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Raw Oysters on the Half Shell
Raw oysters on the half shell are traditionally served chilled, freshly shucked and with cocktail sauce and saltine crackers as accompaniment.
Ingredients:
3 Lemons
Cheese cloth for making 6 lemons wraps
Crush ice
Dipping sauce – Louisiana hot sauce
Red Horseradish
Cocktail Sauce
White Horseradish Sauce
Mignonette Sauce
36 shucked fresh oysters, in their bottom shells with their juices
Fresh parsley springs, for garnish
Directions:
- Lemon wraps keep seeds out of the lemon juice and direct it onto the food rather than into your dinner partner’s eyes.
- Make 6 lemon wraps by first rolling the 3 lemons on the countertop or other hard surface, pressing down with the heel of your hand to release the juices.
- Cut each lemon in half.
- Place each half, cut side down, on a 4-inch square of cheesecloth.
- Gather the cheesecloth up above the lemon half and tie the cloth with a bit of string.
- Fill each of six shallow soup plates or tin pie plates with a 3/4-inch layer of crushed ice.
- Position a small cup for a dipping sauce in the center of each plate and arrange 6 raw oysters in their shells around it.
- Place each soup or pie plate of oysters on a large dinner plate.
- Garnish each serving with a lemon wrap and a sprig or two of parsley.
- Serve with saltine crackers and, if desired, butter pats, as well as a bottle of optional Louisiana-style hot pepper sauce.
