Grilled Oysters with Bacon Mignonette Sauce

I am an oyster lover! Nothing beats raw oysters on a hot summer day. But shucking them is another thing, lol. I've had a few oysters that I shucked with a unintentional "crunchy" garnish on top, (you know what I mean...shell pieces.) And it's not that tasty, so I keep it clean and grill them. You don't get the same cool smooth satisfaction that you get from the raw, but more of a substantial slightly smoky oyster that you can dress up a little.

• 1 dozen oysters
• 2 thick slices roasted bacon, minced
• 2 tablespoons minced red onion
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup white balsamic pear infused vinegar
• frisee lettuce
• lemon thyme leaves

In a sauce pan, heat up your bacon on low heat. You can find roasted bacon at any Polish deli, and it's really REALLY good and worth driving miles out of the way for, lol, really good. Once you have your bacon lightly browned, add in your red onion and saute until the onion is translucent. Add in your butter, stir until it melts and sizzles a little then add in your vinegar. Increase your heat on high and bring to a boil until it reduces, about 3 minutes, stir often and it reduces quickly, set aside. Heat up your grill to about 500 degrees and put your oysters directly on the grill. They open up quickly also, about 5 minutes. Once they open up, use tongs to get them off the grill, onto a plate. Use pot holders to handle them. One by one, with a knife in hand and a flick of a wrist, your oysters are completely opened and the top shell is separated. I moved the oysters to the shell half that has a natural curve to it, to hold some of the sauce. Place some frisee lettuce leaves down, arrange your oysters around the lettuce, drizzle the sauce over the plate and garnish with some lemon thyme leaves and enjoy!