Food and Recipes Recipes Broiled Oysters with Tasso Breadcrumbs The seafood lovers in your crowd will simply love this small-bite appetizer that goes big on flavor. Perfect for an upscale cocktail party, a gameday event filled with food and fun, or as an appetizer before the big holiday meal, these briny, buttery broiled oysters will be the hit of the appetizer table. Pair them with an assortment of party appetizers, such as classic deviled eggs or stuffed mushrooms, and welcome your guests to your party with a big-batch cocktail punch. It's important to make sure all your topping pieces are small so you can get a good amount and a good mix on each oyster. If they are too big, you'll miss out on the goodness of all the flavors mixed together. If you can't find tasso (a smoked, spiced, and cured pork that is the pride of south Louisiana cuisine) you can use andouille sausage. Toast any remaining breadcrumbs - or simply make a double batch -and top fried eggs, pastas, and main dish salads. By Emily Nabors Hall Emily Nabors Hall Emily Nabors Hall is a food stylist and recipe developer who has contributed regularly to Real Simple since 2015 as a member of the Dotdash Meredith Food Studios team. She works with several Dotdash Meredith brands, including Southern Living, Food & Wine, Rachel Ray In Season, and Meredith Premium Publishing titles. She lives in Birmingham, Alabama, with her husband and two children. Southern Living's editorial guidelines Updated on January 6, 2022 Print Share Share Tweet Pin Email Photo: Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall Active Time: 30 mins Total Time: 30 mins Servings: 6 Ingredients 4 to 5 thick slices day-old sourdough bread, crusts removed, bread torn into 1-inch pieces 3 tablespoons unsalted butter 4 ounces finely chopped pork tasso (about 1 cup) 1 bunch scallions, white parts finely chopped (about 1/4 cup) and green parts reserved 1 tablespoon chopped garlic (3 medium garlic cloves) ¾ teaspoon kosher salt ½ teaspoon black pepper ¼ cup lager beer (such as Miller Lite) 1 (4-lb.) pkg. rock salt 36 oysters on the half shell Lemon wedges and hot sauce, for serving Directions Preheat oven to broil with rack 6 inches from heat. Place bread pieces in a food processor, and pulse until biggest pieces are pea-size, 10 to 15 pulses. (You will need 3 cups of breadcrumbs.) Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high. Add breadcrumbs, pork tasso, white parts of scallions, garlic, kosher salt, and pepper. Cook, stirring often, until breadcrumbs begin to toast and tasso begins to brown, about 7 minutes. Add beer. Cook, stirring constantly, until beer has been absorbed by bread and mixture is moist but not wet, about 15 more seconds. Spread rock salt evenly on 2 rimmed baking sheets, and arrange oysters evenly on salt. Spoon about 1 tablespoon of breadcrumb mixture onto each oyster. Broil 1 pan at a time in preheated oven until breadcrumb mixture is golden brown, about 4 minutes. Thinly slice green parts of scallions; sprinkle over broiled oysters. Serve oysters hot with lemon wedges and hot sauce. Print