Oyster Plates and Baked Oyster Recipe

These Oyster Plates can be found at Aubergine Antiques.

Oyster plates serve a practical purpose as far as keeping the slippery mollusks from shooting across the table as you try to finagle the smooth creatures into your mouth. Some plates have deeper wells for serving oysters still in the shells, often with a layer of ice underneath.  These are the most rare, since the rough shell would regularly scratch the surface of the plate.

Fairhope Antiquery has a large selection of Oyster plates, including these on the wall. 

Oyster plates have become quite collectible over the years, and many times can be seen displayed  as art.

In our family, if we don't eat them raw, we usually like to grill or smoke our oysters in a casual outdoors setting and eat them as an appetizer while waiting on the main course - which is usually fish.

Maybe I'll start a collection of the oyster plates and make everyone come in to the dining room to sit and eat them in a more formal setting. We can save the fish for another day.

Here's a recipe for my favorite non-outdoor, fire-involving baked oysters.

Fairhope Supply Co. Baked Oysters

1 stick salted butter
1 fresh head of garlic, minced
2 teaspoons Worcestershire Sauce
1/2 cup olive oil
1 c. Parmesan Cheese, grated
1c.  breadcrumbs
Cayenne Pepper - to taste
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 Lemon
1 dozen oysters on the half shell or 1 pint pre-shucked oysters

Drain or shuck oysters, covering them in olive oil.  Melt butter with garlic and Worcestershire Sauce over low heat, stirring until garlic is cooked through.  Pour this mixture over oysters.  Mix breadcrumbs with Cayenne Pepper and coat each oyster with crumbs.  Sprinkle Parmesan Cheese and oregano over top and bake either in shells or in a casserole dish without shells at 400° for 12-15 minutes.

Serve with lemon wedges.

You can find a link to this story and other neat - o ideas at: Coastal Charm, The Dedicated House, Between Naps on the Porch, Smiling Sally, Farmhouse Porch, Mod Vintage Life, Savvy Southern Style, Primp Junktion, From My Front Porch to Yours, Cedar Hill Ranch, French Country Cottage Mockingbird Hill Cottage, The Honeysuckle Bus Stop and Stone Gable.