Come October, locals all along North Carolina's coast are thinking about one thing: salty oysters. Wild oyster season usually starts around October 15, and that means oyster roast time. 

While steamed oysters are often served at events called "oyster roasts," a true oyster roast means cooking the shellfish on a flat metal surface over a fire. That surface might be an old piece of corrugated metal laid over a firepit. Sometimes, a fine metal grate is placed over a makeshift grill fashioned from stacked cinder blocks.

For a quick fix, locals roast oysters in the oven. As the shellfish cook, they fill the kitchen with a deliciously salty aroma that brings everyone to the table. Set out traditional accompaniments like saltine crackers, cocktail sauce, hot sauce, melted butter and lemon to serve with the oysters. Coastal N.C. locals love a few drops of vinegar on their oysters.

We checked in with Outer Banks native and cookbook author Sharon Peele Kennedy for this recipe. 

Plan on at least a dozen oysters per person as an appetizer, up to three dozen per person for meal. Use two pans for a crowd. That way you can set one on the table and have another one going in the oven. Be careful. Oysters shells come out of the oven too hot to handle. Make sure everyone has a hand towel and heat-proof glove for shucking. 

North Carolina Roasted Oysters

1-3 dozen fresh oysters, depending on the number of folks