Champagne Oysters

Directions

1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Shucking oysters is something that does require finesse. Buy them only from a reputable seafood purveyor, who you trust to only sell fresh oysters. If possible, get that person to shuck the oysters for you. However, it isn't impossible to do it yourself.
2. If you are right handed (opposite true for lefties), place a thick dishtowel in the center of your left hand, and place the hinge of one oyster into the palm of the towel wielding hand. If you don’t have an oyster knife in your crappy little kitchen, not to worry. Take a butter knife (not a paring knife – you will cut yourself!), and insert the tip between the 2 shells against the little protrusion, and while applying firm pressure, wiggle the blade between the shells. Once the shells are pried apart, take your paring knife and carefully separate the top shell from the bottom one holding the oyster. Run the knife along the bottom shell, cutting through the two muscles and free the oyster, but leave it in the shell. Repeat with the remaining 11 oysters.
3. While you wait for the liquid to reduce, place the oysters on the half shell on a baking sheet. If they are rounded enough that they might tip over, put a small pile of rock salt under each shell to keep them level. Put the oysters in the oven and roast for 5 minutes. When you take them out of the oven be careful not to lose any of the juice inside the shells.
4. Turn the heat on your reduced Champagne down to low. Slowly (a tablespoon at a time) whisk the butter into the reduced Champagne. Whisk quickly in order to emulsify the butter and Champagne, and remove from the heat. Season to your taste with salt.
5. Fill a serving tray with rock salt and arrange the oysters on top. Spoon about a teaspoon of Champagne butter sauce over each oyster on the half shell, and top with a strip of chive at an angle over the oyster like a sword. Serve immediately.