I grew up eating lots of oysters. Daddy and Grandaddy had a secret spot somewhere on the Matanzas river north of where we lived. They would roast them on a rack over an open fire with wet gunny sacks over them to make them steam open. Stan did NOT grow up eating them. A few years ago a friend said she put raw oysters in a plate with a damp towel over them and microwaved them for about 3 minutes until they steamed open. Well, that was ok, but i wanted more then six or eight oysters. It finally came to me that I could basically do the same thing in the oven with lots more oysters!

Ingredients:

Unshucked oysters
Lemons wedges (optional)
Datil pepper sauce, Tabasco, or cocktail sauce (optional)
Saltine crackers (optional)

Directions:

Heat oven to 475 degrees. Scrub unshucked oysters well to remove any sand. Arrange oysters in a single layer in a 12-by-16-inch roasting pan fitted with a flat rack. Pour 1/3 inch of hot tap water into pan. Cover the oysters with clean very damp dishcloth or kitchen towel. Bake for 7 minutes, or until oyster shells have begun to open.

Using gloves or tongs, transfer oysters to a serving bowl or bucket. Use a glove or folded dishcloth and an oyster knife to open the oysters. Dress with your favorite condiments and serve with crackers, if desired. Personally, I like them straight out of the shell, undressed.