Belgian Oysters

I know, it sounds weird

Oysters grilled with gooseberry jam and soy sauce. So you're just going to have to trust me

that the yin-yang of sweet and briny adds up to something amazing

If you like oysters raw in the half shell, just wait until you try them grilled

First, the oyster. Now, when you buy oysters, you want to make sure that they are fresh, cold, with shells

that are tightly sealed. Here are three different shucking knives. And what you want to do to shuck an oyster is insert the knife in the hinge

and you just kind of wiggle it in. And once it enters the oyster, give it a twist to pry the shellfish open

Then slide the knife along the top to cut the adductor muscle that's right here

Then slide the knife along the bottom to loosen the oyster from the shell

All right, and the oysters go in this shellfish grilling rack. And you can see we position them over ice

Always a good idea when you're working outdoors. Here's a different type of shucking knife

This one has a metal guard to protect your hand Once again hold the oyster with a dishcloth and you want to just sort of worm that blade into the hinge You pry the upper shell loose from the lower shell

then slide the knife blade along the top of the oyster to cut the adductor muscle

Slide it under the oyster to loosen the oyster from the bottom shell

and let me show you how to stuff the oysters. First, place a spoonful of jam in each oyster shell

I'm using gooseberry jam, which is popular in Belgium, where this dish was invented

Next, add a small spoonful of finely chopped fresh ginger to each oyster shell

Next, soy sauce. This recipe comes from Belgian grill master Peter Leclerc

owner of the restaurant Alkerlique in Maldegum, Belgium. Peter is one of the most famous grill masters in Europe

and his restaurant is absolutely amazing Next we add a spoonful of dry white wine

And finally, rice vinegar. So think about the flavors here. You've got sweet gooseberry jam, hot ginger, salty soy sauce, aromatic wine, and tart vinegar

This plays to every taste bud in your mouth. We're grilling over natural lump charcoal

Simply dump it out over the lower grate in the grill. Then you want to spread the coals out

in an even layer. And to add a smoke flavor, you can toss a handful of soaked wood chips

on the coals. The beauty of a shellfish rack

it holds the oyster shells steady so you don't spill the juices

Cooking time is really quick, about four to six minutes. You just want to cook the oysters long enough for the juices to start to bubble in the shells

OK, and once the juices boil, the oysters are ready. So you can just arrange the oyster shells on a bed of salt for serving

This keeps the juices from spilling. Man, these look great

Mmm. This is really nice. You get a nice heat from the ginger

and a nice sweetness from the gooseberry jam. Oysters on the half shelf

because there's just one thing better than eating them raw, grilled over wood