Jen In The Kitchen: Baked Oysters (No Shucking Required!)

Are you an oyster fan like me? I love them any way oysters can be served – raw, fried, baked, grilled. As long as you shuck them, I’ll eat them! I do hate shucking oysters (I don’t even like asking Paul to do it!).

We love to go down to the Northern Neck of Virginia where locally farmed oysters are served and sold all year round, and pretty much everywhere. On a recent trip, we had dinner at a local restaurant who served baked oysters in oyster shell dishes like these…

The oysters were so delicious and I immediately started thinking about how to recreate this yumminess at home. On the way out of town a few days later, I picked up a pint of freshly shucked oysters. As I mentioned, oysters are easy to find year round on the Northern Neck. We tease that you can even find a them at the local 7-11. HA! Up here in Northern Virginia, you can often find a pint of fresh oysters at Whole Foods, or you ask the fishmonger at your local grocery store if they can order some for you!

I found the ceramic oyster shells on Amazon (of course!), and within a couple of days, I was making this delicious starter! It really is so easy, and such a crowd pleaser!

Baked Oysters (No Shucking Required!)

• 1 Pint of Freshly Shucked Oysters
• 1/2 Cup of Fresh Basil Pesto (see recipe below)
• 1/4 Cup of Shredded Asiago Cheese
• 2 T of Grated Pecorino Cheese

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.

Set your oyster dishes on a rimmed baking sheet with a baking mat to hold them in place. Place 1-3 oysters in each dish, depending on the size of the oyster. Top with a dollop of fresh pesto.

Sprinkle with freshly shredded Asiago cheese and grated Pecorino cheese.

Bake in the oven for 12-15 minutes. The cheese should be melted and slightly browned, any juices should be bubbly.

Let cool for a few minutes before transferring the dishes to a platter. I served with sliced baguette (great for dipping into the cheesy pesto goodness left in the dish).

These were a total hit, and they are so easy to make! Enjoy!

Homemade Basil Pesto

• 2 cups fresh basil leaves (packed into measuring cup)
• 3-4 cloves fresh garlic, peeled and sliced
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil (choose a a flavorful olive oil for pesto)
• 1/2 cup walnuts (you can also use pine nuts)
• 3/4 cup coarsely grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
• sea salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

1. Put basil leaves and sliced garlic into food processor that’s been fitted with the steel blade. Process until basil and garlic is finely chopped, adding oil through the feed tube as you process.
2. Add nuts, Parmesan cheese, and lemon juice to the chopped basil mixture and process 1-2 minutes more, until the pesto is mostly pureed and well mixed. (I like to keep it slightly chunky, but you can make it as finely pureed as you wish.)
3. Season to taste with salt and fresh ground black pepper and pulse a few times more.

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