Why it works: Oyster and butter are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 12% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 8,184 recipes. Both carry 2,6-nonadienal, which smells cucumber, green. The science ↓
Oysters on the Shell
Ingredients
Directions
The book says “a hot oven”. The 400°F (200°C) in the steps is the modern equivalent, not the book's own figure.
Wash the oyster shells and place them on hot coals, a hot stove, or in a 400°F (200°C) oven.
Open the shells with an oyster knife, ensuring none of the liquor is lost.
Serve quickly on hot plates with toast.
For broiled oysters, drain and dry them with a napkin.
Heat a griddle and add butter.
Season the oysters and grill them until browned on both sides.
Serve on a hot plate with plenty of butter.
Transcribed from a scanned cookbook and modernised for today's kitchens. Where the book gave no heat or time, or said "a moderate oven", the temperatures and times here may be modern equivalents rather than the book's own figures.
Explore the science
The flavor team
The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.
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Oyster + buttertop 12% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together8,184 recipes
Shared aroma: 2,6-nonadienal (cucumber, green).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
More oysters on the half shell recipes
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