I love trying new things...in the kitchen...get your mind out of the gutter people. And I love oysters....yes I know they are sexy yada yada but that is not why I love them. I fell in love with them at a place called Folie Douce in Arcata. They have the best grilled oysters and they serve them with like a sesame/soy sauce and green onions. However, word of caution as they are not always on the menu...think they are seasonal or it may have to do with the weather and whether or not they can be harvested from Humboldt Bay...whatever it is call ahead if you plan on going for the oysters.



Anyway last night I decided to try and make Bobby Flay's recipe for Grilled Oysters with Mango Pico de Gallo and Chili Horseradish. I had never made a Bobby Flay recipe before and I have to say I was impressed because it was really easy to follow for the most part. And even better I learned how to grill oysters which is so much easier than shucking oysters. Has anyone tried shucking oysters? It is like wrestling with a bear...sure a very small bear that is oddly shaped and smells like the ocean...but that is the best analogy I can think of. You hold the oyster in a holder or in your hand and my recommendation is to protect your hand using a large towel or pot holder and you jab a knife into it and try to pry open the oyster at the "hinge." Well unfortunately oysters aren't labeled with "hinge here" so finding the hinge is a chore in and of itself. And the hinge isn't like the hinge on the door where you turn the handle and voila it opens...no this is the wrestling with the bear part. You get the picture!!!



However, grilling oysters is way easy!!!! And less stressful and strenuous. So you scrub the oysters I just throw them in a colander and take a scrub brush to them. Be prepared they do come complete with barnacles. Then you dip them in a bowl of water and throw them on the grill at high heat and close the lid.  According to the recipe it takes 3-4 minutes, however I found it was closer to 6-7 minutes. I also looked on-line and there are various time estimates as to how long it takes for the oysters to open. Either way it is the coolest thing as you start to hear them pop open and sure enough you open the grill and they are open.  I did find that some of them opened just a little and you had to open them the rest of the way but there was no bear wrestling involved...they opened easily and you could pop off the top with very little effort.



The rest of the recipe was also very easy. To make the mango pico de gallo you just chop all of the fruits and vegetables and add them in a bowl with olive oil, honey, salt and pepper and let sit for 30 minutes. The child horseradish is just horseradish and chili powder...hence the name. Then once the oysters are done you just put a spoonful of mango pico de gallo and a small amount of chile horseradish on each one. I was told I could cut back a little on the chile horseradish...I guess some people don't like their nose running through an entire meal. Haha

So happy to be home and to be cooking. Hmmm wonder what kind of mischief I can get into today.

Here is the recipe if you want to try it:

Ingredients

Mango Pico de Gallo:

• 1 ripe mango, peeled, pitted, and cut into very small dice
• 1/2 red onion, peeled and cut into very small dice
• 1 small jalapeno, cut into very small dice
• 1 lime, juiced
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 teaspoons honey
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh recao or cilantro leaves
• Salt and freshly ground pepper

Red Chili Horseradish:

• 1/2 cup prepared horseradish, drained
• 1 1/2 tablespoons ancho chili powder
• Salt
• 20 oysters, scrubbed well

Directions