Broiled Oysters with Buttery Breadcrumbs

Serves 8
Because you’ll be broiling these, serve them alongside your hors d’ouevres when guests arrive. As soon as they’re served, preheat the oven for the pork loin roast.

• 16 local oysters
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup deli mustard

First, rinse the oysters to remove any sand from the shells.

Once rinsed of sand, steam the oysters in a steamer basket placed over a pot of simmering water until their shells just pop open.

Allow the oysters to cool so that they can be handled safely, then pull the shells apart, remove the oyster from the shell and place the oyster in the curved half of the shell.

Place the oysters on their shells on a 10-by-15-inch rimmed baking sheet.

While the oysters are steaming, melt the butter in a large sauté or frying pan, then stir in the mustard,sprinkle in the thyme, then add the breadcrumbs.

Stir the breadcrumbs into the melted butter mixture in order to coat the breadcrumbs with butter, which will take about 1 minute.

Remove the breadcrumbs from the heat, and season them with salt and pepper.

Raise your oven rack to the second position from the top. Preheat the broiler.

Top each oyster with the breadcrumb mixture.

Place the oysters under the broiler, and broil until the breadcrumbs are golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes.

While the oysters are in the oven, arrange a bed of greens on a serving platter.
Remove the oysters from the oven, use tongs or a serving spoon to place them on the platter, and serve them with wedges of lemon.