Baked Oysters with Breadcrumb Topping

Step 1

Preheat your oven to 450°F. Shuck the 12 oysters, reserving the deeper half of each shell and the oyster liquor. Place the oysters on a baking sheet lined with rock salt or crumpled foil to keep them steady.

Step 2

Finely dice the 1 small red bell pepper and mince the 2 garlic cloves. In a small bowl, mix the diced pepper, garlic, 1 cup breadcrumbs, 2 tbsp chopped parsley, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp black pepper.

Step 3

Melt the 4 tbsp butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Pour the melted butter over the breadcrumb mixture and stir until everything is evenly moistened.

Step 4

Spoon about 1 tablespoon of the breadcrumb mixture onto each oyster, pressing gently to cover the surface. Drizzle any remaining butter from the bowl over the tops.

Step 5

Bake the oysters for 10-12 minutes, until the breadcrumbs are golden brown and the oysters are just cooked through (they should look plump and slightly firm at the edges).

Step 6

Serve immediately, hot from the oven, with lemon wedges if desired.