Some call them an aphrodisiac -- we call them just plain good. Whether you have a fantastic mignonette or know a great way to roast oysters, we want to hear about it. And make sure to tell us which are your favorite varieties!
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Six simple ingredients: cilantro, Sriracha, shallot, lime, oysters and butter.
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Cilantro and Lime await Merrill's knife. Amanda awaits something to do.
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Butter, meet Sriracha. It will pep you up.
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Lime, you are not going to win this battle.
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Lime juice, flecked with cilantro, because we forgot to rinse the tablespoon beforehand. We got a D in food-styling class.
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Mashing up the butter with the cilantro, shallot, Sriracha, salt and lime juice, which refused to blend into the butter.
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Mashing is always more fun when Merrill is telling jokes.
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Clean, shucked oysters are hard to improve, but they're about to be transformed into something amazing.
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Dabbing on the butter.
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First dibs!
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Amanda consults the menu, while Kristen works on the Wildcard winner and Merrill...well, not really sure what Merrill's doing.
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Ah, the magic of Wondra. Think they've updated this can since 1976?
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Wondra mixed with cayenne and a little s&p. As we discovered, the texture is almost sandy.
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The saffron immediately begins staining the boiling water yellow, releasing its fragrance.
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An egg yolk serves as the emulsifier for the aioli.
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A brief pause to check the other oysters, which are under the broiler.
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Whisking aioli is a two-person job.
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When one person's arm gets tired, you just switch places!
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A spritz of lemon, and some salt and pepper...
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...and you've got a saffron aioli good enough to eat with a spoon.
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Make sure to drain the oysters well before you dredge them, or the liquid will cause them to sputter in the hot oil.
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Plump little oysters, with their sandy coating.
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Carefully dropping each oyster, one by one, into the scalding oil.
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Amanda regards the sputtering oysters with an air of slight disapproval. Notice that Merrill -- who has harbored a fear of deep-frying ever since nearly burning down her kitchen several years ago -- is nowhere to be seen.
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Two or three minutes is all these little guys need.
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