Best for: Night-market oysters, garlic first.
At coastal Chinese night markets, oysters are shucked to order, mounded with fried golden garlic and chile, and grilled in the shell until the liquor bubbles. Kao shenghao follows that formula exactly: the oyster barely cooks, the garlic does the talking, and everything happens in the half shell over charcoal.
Grill: Direct high heat over charcoal; 475°F. Equipment: Charcoal grill with a level grate, oyster knife, tongs, small skillet.
Ingredients
6 minutes. Total: 26 minutes.
- 12 fresh oysters in the shell, scrubbed
- 8 garlic cloves, finely minced (about 1/4 cup)
- 2 tablespoons neutral oil
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon Chinese chile flakes (or crushed red pepper flakes)
- 1/2 teaspoon sugar
- 2 scallions, thinly sliced
- Lemon wedges, for serving
Directions
Fry the garlic in the neutral oil in a small skillet over medium heat, stirring constantly, until pale golden, about 2 minutes. Pull it off the heat immediately — it keeps darkening — and stir in the soy sauce, chile flakes, and sugar.
Shuck the oysters, keeping them in the deep half of the shell with their liquor. Discard the top shells and set the oysters level so nothing spills.
Light the charcoal and heat the grill to 475°F with a level, stable grate.
Spoon about 1 teaspoon of the garlic mixture over each oyster.
Set the shells directly on the grate and grill for 4–6 minutes, until the liquor bubbles, the edges of the oysters curl, and the centers register 145°F.
Scatter with the scallions and serve at once in the shells, with the lemon wedges alongside.
Grilling tip: Golden, not brown, is the stop point for the garlic — browned garlic turns bitter and buries the oyster.
