Grilled Louisiana Oysters with Garlic-Chile Butter

From: Chef/owner Donald Link of Herbsaint, Cochon, Cochon Butcher and Calcasieu, New Orleans. Yield: 2-3 servings.

Compound Butter for Oysters:
½ lb. (2 sticks) butter
3 cloves garlic
2 anchovy fillets
zest of one lemon
juice of one lemon (about 2 Tbsp.)
2 Tbsp. Vietnamese garlic chile paste
2 tsp. crushed red chile flakes
1⁄4 tsp. cayenne
1 tsp. salt

16  Louisiana Oysters, in the shell
as needed for garnish, lemon wedges

Cut butter into 1” cubes and allow it to soften to room temperature. Mince garlic, anchovy and lemon zest (or mash in a mortar and pestle), and then fold in the butter, lemon juice, garlic chii sauce, red chile flakes, cayenne and salt. Roll butter into a log; wrap with plastic and refrigerate until needed. Open the oysters as you would for oysters on the half shell, discarding top shells. Place a 1-Tbsp. slice of chilled compound butter on each oyster and place on a hot grill until oysters begin to bubble and curl up around the edges, 6 to 10 minutes. (It’s good to melt a few Tbsp. butter to put on oysters after they are grilled in case some butter spills out of the shells.) Serve immediately, with wedges of fresh lemon, if desired.
 
PHOTO:  Louisiana Seafood