Compound butter is magical. You take softened butter, add herbs, spices, or other flavorings and then use your infused butter to flavor food. It’s incredible on grilled steak and seared chicken. But the sleeper for compound butter is using it on grilled oysters, which is what we’re focusing on today.
We have compiled three different compound butter recipes, which all pair perfectly with your oysters. However, before you get to mixing and grilling, there are a few things to note when it comes to preparing oysters for the grill.
To Shuck or Not to Shuck
There are two ways to go about grilling oysters. First, you can pre-shuck them and then place them on the grill with your butter. Second, you can put them on the grill and let them open up on their own. Even if they don’t fully open, they will be quite easy to open once they’ve been heated through (think steaming clams or mussels). You can use an oyster shucker for both of these applications.
Sizing is Key
When the oysters are on the grill, they’ll move. Unfortunately, grates aren’t necessarily the most stable and flat surface, and with heat and smoke moving around, it’s guaranteed the oysters will wobble. Because of this, small and shallow oysters run more of a risk of losing their liquor, while larger oysters will stand up to the heat and wobbly nature of the grill. When grilling, look for larger oysters, as they’ll hold up to the heat and also give more surface area for your butter.
Compound Butter Recipes:
Below are three recipes for compound butter. To prepare, simply combine all ingredients and then place them in the fridge to set. To grill the oysters, place them on the grill, add a spoonful of butter and let them cook. You’ll know they’re done when the edges of the oyster start to curl up and the butter bubbles. It will smell amazing.
Miso Sambal Butter:
- 1 pound softened butter
- ⅓ cup sambal (you can use more or less depending on how spicy you like it)
- 3 Tbsp White Miso
- Large pinch of salt
Garlic Herb Butter:
- 1 pound softened butter
- 2 Tbsp minced parsley
- 1 Tbsp minced dill
- 1 Tbsp minced thyme
- 3 large garlic cloves, grated
- 1 Tbsp lemon zest
- Large pinch of salt
Lemon Shallot Butter
- 1 pound softened butter
- ¼ cup minced shallots
- ¼ cup thinly sliced chives
- 3 Tbsp lemon zest
- 2 large garlic cloves, grated
- Large Pinch of Salt
