Pigs in Blankets

A single-sentence campfire recipe with one real difficulty: bacon and oysters cook at very different rates. Everything below is aimed at getting the bacon crisp before the oyster turns to rubber.

• Par-cook the bacon firstThin bacon still needs three or four minutes over heat to render and crisp, while a shucked oyster is done in about two. Lay the rashers in a dry pan or on the grill until the fat has begun to run but the meat is still limp enough to wrap, then roll the oysters and finish them fast.
• "A very short time"Over glowing coals or under a hot broiler, that means roughly one to two minutes a side. The oyster is ready the moment its edges ruffle and it plumps; past that it tightens and squeaks against the teeth.
• Thin blanket, literallyUse standard thin-cut bacon, not thick-cut. A thick rasher will still be raw and flabby when the oyster inside is overcooked. One rasher, cut in half crosswise, wraps two oysters.
• The skewerWooden toothpicks over live fire burn through. Soak them in water for twenty minutes, or use metal skewers and thread three or four rolls onto each so they can be turned as a unit.
• Oysters"Big fat" means a large shucked oyster; trade grades such as select and extra-select vary by packer, so judge by size rather than by a fixed count. Drain them well on a towel first; surface liquor steams the bacon instead of letting it crisp.
• SeasoningThe bacon brings all the salt needed. Black pepper, a squeeze of lemon, or a dash of hot sauce after cooking is a common finish.
• YieldFigure three to four per person as an appetizer, or a dozen apiece if they are the main event around a fire. Serve them straight off the skewer while the fat is still hot.