Long Island Broiled Oysters

“As I ate the oysters with their strong taste of the sea and their faint metallic taste that the cold white wine washed away, leaving only the sea taste and the succulent texture, and as I drank their cold liquid from each shell and washed it down with the crisp taste of the wine, I lost the empty feeling and began to be happy and to make plans.”
― Ernest Hemingway, A Moveable Feast 

The Blue Point Oysters used in this recipe are farmed in the ocean waters of Long Island Sound off of places like Fishers Island and Copps Island where they are harvested from a unique blend of aquaculture and natural development. Hence the recipe name, "Long Island Broiled Oysters".
My husband loves raw oysters and he especially loves these baked oysters. This is not your typical Cooking On A Budget recipe. The oysters themselves are not ultra expensive ($8.99 for one dozen), however Gruyere cheese is expensive and with the other components this dish added in, I only make this for special occasions. You could replace the Gruyere cheese with some good Swiss cheese as those two cheese are very similar in taste to help bring the cost down some.
This recipe should yield enough topping for one dozen oysters. If you are planning a dinner party with close friends or family and want a wow appetizer this is the ticket.
The nice thing is, you can prepare these ahead of time keep them refrigerated until your guests arrive. Pull the tray out of the refrigerator and let them come to room temperature and when you are ready, pop them under the broiler.

• 12 oysters cleaned and shucked - leaving the oyster and any liquid in the shell. (Place the oysters on a  baking sheet and store in the refrigerator while preparing the topping.) For easier eating, slide your oyster knife under the oyster to remove both muscles.
• 3-4 strips of lean bacon
• 1/3 cup green bell pepper - finely diced
• 1/3 cup red bell pepper - finely diced
• 1/4 cup shallot or sweet onion - finely diced
• 1 cup grated Gruyere or Swiss Cheese

1. In a frying pan cook the bacon until it is crispy. Remove to drain on a paper towel.
2. Pour out some of the bacon fat and in the same pan, saute the onion and bell peppers until softened. Remove from the heat and cool down.
3. Mince the bacon with a sharp knife and add to the onion and pepper mixture. Mix well.
4. When you are ready, remove the sheet pan of oysters from the refrigerator.  Put some of the onion and bell pepper and bacon mixture on top of each oyster. Top the oysters with the grated cheese and they are ready to go under a broiler.
5. Broil the oyster just until the cheese has melted to your liking and the oysters are warmed through. Takes just a few minutes or so.

Some of the topping in each.

Shredded Gruyere on each.

Your guests will be blown away with this appetizer.