White Zinfandel & Grilled Oysters

The scene is a holiday house party - a backyard full of friends and family laughing over tables piled high with delicacies, a fire roaring in the pit, and all of us gathered around a massive grill steaming with fresh, hot oysters. My grandfather stands by, a wine glass in hand with his favorite beverage, White Zinfandel, as he flips oysters and stokes the fire to keep it warm the whole long winter night. He’ll be the one to put it out too, and hose off the patio from all the oyster juices when everyone else has finally gone to bed.

At thirteen years old, I will always remember the first time I got my first taste of his favorite wine at the holiday party, sneaking off to refill some glasses for the adults and stealing a sip as I carried the glasses back. The sweet, tangy flavor stayed on my lips, where I savored it like a secret, as I brought back the wine glasses to the outside table, and then reached out to grab more appetizers from the plethora of treats. Nearby, the bonfire roared and next to it, my dad and grandad piled more oysters onto the grill, waiting for them to bust open in a burst of steam, using big prongs to pull them off to set them on a nearby table.

This was where all of the oysters were being shucked, their shells piled high in a big gallon bucket, the backyard smelling of sea salt and smoke. And every now and then, as he shucked open the oysters, my dad would call out to us “Got one!”, then me and my cousins would run over to see it, exclaiming over a little pearl from a freshly shucked oyster. We would take turns looking at it, sharing its magic... and afterward roll it around in our bare hands for the rest of the night, passing it around, delighting in the small treasure.

Every year up until my grandfather’s passing last year, our family hosted the annual oyster roast party for our family’s reunion, as well as a small gathering of our neighbors and friends on the block. Even as kids, me and my siblings clamored to be the first ones to taste the juicy oysters as they came smoked and dripping off the grill - slapping them onto a cracker and squealing at the slimy texture. So it is in honor of my beloved grandfather, Ed Hutchins, that I share his favorite holiday pairing: freshly grilled oysters with a glass of White Zinfandel wine.

The oysters have become a sacred symbol to me, of family and traditions, of happy gatherings and holiday festivities, and I hope you all enjoy this unique pairing from our home to yours.

How to enjoy:

1. Purchase some fresh oysters the day of, to be kept in ice until the grill is hot and ready.

2. Make sure to rinse them off before sticking them on the grill, just in case there’s any lingering dirt or sand, and space them apart enough you can pull them off.

3. Cover the grill with aluminum foil, to keep the oysters from falling between the grills. Optional to place a burlap bag on top of the aluminum foil as well.

4. Place oysters on the grill on high heat until they start to steam and open.

5. Wearing rubber gloves, pull them off the grill and start shucking! To shuck, insert an oyster shucking knife into the crack between the shells and pry it open.

6. Use the knife to slide your oyster out onto a plate or cracker (hot sauce optional, but recommended).

7. Pair with a bottle of chilled White Zinfandel wine, and enjoy!

Happy Holidays, and good luck with your shucking!

- Anji Kaizen