Oven-Roasted Oysters
Crank the oven to 425 degrees. Fill a baking pan halfway with rock salt.

Rinse the oysters free of mud and sand and set them aside. Do not dry — in the hot oven, the excess moisture will create steam that loosens the hinge muscle, making the oyster easier to open.

Place pan in preheated oven until the rock salt is crazy hot, about 15 minutes.

Place the damp oysters, deep-cup-side down, on the hot rock salt. (Don't overcrowd, as they need air circulation.) Return pan to oven to roast until the tension on the hinge seals is released and the oyster is slightly open, 6 to 8 minutes. Discard any that do not open at all.

Working one by one and using a folded kitchen towel, hold each oyster level (so you don't lose any liquid) and open with an oyster knife (or, in a pinch, we've used a paring knife, with care).

First, hold the knife curved-side down, tracing the upper shell, cutting the adductor muscle, and removing the top shell.

Then go curved-side up along the bottom, again severing the adductor.Many oyster knivesare gently curved in order to follow the shape of the shell. It is an easy process.

Leave the oyster sitting in the bottom shell and serve with a drop of hot sauce — Louisiana Crystal brand is mild enough to let the flavor of the oyster shine through — or sriracha. You can also add a dot of cocktail sauce (recipe below).

Cocktail Sauce
Serve the sauce in small portions, keeping back-up containers in the refrigerator so the sauce is always fresh and cold. Small (about 2-ounce) white porcelain ramekins (like miniature soufflé dishes) will work. They are often sold in multi-packets at kitchen supply stores and are also useful for individual servings of jam, syrup, or salt. —Francine Maroukian

• 12-ounce jar Heinz chili sauce
• 3 tablespoons grated white horseradish (or more if you are stout-hearted), available in refrigerated jars at the supermarket
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

Combine all the ingredients in a small mixing bowl. Refrigerate the sauce until ready to use and serve cold, cold, cold.

Makes about 1 1/2 cups (and keeps well in the refrigerator).

Recipe courtesy of Chef Bryan Caswell, Reef and El Real, Houston via Esquire.com
https://www.esquire.com/food-drink/food/how-to/a12...