Ceylon Curry of Oysters

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons butter or coconut oil
• 4 small shallots
• finely chopped
• 1 clove garlic
• minced
• 1/2 serrano or Thai chili
• seeded and minced
• 1 tablespoon curry powder
• 1 large pinch turmeric
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 3 cloves
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 cup coconut milk
• Salt
• 12 oysters
• shucked
• liquor reserved
• Juice of 1/2 lemon

Instructions

1. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter.
2. Add the shallots, garlic and chili, and saute until softened and starting to brown, 2 to 3 minutes.
3. Stir in the curry powder, turmeric, cinnamon stick, cloves and bay leaf and cook for 1 minute.
4. Reduce heat to low and add the coconut milk and 1/2 teaspoon salt.
5. Simmer for 3 minutes.
6. Add the oysters and their liquor; simmer until the oysters are just firm, 3 to 4 minutes.
7. Take the pan off the heat and add lemon juice and salt to taste.
8. Serve over rice -- the rice in the fish recipe that follows would go well -- or on hoppers (see the recipe at nytimes.com/magazine).