Some say oysters are like the snot of the ocean. You either love them or hate them.
Personally, I love them. They are sweet, salty, and unique. Unfortunately, I don’t have great access to fresh oysters so don’t have them all that often.
Occasionally I treat myself and order some in. When I do this I like to have a few fresh, but usually, smoke and preserve the majority.
My wife is not a huge fan of fresh oysters, but she can’t get enough of them when they are smoked!
Smoking oysters completely changes the taste and most importantly the texture. It transforms the oyster from being slimy and ‘weird’ to a more palatable texture and beautiful flavor.
How long do you smoke oysters in the shell?
One thing to note when smoking oysters in the shell is to ensure you shuck the oyster and remove the top shell. The shell is too thick to grill completely closed. I have found I get a much better and faster result using a grill set up for smoking with either the charcoal snake method or a little wood chip smoker insert for the grill. Smoking oysters in the shell does take longer than shucking completely and gives the oysters a more faint smoke flavor. To smoke oysters in their shell simply place your oysters in your grill or smoker preheated to 225°F and smoke until tender and no longer slimy. This should take around 35 minutes – 50 minutes.
What temperature do you smoke oysters at?
If you are using a gas, electric, charcoal, or pellet smoker you want to maintain a steady temperature of 225°F to smoke oysters.
How good are smoked oysters for you?
Oysters are an excellent source of copper, iron, protein, vitamin D & zinc. They also contain high levels of phosphorus, niacin, riboflavin, and Vitamin C. They are also rich in antioxidants and a great source of omega-3 fatty acids and healthy cholesterol.
When smoking oysters you don’t want to use strong wood. For this recipe, I am using a combination of Alder and Cheery wood. These woods will not overpower the flavor of the oyster.
Smoked Oysters Recipe
Smoked Oyster Recipe
Equipment
- Smoker
- Wire rack
- Oyster shucking knife
Ingredients
- 500 grams Butter
- 1/2 Bunch Parsley
- 2 Garlic cloves
- 24 Oysters
- Hot sauce to taste
Instructions
- Set up your smoker according to your manufacturer's instructions. Pre heat to 225°F.
- Melt the butter over medium heat until melted. Mix in hot sauce to taste and finely chopped garlic and parsley.
- Shuck your Oysters. Try to save as much of the liquid as possible.
- Arrange your shucked oysters on a wire rack. Spoon over 1 – 2 tablespoons of the butter mixture over each oyster.
- Once your smoker is burning clean smoke and sitting at 225°F put your oysters in. Smoke for 30 – 45 minutes or until the oysters have become firm and your desired texture.
- Serve hot and eat straight away.
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