Wasabi-Yuzu Vodka Oyster Shooters Recipe

Oyster shooters aren't your typical order at, say, your local dive bar, unless your local dive also happens to be an oyster shack. No, these little boozy delicacies are more typical as an aperitif for fine dining, a sort of palette cleanser and light snack all in one. The concept is a simple one; a shucked oyster is eaten with typical accouterments, followed by a chaser of vodka and juice. This isn't exclusive to fancy restaurants, but is much more likely to be a special at a restaurant already serving plates of oysters and Bloody Marys.

Like the famously savory cocktail, oyster shooters tend to be served with tomato juice and horseradish. In this recipe written by developer Michelle McGlinn, the Bloody Mary concept takes inspiration from Japanese cuisine and swaps the tomato juice for yuzu and the horseradish for wasabi. It's spicy, sweet, and savory all at once — a flavor heaven in the space of a 2-ounce shot. And if you can shuck your own oysters, it's very easy to pull together, no steakhouse needed.

You will, of course, need oysters for this recipe. Even if you're in the midwest, like our developer, you should be able to find fresh oysters at a local fishmonger or Whole Foods. If you're still having a hard time — or are intimidated by shucking – you can try looking for half-shells in the packaged frozen aisle. Alternatively, you can buy oyster meat and drop them into the shot, forgoing the shell entirely (for this, we recommend using fresh, not canned).

For the mignonette, grab wasabi powder, shallot, and rice wine vinegar. If you're having a hard time finding wasabi and rice vinegar, try your local Asian market. You can also swap for wasabi paste if that is easier to find.

For the shooter, grab your favorite vodka, some simple syrup, and a bottle of yuzu extract. Yuzu extract will be tart, needing to be balanced by simple syrup. If you can only get your hands on a sweetened yuzu drink, omit the simple syrup. Then, grab a sprinkling of sesame seeds for topping.

To activate the wasabi, whisk it into the vinegar until the vinegar turns a pale green color, then whisk in the shallot. The longer this sits, the more sharply spicy it will be; for the best flavor, enjoy within an hour of making it. After this, the mignonette will be sinus-clearingly spicy and the shallot will have pickled (neither bad, but not for the faint of heart).

You can combine the liquids together in any container, but a measuring cup with a spout will be easiest for measuring and serving. Add in the vodka, simple syrup, and yuzu and stir to incorporate. Batching these saves you the time of pouring each shot individually — if you aren't planning to drink all 6 shots at once, the remaining cocktail can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks and enjoyed over ice, if desired.

To build an oyster shooter, pour 2 ounces of the yuzu mixture into a tall shot glass and place the shucked oyster on top. Spoon a teaspoon or two of wasabi mignonette into the oyster, making sure to include some shallot. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.

To eat, separate the oyster meat from the shell and tilt the contents of the shell into your mouth. Once eaten, wash it down with the yuzu mixture. Be careful with these — they're so good, you might forget there's still a shot of vodka in every glass.