Ina Garten's Foil Hack For Grilled Oysters Is Lowkey Genius

The smokiness and tenderness of grilled oysters make them a nice alternative to their raw counterparts. But it's hard to avoid a grilling disaster when your oysters are wobbling on the grates and tip over. Oysters getting stuck between the grates is as much of a headache as you can imagine. Luckily, Ina Garten has the easy fix with a foil hack to upgrade your grilled oyster game.

Simply lining the grates with foil before placing the oysters on top ensures they'll stay in their shell. The foil bed also holds in any oyster juices, allowing you to slurp this seafood delight in one fell swoop once grilled. It will be love at first bite when you use this trick to grill oysters as a warm appetizer.

While an oyster shell's job is to provide a nest for the briny meat, the curved bottom can be a blessing and a curse. It helps with shucking since you're able to cup the oyster in your palm while removing the top shell. However, for grilling this makes the shellfish more prone to wobbling if it's placed directly on the grates.

In a "Barefoot Contessa" episode clip, Garten uses a sheet of foil to create a steady grilling surface for oysters. The foil sheet needs to be large enough to fit all of the oysters, while leaving plenty of room between each one. The oysters are arranged on top of the foil so they're flesh side up and then left to grill. Using this hack, you won't need to constantly move the oysters around to prevent them from flipping over. Also, the foil keeps your post-grilling cleanup to a minimum.

Don't walk away from your oysters once they're settled in their foil bed. This shellfish cooks quickly as Garten allows hers to cook for two to three minutes. A key way to tell they're done is if any butter on top is melted and the edges are curled slightly. (No rubbery oysters over here.)

Carefully remove the oysters from the foil and transfer them to your serving plate. From there, serve those warm oysters right away with mignonette, fresh lemon, or hot sauce drizzled on top. Who knew all it took was a little bit of foil to help you become an oyster grilling pro? Well, it's the perfect excuse to fire up the grill and get your grilled oyster fix all year round.