Boulud loves to celebrate Thanksgiving in his adopted homeland, but “let’s not kid ourselves,” he says. “Turkey is bland. You need bacon, spices.” His simple oyster recipe puts the focus on the briny mollusk.

Ingredients

1 cup distilled vinegar
cup sugar
¾ cup shallots, cut in 1/8-inch dice
24 oysters (Malpeque, Winter Point, or Glidden Point)
¾ cup cucumber, cut into 1/8-inch dice
2 tablespoons sliced chives
4 tablespoons chopped dill, plus fronds for garnish
Salt and ground white pepper
1 cup Greek yogurt

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine the distilled vinegar and sugar in a small saucepan; bring to a simmer. Remove from the heat, add the shallots, and set aside for 1 hour.

Scrub the oysters well, and transfer to a baking sheet. Bake for 2 minutes, and remove immediately. Open the oysters, remove the top shell, and run a knife under the oyster to cut the muscle, taking care not to spill the juice. Set the oysters on a flat tray covered with crumpled aluminum foil to keep the oysters level and hold their juices. Chill until ready to serve.

Strain the shallots, and mix with the cucumber, chives, and 2 tablespoons dill; season to taste with salt and pepper.

Mix the yogurt with the remaining dill in a small bowl, and season to taste with salt and pepper. To assemble, top each oyster with a spoonful of the cucumber-shallot relish and finish with 1/2 teaspoon of the yogurt-dill sauce. Garnish with a dill frond. Serve 3 oysters per guest.

(Published 2009)