Taste of the Tides

Dear friends of Southern Tides, Don Crum and Jamee Barnard, of Liberty County, shared this recipe for a tasty way to prepare oysters. The picture shows oysters from North Carolina, but can be made with any you prefer. If using Georgia clusters, try to select those with large flat shells.

INGREDIENTS Raw, unshucked oysters (12 per person) Baby spinach leaves, diced Green onion stems, diced Crumbled bacon (never, ever use fake!) 4/23/21 1:27 PM7 Cheese Italian Blend shredded cheese

DIRECTIONS • Shuck raw oysters, using care to retain as much natural brine (juice) as possible. • Leave oyster in shell. (Rock salt on a baking sheet will help stabilize oysters while preparing, or use a cooling rack for baked goods.) • Sprinkle a pinch of diced spinach on top of each oyster • Sprinkle each oyster with crumbled bacon, diced green onions, and shredded cheese. • These oysters can be cooked on the grill for a good smokey flavor, or in the oven for convenience. If cooking on grill, set shells directly on grate and close lid. Cook just long enough to melt cheese, which will heat oyster without over-cooking it. If cooking in oven, set temp to 400 and place shells on cookie sheet to avoid drips (rock salt can be left in pan, won't impact flavor). Still just cook long enough to melt cheese, unless you prefer your oysters cooked more. According to Don and Jamee, these go great on a saltine cracker with a dash of Crystal hot sauce.