“One of our most requested recipes is this simple one for roasted oysters,” says chef/owner Steven Anderson, noting that the Westcott Bay petite oysters they use are raised on the opposite side of San Juan Island from them. “To our mind, they may be the best oysters in the world.” You can use any small Northwest oyster – such as Kumamotos – and the results will be equally dazzling.

Oysters in the shell are typically sold by the dozen; the extra four can be a special half-shell treat raw before dinner starts, or just roast them up with the others to share among your guests. In place of the rock salt for lining the baking sheet, you can use foil: cut a piece about twice as long as the baking sheet and loosely crumple it up to fit in the baking sheet, then press the oyster shells down into the crumpled foil to sit securely.

1/4 cup hazelnuts Rock salt, for serving bed 1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, or any other hard Italian cheese 1 1/2 teaspoons chopped basil 1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice 1/2 teaspoon chopped garlic 1/2 teaspoon anise liqueur such as Pernod or Sambuca (optional) 32 petite oysters, preferably Westcott Bay

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Scatter the hazelnuts in a baking pan and toast in the oven until lightly browned and aromatic, 8 to 10 minutes, gently shaking the pan once or twice to help the nuts toast evenly. Transfer the nuts to a lightly dampened dish towel and wrap it around the nuts. Let sit until partly cooled, then rub the nuts in the towel to help remove the papery skin. Let the hazelnuts cool completely before continuing.

Increase the oven temperature to 475°F. Cover a rimmed baking sheet with a layer of rock salt about 1/2 inch deep.

Put the cooled hazelnuts in a food processor and pulse to chop them finely. Add the butter and process until well blended. Add the Parmesan, basil, lemon juice, garlic, and anise liqueur. Process well to blend thoroughly, scraping down the sides of the bowl once or twice to assure a smooth mixture.

Shuck the oysters and discard the top shells, being careful to remove any bits of shell form the oyster. Be sure to cut each oyster loose from the bottom shell. Set the oyster shells on the prepared pan, nestling them gently into the salt so the shell edge is even and butter won’t ooze out during roasting.

Top each oyster with a teaspoon of the hazelnut butter and roast the oysters until the butter is golden brown and bubbling, 8 to 10 minutes. Carefully arrange the oysters on individual plates, either perched on more rock salt or on enough greens to hold the oysters upright to keep the juices in, and serve right way.

Makes 8 appetizer servings or 4 main-course servings