Photo by J. Aaron Trotman

Winter: Roasted Oysters with White Truffle Oil and Romano SERVES FOUR • 2 Dozen Oysters, rinsed well • 4 Tablespoons Butter, melted • 1/2 Teaspoon White Truffle Oil • 1/3 Cup Romano Cheese Shavings (best accomplished with a carrot peeler) • Kosher Salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Remove top shell from oysters* while letting oyster and liquor remain on bottom shell. Pour Kosher salt into two large baking pans to a depth of about one inch and place oysters on top of the salt. Stir together truffle oil and butter and spoon a little over each oyster. Top each with a few shavings of Romano and season with freshly ground black pepper. Bake for about five minutes.

These are excellent served with well-chilled good vodka.

* (OK, I cheat on this: to make opening oysters easier, I bake them whole for about three minutes and then open them. If you prebake the oysters, reduce your final cooking time to three minutes.)