New cooks making soul food.
Posts tagged oysters
BBQ Oysters from Drake’s Bay
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What’s better than barbecued oysters, Sonoma Chardonnay and a West Coast Sunset? Not much. The great thing about Pacific oysters is that they really don’t have an off-season (months without R’s) like the east coast oysters. This is because the water stays colder and in the case of Drake’s Bay, Tomales Bay, Point Reyes, Washington state etc, they can actually lower the oysters into deeper, colder water when the warm, early Fall months hit the West Coast. So when the Altantic oysters get milky these osyters are still briny and amazing.
That said, “sans-R” months where I’m from in South Carolina mean BBQ’d oysters. And although, “raw, on the half” is my favorite way to eat oysters, barbecued oysters are not be missed. That’s why I was excited to barbecue these Drake’s Bay oysters on the houseboat in Sausalito. As you can see, these babies are big. It takes a brave soul to sidle up to a plate of these big’uns at a raw bar. Enter at you’re own peril, in other words. However, these cooked oysters shrink up nicely when you cook them in the shell, which makes them much more manageable going down.
Smoked Barbecued Oysters with Mignonette Sauce
No mysteries here for this technique. Gather a dozen or so large, raw oysters and carefully shuck them to retain as much of the oyster liquor (liquid) as you can. Set up a grill for indirect cooking giving you a hot and cool zone (charcoal: coals on one side; gas: light one side of the grill, duh). Soak some of your favorite hardwood chips in warm water just as you light the grill so they’ll be ready when you need them.
Place the oysters close together on the cold side of the grill: Ever.So.Gently. We don’t want to lose any of that liquor! Drizzle some of your favorite BBQ sauce on each oyster with a spoon or a silicone brush. Add a handful of your soaked chips to the hot coals, cover, and let the briny, smoky magic happen. These took roughly 10 minutes for medium well-ish oysters. Your mileage may vary. You’re looking for a little shrinkage while still leaving some of that delicious BBQ-y, briney nectar still in the shell. I eat them whole, but some people prefer to use a fork. I also prefer the flinty snap of a Chalk Hill Chardonnay with this dish, but a cold IPA would go just as well.
Mignonette Sauce
No rocket science here. Minced shallot (brunoised, if you got that swagger like Escoffier) goes into a glass mixing bowl with a light vinegar (champagne, rice wine etc), pinches of sugar, salt and cracked black pepper (to taste) are added then whisked. Serve room temp with your Q’ued bivalved mollusks. If you have any stories from Point Reyes or Hog Island, let me know!
Oysters On the Half Shell at J’s in Portland ME
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Oysters on the Half Shell at J’s Oyster in Portland Maine.
When you think of New England you think cold weather, cold water, cold interesting people and fresh, delicious seafood. That’s why when I was recently in Portland ME, I naturally found myself at a mother shuckers paradise of bi-valve heaven: J’s Oyster. At J’s, simplicity is the rule. You want oysters? You get an icy plate with a dozen, shucked, a plastic ramekin of cocktail sauce, wedge of lemon and little teeny plastic fork. Simple. Easy. No mignonette or silverware picks or fancypants accouterments to get in your way of briny oyster goodness. Beers are cold, steamers are hot (and ridiculously good on a cold Maine day) and the prices are very reasonable for a creek-side fish shack. Next time your Down East and looking for some wicked good shellfish, give J’s a try.
