• 16 fresh oysters
• 4 rounded tablespoons fresh white breadcrumbs
• 1-2 fresh red chillies
• 2.5 cm/1 in piece fresh ginger
• handful fresh coriander leaves
• 40 g/1½ oz butter

Open the oysters either by putting them on a tray in a moderate oven for a minute or two or in the normal way, with a short-bladed knife or special oyster knife. Throw away the top shell and pour any juices surrounding the oysters into a mixing bowl. Cut the oysters free from the shells but leave them in their half shells.

Put the breadcrumbs into the bowl with the oyster juices. Cut the chilli open lengthways under running water and discard the seeds and stem. Peel the ginger. Finely chop the chilli and ginger. Roughly chop the coriander leaves. Mix the chopped ingredients into the breadcrumbs. Gently melt the butter and pour it into the breadcrumb mixture, stirring it in thoroughly.

Heat the grill to its highest. Put a piece of crumpled foil in the grill pan so the oysters won’t tip over. Arrange the oysters on it and spoon the breadcrumb mixture on top of each one, covering them completely. Put them under the grill for 2 minutes, until the breadcrumbs are browned.