You can’t argue with tradition, but you can update it. The cocktail sauce is also great with cold poached shrimp.

Ingredients

Cocktail Sauce

　　1 ripe tomato, coarsely chopped

　　1 celery stalk, coarsely chopped

　　1/2 onion, coarsely chopped

　　2 tablespoons grated fresh or prepared horseradish

　　Juice of 1 lemon

　　2 teaspoons Tabasco sauce

　　1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

　　1 shot pepper vodka

　　1 teaspoon celery seed

　　Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

　　24 oysters

　　1/4 cup chopped celery leaves, for garnish

　　1/4 cup minced fresh chives, for garnish

　　Combine the cocktail sauceingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Shuck the oysters according to the sidebar on page 220. Spoon the cocktail sauce over the raw oysters on the half shell. Garnish with the chopped celery leaves and chives.

　　Reprinted with permission from Tyler Florence's Real Kitchen by Tyler Florence. © 2003 Clarkson Potter