Oyster

Here, tomatillos become a brilliant green sauce for baked fish.

This recipe was created by chefs Slade Rushing and Allison Vines-Rushing of the Longbranch in Abita Springs, Louisiana. It's part of a special menu they created for Epicurious's Wine.Dine.Donate program.

Part of what makes this luxurious dish so delicious is that the spinach, artichokes, and oysters have a similar texture and the same soft, gentle flavors.

Earthy mushrooms are the base for a soup that also benefits from the saltwater essence of plump oysters.

Delicious when served hot, this pasta dish is made for the culinarily creative—feel free to use your favorite mushrooms for a recipe all your own.

Editor's Note: This recipe was originally part of a menu by Bobby Flay for a backyard barbecue. For the complete menu and Flay's tips on throwing a party, click here. I was taught to grill oysters on one of my trips to the Pacific Northwest. This is one of those dishes where organization is imperative. Because the oysters cook for only a few minutes, you've got to have the garnishes ready before you put the shells on the grill. The mango pico de gallo and the red chile horseradish are hot and sweet on your tongue. If you think that the red chile horseradish looks too spicy, don't worry, for the sweet mango provides just the right cooling sensation. The oysters actually "pop" when they are cooked and make for a great presentation.

There are many ways to stuff these iconic New Orleans sandwiches, but doing it with fried oysters is arguably the best. This preparation highlights the bivalves at their zenith, with all their briny juiciness retained inside a supercrisp cornmeal shell. The key to a really great sandwich is a smear of mayo, just a little lettuce, and loads of these delicious fried oysters.

Before tasting the oysters served by Tadashi Ono at New York's Matsuri, I was convinced that the best oyster is a naked one. But there is something magical about the way frozen ponzu brings out the sweetness of a plump oyster; add the crunch of tobiko and you have something absolutely extraordinary. In our version, we serve the oysters on a bed of seaweed to keep them flat and to retain their liquor. If you can't find seaweed, substitute a bed of uncooked sushi rice. Traditional ponzu (a soy citrus sauce) is made with fish stock (dashi), but we used a kelp broth instead because we found the stock too heavy.

Serve this with plenty of crusty bread.

In this elegant introduction to dinner, oysters are paired with Champagne grapes, whose sweet juice balances the sharpness of the vinegar in the mignonnette.

Oysters Rockefeller were created in 1899 by Jules Alciatore of Antoine's restaurant, in New Orleans, to make use of local shellfish and greens. Named for John D. Rockefeller, this classic first course is likewise rich. Though Louisiana oysters tend to be quite large, it's best to use small ones, such as Kumamoto or Prince Edward Island, for this recipe. The oysters themselves (not the shells) should be no more than 1 to 1 1/2 inches in diameter.

Use fresh oysters if you can; note that the recipe also tested well using oysters packed in jars. If the oysters are very large, cut them in half.

Inspired by Mostly Martha The Martha in this 2001 German film is a perfectionistic chef in Hamburg whose sister's death leaves her in charge of her young niece. At work, she is further shaken by the arrival of an irrepressibly charming Italian male chef.

This recipe sponsored by Black Swan Vineyards

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

A break from the standard salsa. This versatile condiment is good on crusty bread as an appetizer, and adds zip to flank steak or skirt steak for an entrée.