There are so many different ways to prepare oysters – steamed, roasted, raw and even planked. For this recipe, we decided to call in the big guns, our friend Eileen Duffy with Edible East End.

I’ve cooked shellfish before on the grill, but had never tried to smoke them. So when my friends at Wildwood Grilling asked me to participate in the 30-day plank challenge and oysters were on the list, I grabbed it. Oysters “R” in season in January and, where I live, on the East End of Long Island, we have great oysters in our bays. It’s not often you come across hand-dug oysters, because oyster farms are proliferating, and these guys were big and fat.

I cheated a bit from the original recipe because I wanted to use what was left in my herb garden, and I wanted to make homemade mayo, which I do with my immersion blender. The mayo had some Sriracha and made for a creamy complement to the smoky oysters. The lemon-butter Italian parsley topping added a herby freshness.
But next time, I’m going to have to find someone to open them for me. It took forever!