Chad Vetter of City Tap House, on the left, with fellow chefs at the 2014 Hop Chef competition.
Credit: HughE Dillon
This football season, skip the hoagies and wings and cook up something more interesting, but still simple and fall-appropriate. “Tailgate food is all about the ease of making it,” says Chad Vetter, chef at City Tap House at 39th and Walnut. “I want to enjoy my friends — and beverages — when I’m enjoying a tailgate.”
Vetter, who lived in South Carolina before coming up to Philly, suggests giving your tailgate some Southern flare with roasted oysters — a popular tailgate choice down south that pares well with beer, he promises.
Follow his recipe to make your own.
Equipment:
• Portable flat-top grill or conventional grill with flat-top insert
• Burlap bags
• Oyster knives
The day before:
Buy and clean the oysters; spraying with a garden hose is easiest. Store in a cold place.
The day of:
• Soak the burlap bags in water.
• Heat the flat-top until it’s smoking hot.
• Dump the oysters on top of the flat-top and cover with wet burlap bags to steam them and keep all the wonderful oyster juices.
• When the oysters just begin to open, they’re done.
• Remove the oysters and enjoy with some melted butter and Crystal Hot Sauce.
Pro tip:
Pour beer on the flat-top when steaming the oysters to add more flavor, Vetter says. If you don’t have the right kind of grill, use a a turkey fryer with a steam basket — just a little water to the pot and bring it to a boil. Put the oysters in the seam basket and cover until they begin opening.
