ASIAN-INSPIRED GRILLED OYSTERS

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp mirin (rice wine) or liquid honey
• 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
• 1 tsp finely chopped lemon grass stalk
• 1 tsp grated fresh ginger
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 1/4 tsp Sriracha sauce
• 12 large fresh oysters in the shell, rinsed and scrubbed
• 1/2 lime
• Chopped fresh cilantro*

Directions

1. Preheat natural gas barbecue on high heat for 10 - 15 minutes.
2. Combine soy sauce, mirin, garlic, lemon grass, ginger, oil and Sriracha sauce; set aside.
3. Discard any oysters that are not tightly closed. For each oyster, hold oyster, flat side up, with a folded towel. Place tip of an oyster knife near hinge at pointed end of shell. Carefully twist and push knife to bore into shell until it pops open. If shell crumbles, move knife a little further along side of shell and try again. Brush off any crumbled bits of shell. Using a sharp knife, carefully loosen oyster meat from top shell while removing top shell; discard top shell.
4. Spoon about 1/2 tsp of soy sauce mixture onto each oyster; set remaining soy sauce mixture aside. Place oysters on barbecue grid. With lid down, cook oysters until juices are bubbly and oysters are cooked through, about 4 - 6 minutes. Do not overcook.
5. Remove from heat. Spoon remaining soy sauce mixture onto oysters, dividing equally. Squeeze lime half over oysters. Sprinkle with cilantro. Serve oysters on their shells.