Fire-roasted Oysters

Chef Tim Byres from The Theodore in Dallas stops by Good Day to make fire-roasted oysters with red pepper, bacon and parsley.

Roasted Oysters

1 oz.  white wine
1 small shallot
2 garlic cloves
1 roasted Red Bell Pepper, no seeds or stem, chopped
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
1 teaspoon kosher salt
¼ pound (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1 dozen oysters
½ cup of crumbled bacon, about 5 strips, skillet cooked to crispy then crumbled
¼ cup fresh bread crumbs
1 bunch of Italian Parsley, chopped

To make the oyster butter, place all the ingredients except the butter in the bowl of a food processor and pulse to create a paste. Add the softened butter to the paste and pulse to incorporate. This can be made ahead and refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 1 week, or frozen in an airtight container for up to 1 month. It's necessary to seal the container tightly because butter absorbs old refrigerator flavors.  Scrub the oysters with a stiff bristle brush under cold running water.  Shuck them, and detach them from the shell, but leave them sitting on the half shell for roasting.

Prepare a grill for direct cooking over high heat. To each oyster on a half shell add 1 tablespoon Oyster butter, 1 teaspoon bacon, and ½ teaspoon bread crumbs, and place them on the grill over a hot fire.  You want flames licking the shells. When the shells become charred around the edges and the scampi butter is bubbly, remove them from the fire. Top each oyster with chopped Parsley and serve.