo vinaigrette

Name: Grilled oysters with chorizo vinaigrette
Cook time: 30 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Spanish
Ingredients: 2 tbsp olive oil; 2 fresh chorizo sausages; 1-2 tbsp sherry or red wine vinegar; 12 large, fresh, unopened oysters; 1 lemon, cut into wedges

May 20, 2014

Oysters are actually at their best in autumn and winter, so serve them hot!Steven Siewert

easyTime:< 30 minsServes:4

While they're often considered a summer delicacy, oysters are actually at their best in autumn. They're also easier to handle once cooked, because the shells open in the heat meaning you don't have to wrestle with an oyster knife. Cooler weather calls for oysters flash-cooked on smoky wood-fired grills, baked in ovens or gently poached; served plumped-up in their own briny juices.

Ingredients

2 tbsp olive oil
2 fresh chorizo sausages
1-2 tbsp sherry or red wine vinegar
12 large, fresh, unopened oysters
1 lemon, cut into wedges

Method

1. To make the vinaigrette, heat one teaspoon of olive oil in a non-stick pan. Skin the sausages and pinch the sausage meat into the pan. Fry for five minutes until crumbled and lightly golden. Remove from the heat, and add the remaining olive oil and vinegar. Gently toss, and transfer to a serving bowl.
2. Heat the barbecue to hot. Place the oysters on the grill and watch carefully for one minute, removing each one as soon as the top shell opens. If they haven't opened after 1 1/2 minutes, remove and open with an oyster knife. Lift the flat top shell and use a small sharp knife to cut through the muscle attached to the oyster.
3. Top with the warm chorizo vinaigrette, add a wedge of lemon and serve hot.
4. Serve on a bed of rock salt, seaweed or pebbles, to keep the oyster shells upright.