Grilled Oysters With Harissa-Parmesan Butter
- Total Time
- 30 minutes
- Rating
- Notes
- Read community notes
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Ingredients
Yield:24 oysters
- ½cup unsalted butter
- ⅓cup harissa (preferably Mina or Mustapha brand)
- 1ounce finely grated Parmesan
- 6medium garlic cloves, minced
- 24oysters, scrubbed clean of any sand or grit under cool running water
- Minced cilantro leaves, for serving
For the Harissa-parmesan Butter
For the Oysters
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (24 servings)
81 calories; 5 grams fat; 3 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 1 gram monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 3 grams carbohydrates; 0 grams dietary fiber; 0 grams sugars; 5 grams protein; 69 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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- Step 1
Ignite a full chimney of coals and spread out under one side of the grill once they are fully covered in gray ash, or heat half the burners of a gas grill to high. Cover and let the grill heat for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, cut off a sheet of aluminum foil twice the length of a 13-by-18-inch rimmed baking sheet. Crumple it up so that it fits into the baking sheet. The crumpled foil should be able to support the cupped side of the oysters without allowing them to tip over.
- Step 2
Prepare the harissa-Parmesan butter: Combine the butter, harissa, Parmesan and garlic in the bowl of a food processor. Process until there are no large chunks of butter remaining, about 30 seconds total, stopping to scrape down the sides of the processor with a rubber spatula a few times as needed. Transfer the mixture to a small, oven-safe saucepan.
- Step 3
Using tongs, arrange the oysters over the hot side of the grill, placing them with the cupped sides down, doing your best to set them in the grates so that oyster juices don’t pour out of the cups as they open. Cover and cook, checking on them every minute or so, and transferring any oysters that have begun to gape open to the foil-lined baking sheet. After a total of 4 minutes, transfer any remaining oysters to the foil whether they have opened or not. Place the saucepan on the cooler side of the grill.
- Step 4
As soon as the oysters are cool enough to handle, pry off the top shells with a butter knife or oyster knife, severing through the muscle that holds the oyster to the shell and retaining as much juice in the shell as possible. For oysters that aren’t already gaping open, the easiest way to pry off the lids is by inserting the tip of the knife into the joint and firmly twisting it until the joint releases.
- Step 5
Spoon a generous teaspoon of the harissa-Parmesan butter (which should be fully melted by now) into each oyster, then return the oysters directly onto the grates on the hot side of the grill. Cook, uncovered, until the sauce mixture is bubbling hot, about 1 minute. Return the oysters to the foil-lined baking sheet, sprinkle with cilantro, and serve immediately.
Private Notes
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Cooking Notes
Dan
Which is why I enjoy Kenji’s recipes. He’s not afraid to try something new that might turn out to be delicious.
Max Alexander, Rome, Contestant MasterChef Italia 2020-2021
Parmigiano on oysters would be a tough sell here in Italy where cheese and seafood are never mixed. For my next terrace barbecue I’ll up the North African vibe by substituting my homemade preserved lemon for the cheese. And as an expat New Englander I’m pretty sure I could shuck all those oysters raw before the coals are even hot; no need to fuss with pre-heating them on the grill first.
meinmunich
Delicious. Reminded me of gochujang.
Laura
Could this oven-baked or broiled? No charcoal grills in our big city apartment
Rebecka
How long would the harissa-Parmensan butter keep in the refrigerator?
Carol Kast
I love the idea of crinkling foil to hold the oysters. Everyone probably has foil; not so much rock salt.
Tim
These were amazing. Huge hit with with everyone. Made per recipe, but next time I might add a sprinkling of parm at the end and use my searzall to add some char. Whole Foods had the Mina harissa.
Mattattack
I sprinkled some breadcrumbs on top to keep all the juices in the oyster
William W
Excellent! It took the full four minutes for all of the oysters to open. The crumpled foil is a nice technique to prevent spilling the juices.
Frank
as an Australian I first discovered harissa during my gap year in Europe 1982-83 - I bought and opened a mysterious small can of bright orange stuff I'd never seen before tasted it - and it blew my mind !
Tom Justateit
I left them raw and set the harissa, parm and garlic aside for someone who doesn't appreciate oysters.
Max Alexander
In Maine we harvest fist-sized oysters at low tide that are too big to eat raw; it would be like putting an entire hamburger in your mouth. Those are ideal for grilling. We save the small ones for raw. There are no compromises, only using all of the harvest in the best way.
TLD
We didn't have a food processor so adapted the sauce a bit: melted the butter, mixed with the harissa and Parmesan, skipped the garlic. It still turned out wonderful!
brie
Very good recipe, I only used 3 tablespoons of harissa paste and it was plenty flavorful (and spicy). This harissa butter is also great on grilled chicken thighs.
kz
8 min the first round and 4 min the last round… needed extra time since I used large oysters and the coals may not have been hot enough. Delicious - definitely will make again
kz
Grilled for 8 min the first round and 4 min the second round…
Andrew in Vancouver
Made as written - terrific and very popular! Make extra harissa butter - it is wonderful brushed on corn (grilled next to the oysters).
SuzieQ
Thoughts on how this would work with mussels?
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