FOR THE LOVE OF OYSTERS

It’s National Oyster Day!       In New Orleans, I had oysters every which way: Bienville, Rockefeller, char-grilled, baked, and, of course, raw. But here in New England, we’re pretty proud of our oysters, and in Rhode Island alone, we’ve got a wide variety to choose from.               Fresh oysters deserve an amazing cocktail sauce, and my recipe kicks butt: lots of horseradish, lots of flavor, and a secret ingredient: vodka. Not only does it give it a kick, it keeps it from freezing solid, so I can keep the cocktail sauce in the freezer until I need it. Then, I just scoop it out like sorbet.       2 cups ketchup 4 tablespoons prepared horseradish 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce 1/2 teaspoon Frank’s Red Hot, or other hot pepper sauce 5 grinds of fresh black pepper 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon good quality vodka, like Tito’s   Combine all the ingredients. Store in a tight plastic container in the freezer.       Freshly shucked oysters with pickled red onion ice.       When I’m in Portland, Maine, I visit one of the best oyster bars in the country: Eventide. Besides some wickedly creative dishes, they consistently have a fantastic variety of fresh oysters to choose from. And they offer a variety of “accoutrements” to go with them: anything from a red wine mignonette to kimchee ice. My favorite is the pickled red onion ice. All you need is a shot glass with a freshly shucked oyster inside, a half-shot of chilled vodka on top, and some pickled red onion ice, and you’ve got the best oyster shooter on planet Earth. I even suggested the shooter to the manager at Eventide. It has yet to make it to the menu. (But I remain hopeful!)       An oyster shooter with pickled red onion ice. Bottoms up!       I’ve managed to come up with a pretty good version of the pickled red onion ice at home, and I serve it alongside my cocktail sauce.   2 large red onions 1 tablespoon sugar 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar       Peel and quarter the onions. Drop them in a medium-sized pot and cover with about a quart of water. Bring it to a boil and cook it down until it has reduced to a cup of concentrated onion water after straining.   Bring the strained onion water back to the stove, and on medium heat, add the sugar and vinegar, stirring. When the sugar dissolves, remove it from the heat and let it cool to room temperature before pouring it into a container and placing it in the freezer.   When it’s time to eat oysters, remove the block of red onion ice from its container, and, using a fine cheese grater, shave the ice over the top of the freshly shucked oysters and devour immediately! (It melts quickly.)