Thread: Raw Oysters

Mark Thorson <[email protected]> wrote:

>I'm expecting hot weather today, so I'm not planning
>to cook anything until the evening. I took a look
>at the oyster tank at the nearby Asian market, and
>I found a really big one. At only $0.69, it seemed
>like a great deal. I could eat it raw, so that
>would not heat up the house.

>This time, to avoid self-inflicted injury, I opened
>it by attacking the hinge with a large screwdriver
>and mallet. I really had to beat on that thing
>before I could get it open, but I finally won.
>
>This might be the last oyster I ever eat. It was
>okay, but I'm not sure I really appreciate raw
>oyster. I'd much rather eat steamed clams.


Buying tanked seafood from in Asian market is in no
way representative of good seafood.

You want an oyster, buy one that has been living in its
native coastal environment, not in a tank. Generally
in my experience you want a Pacific Northwest oyster,
the further north the better, the closer to the source
the better, and you want it between November and March.

Oysters from California or the gulf can be okay but are
not as good, and it goes downhill from there.

Steve

Mark Thorson wrote:
>
> Anyone have any other suggestions for cooking
> oysters?

Bake them in a hot oven until the shells open, then serve with
cocktail sauce.

Shake in a Ziploc bag with pancake flour and s&p. and deep fry. Drain
on paper towels.

Fix an oyster stew:

1/2 stick butter
1 pint shucked oysters with their liquor
1/4 cup dry white wine
1 tsp. fine herbes seasoning
2 - 3 drops hot pepper sauce
1 quart half and half
Salt and pepper to taste
Butter for topping (about 1 tsp. per serving)
Old Bay, for topping

Melt butter in 3 - 4 quart pan. Add oysters with liquor, wine and
fine herbes. Simmer until edges of oysters curl, about 5 minutes.
Add liquid hot pepper sauce and half and half. Season to taste with
salt and pepper. Heat slowly, being careful not to let mixture come
to a boil. Serve in bowls topped with butter and Old Bay.

And my all-time favourite:

OYSTERS CASINO

3 slices bacon, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
1 small stick celery, chopped
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
6 drops Worcestershire sauce
4 drops hot sauce
1/4 teaspoon seafood seasoning (e.g., Old Bay)
1 pint shucked oysters, drained

Fry bacon until partially cooked. Add onion and celery and cook until
tender. Add lemon juice and seasonings.
Arrange oysters in a single layer in a foil-lined shallow baking pan.
Spread bacon mixture over oysters.
Bake at 400 degrees F. until edges of oysters begin to curl, about 10
minutes.
Makes about 3 dozen appetizers.

Would you like any more, Mark? I'm from oyster country and have a
slew.

Dora

"Mark Thorson" wrote

> I'm expecting hot weather today, so I'm not planning
> to cook anything until the evening. I took a look
> at the oyster tank at the nearby Asian market, and
> I found a really big one. At only $0.69, it seemed
> like a great deal. I could eat it raw, so that
> would not heat up the house.

Hehehe how good depends on the particular market. Mine is very good.

> This might be the last oyster I ever eat. It was
> okay, but I'm not sure I really appreciate raw
> oyster. I'd much rather eat steamed clams.

Not all like them! I'm not that fond of them either. I prefer steamed.

What I do is wash (scrub) then steam them open (ones that dont open are
tossed but I don't have that often as my market is a good one). Then, I add
them to dashi soup with miso, spinach and a little knob of ginger. Shell
and all, it looks rather pretty.

"Steve Pope" wrote
> Mark Thorson wrote:

>>to cook anything until the evening. I took a look
>>at the oyster tank at the nearby Asian market, and
>>I found a really big one. At only $0.69, it seemed
>>like a great deal. I could eat it raw, so that
>>would not heat up the house.

> Buying tanked seafood from in Asian market is in no
> way representative of good seafood.

Steve, depends on the market and they arent getting 'live oysters shipped
from China' there.

My local place is very good. Sorry if your local one isnt good.

On Jul 11, 12:33*pm, Mark Thorson <nos...@sonic.net> wrote:
> I'm expecting hot weather today, so I'm not planning
> to cook anything until the evening. *I took a look
> at the oyster tank at the nearby Asian market, and
> I found a really big one. *At only $0.69, it seemed
> like a great deal. *I could eat it raw, so that
> would not heat up the house.
>
> This time, to avoid self-inflicted injury, I opened
> it by attacking the hinge with a large screwdriver
> and mallet. *I really had to beat on that thing
> before I could get it open, but I finally won.
>
> This might be the last oyster I ever eat. *It was
> okay, but I'm not sure I really appreciate raw
> oyster. *I'd much rather eat steamed clams.
>
> If I do eat oysters in the future, I think I'll
> cook them. *I've smoked them on the BBQ before
> and those came out great. *The abductor muscle
> becomes really tough, but the rest of the flesh
> takes on a very nice texture -- firmer than raw,
> but still very tender like a block of cream cheese.
> Chilled and then sliced, it's great.
>
> Anyone have any other suggestions for cooking
> oysters?

Mmmm! Raw oysters!! Used to get 'em for $0.25 each at Nantucket Cove,
a little seafood restaurant in the CWE near where I used to live. Me
and my housemate Jim would go down there and sit at the bar and have
wine and raw oysters. Good times!

John Kuthe...

Mark Thorson wrote:

> I'm not sure I really appreciate raw
> oyster. I'd much rather eat steamed clams.


I'd take steamed clams or raw littlenecks.
I used to eat raw oysters from Chesapeake
when we'd visit family outside of DC but now
raw oysters have a nasty texture to me.
I won't describe it more graphpically than
that because I don't want to put folks off
their food.


>
> If I do eat oysters in the future, I think I'll
> cook them. I've smoked them on the BBQ before
> and those came out great. The abductor muscle
> becomes really tough, but the rest of the flesh
> takes on a very nice texture -- firmer than raw,
> but still very tender like a block of cream cheese.
> Chilled and then sliced, it's great.
>
> Anyone have any other suggestions for cooking
> oysters?

About the only way I can eat them at all these days
is battered, rolled in cracker crumbs and fried.
They firm up and have a creaminess that's not bad.
I am cautious about any undercooked seafood these days
because you really don't know where it came from unless
you harvest it yourself, and there are so many pathogens
in our coastal waters.

gloria p

cshenk <[email protected]> wrote:

>"Steve Pope" wrote

>> Buying tanked seafood from in Asian market is in no
>> way representative of good seafood.

>Steve, depends on the market and they arent getting 'live oysters shipped
>from China' there.

>My local place is very good. Sorry if your local one isnt good.

Well, I've encountered only bad seafood from those tanks.

I also notice that, with a few specific exceptions, high-end
restaurants and fish markets do not keep seafood in tanks.
(Those excpetions are lobsters and crabs, which are kept live in
tanks, in and out of water respectively).

I have never, ever encountered a good seafood restaurant
or a good seafood retailer keeping oysters in tanks.
I'm not saying it's for sure meritless but it's not
the way people who make it their business to serve good
oysters do it.

Steve

On Sun, 11 Jul 2010 17:38:45 +0000 (UTC), [email protected]
(Steve Pope) wrote:

>Mark Thorson <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>>I'm expecting hot weather today, so I'm not planning
>>to cook anything until the evening. I took a look
>>at the oyster tank at the nearby Asian market, and
>>I found a really big one. At only $0.69, it seemed
>>like a great deal. I could eat it raw, so that
>>would not heat up the house.
>
>>This time, to avoid self-inflicted injury, I opened
>>it by attacking the hinge with a large screwdriver
>>and mallet. I really had to beat on that thing
>>before I could get it open, but I finally won.
>>
>>This might be the last oyster I ever eat. It was
>>okay, but I'm not sure I really appreciate raw
>>oyster. I'd much rather eat steamed clams.
>
>
>Buying tanked seafood from in Asian market is in no
>way representative of good seafood.
>
>You want an oyster, buy one that has been living in its
>native coastal environment, not in a tank. Generally
>in my experience you want a Pacific Northwest oyster,
>the further north the better, the closer to the source
>the better, and you want it between November and March.
>
>Oysters from California or the gulf can be okay but are
>not as good, and it goes downhill from there.
>
>Steve

All west coast oysters are native to Japan. The best oysters are from
the North Atlantic. There are plenty of same day harvested oysters
available from Lung Guyland fish mongers.

These are excellent too: http://www.nedsislandoysters.com

This is very good:
http://www.chow.com/recipes/10453-co...yster-stuffing

"Steve Pope" wrote
> cshenk wrote:

>>> Buying tanked seafood from in Asian market is in no
>>> way representative of good seafood.
>
>>Steve, depends on the market and they arent getting 'live oysters shipped
>>from China' there.
>
>>My local place is very good. Sorry if your local one isnt good.
>
> Well, I've encountered only bad seafood from those tanks.

Thats unfortunate.

> I also notice that, with a few specific exceptions, high-end
> restaurants and fish markets do not keep seafood in tanks.
> (Those excpetions are lobsters and crabs, which are kept live in
> tanks, in and out of water respectively).

You do not see them or they buy from those who have them and cook same day.

> I have never, ever encountered a good seafood restaurant
> or a good seafood retailer keeping oysters in tanks.
> I'm not saying it's for sure meritless but it's not
> the way people who make it their business to serve good
> oysters do it.

You have not experienced it is all.

Live clams and oysters for example are best kept in live running water
tanks.

On Sun, 11 Jul 2010 10:33:47 -0700, Mark Thorson <[email protected]>
wrote:

> I'm expecting hot weather today, so I'm not planning
> to cook anything until the evening. I took a look
> at the oyster tank at the nearby Asian market, and
> I found a really big one. At only $0.69, it seemed
> like a great deal. I could eat it raw, so that
> would not heat up the house.
>
> This time, to avoid self-inflicted injury, I opened
> it by attacking the hinge with a large screwdriver
> and mallet. I really had to beat on that thing
> before I could get it open, but I finally won.

If you open them from the hinge, you should never have to beat on it.
All you need is a little leverage and it pops open.
>
> This might be the last oyster I ever eat. It was
> okay, but I'm not sure I really appreciate raw
> oyster. I'd much rather eat steamed clams.
>
> If I do eat oysters in the future, I think I'll
> cook them. I've smoked them on the BBQ before
> and those came out great.

They are the *best* and you cook them as little as possible. Just
until they "pop" open slightly. Makes the meat fairly
rare/raw/uncooked, just the way I like it. All it needs is a squirt
of lemon and a dash of hot sauce, then down the hatch.


> The abductor muscle
> becomes really tough, but the rest of the flesh
> takes on a very nice texture -- firmer than raw,
> but still very tender like a block of cream cheese.
> Chilled and then sliced, it's great.
>
> Anyone have any other suggestions for cooking
> oysters?

Chop up the oyster(s) and saute the pieces quickly in a pan of real
butter and more garlic than you think you'd ever eat in a lifetime.
Serve on slices of baguette. Eat standing up, over the pan is
preferable. <slobber>

--
Forget the health food. I need all the preservatives I can get.

cshenk <[email protected]> wrote:

>"Steve Pope" wrote

>> cshenk wrote:

>>>> Buying tanked seafood from in Asian market is in no
>>>> way representative of good seafood.

>>>Steve, depends on the market and they arent getting 'live oysters shipped
>>>from China' there.

>> Well, I've encountered only bad seafood from those tanks.

>Thats unfortunate.

>> I also notice that, with a few specific exceptions, high-end
>> restaurants and fish markets do not keep seafood in tanks.
>> (Those excpetions are lobsters and crabs, which are kept live in
>> tanks, in and out of water respectively).

>You do not see them or they buy from those who have them and cook same day.

I am not sure why you would say this.

>> I have never, ever encountered a good seafood restaurant
>> or a good seafood retailer keeping oysters in tanks.
>> I'm not saying it's for sure meritless but it's not
>> the way people who make it their business to serve good
>> oysters do it.

>You have not experienced it is all.

That's true, but this thread provides another datapoint on
bad oysters coming from a tank.

>Live clams and oysters for example are best kept in live running water
>tanks.

I won't rule out that this may be true, but I haven't seen any
evidence of it. Hi-quality restaurants and fishmongers keep
clams and oysters live on ice, out of water. I know of no
contradicting datapoints.

Steve

brooklyn1 <[email protected]> wrote:

>On Sun, 11 Jul 2010 17:38:45 +0000 (UTC), [email protected]

>>You want an oyster, buy one that has been living in its
>>native coastal environment, not in a tank. Generally
>>in my experience you want a Pacific Northwest oyster,
>>the further north the better, the closer to the source
>>the better, and you want it between November and March.

>>Oysters from California or the gulf can be okay but are
>>not as good, and it goes downhill from there.

>All west coast oysters are native to Japan.

Almost all; the exception is Olympia oysters.

>The best oysters are from
>the North Atlantic. There are plenty of same day harvested oysters
>available from Lung Guyland fish mongers.

I've had reasonably good north Atlantic oysters. I will not
rule out the possibility that the best examples of these
might be as good as the best oysters from B.C., or even better,
but I haven't personally had Atlantic oysters that good.

Steve

Steve Pope wrote:
> I've had reasonably good north Atlantic oysters. I will not
> rule out the possibility that the best examples of these
> might be as good as the best oysters from B.C., or even better,
> but I haven't personally had Atlantic oysters that good.
>
> Steve

I live in Maryland, well-known for its oysters and blue crabs. Famous
here are Chincoteague
oysters - full of flavour and reminiscent of the ocean.
As far as storage, the oystermen store in bushel baskets; restaurants
and fish houses store on ice. I have never, ever seen oysters stored
in tanks. They are bivalves, not crustaceans.

Mark Thorson wrote:
>
> I'm expecting hot weather today, so I'm not planning
> to cook anything until the evening. I took a look
> at the oyster tank at the nearby Asian market, and
> I found a really big one. At only $0.69, it seemed
> like a great deal. I could eat it raw, so that
> would not heat up the house.
>
> This time, to avoid self-inflicted injury, I opened
> it by attacking the hinge with a large screwdriver
> and mallet. I really had to beat on that thing
> before I could get it open, but I finally won.
>
> This might be the last oyster I ever eat. It was
> okay, but I'm not sure I really appreciate raw
> oyster. I'd much rather eat steamed clams.
>
> If I do eat oysters in the future, I think I'll
> cook them. I've smoked them on the BBQ before
> and those came out great. The abductor muscle
> becomes really tough, but the rest of the flesh
> takes on a very nice texture -- firmer than raw,
> but still very tender like a block of cream cheese.
> Chilled and then sliced, it's great.
>
> Anyone have any other suggestions for cooking
> oysters?

I'm certainly a big fan of steamers myself, but have no issues with raw
oysters either.

There are a ton of cooked preparations for oysters, from the hard to
beat fried oyster po-boy, to oysters Rockafeller, and every one I've
tried has been great.

On Sun, 11 Jul 2010 21:10:28 +0000 (UTC), [email protected]
(Steve Pope) wrote:

> That's true, but this thread provides another datapoint on
> bad oysters coming from a tank.

When you say tank, are you talking about the low ones with water
recirculated through them?

--
Forget the health food. I need all the preservatives I can get.

On Sun, 11 Jul 2010 21:12:29 +0000 (UTC), [email protected]
(Steve Pope) wrote:

> Almost all; the exception is Olympia oysters.

I *love* Olympia oysters!

--
Forget the health food. I need all the preservatives I can get.

sf <[email protected]> wrote:

>On Sun, 11 Jul 2010 21:10:28 +0000 (UTC), [email protected]

>> That's true, but this thread provides another datapoint on
>> bad oysters coming from a tank.

>When you say tank, are you talking about the low ones with water
>recirculated through them?

In this case, I'm assuming a tank with water in it, as opposed
to just a tray of ice.

Steve

On Sun, 11 Jul 2010 17:38:45 +0000 (UTC), Steve Pope wrote:

> Mark Thorson <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>>This time, to avoid self-inflicted injury, I opened
>>it by attacking the hinge with a large screwdriver
>>and mallet. I really had to beat on that thing
>>before I could get it open, but I finally won.
>>
> Buying tanked seafood from in Asian market is in no
> way representative of good seafood.

And when you open it on it's end with a mallet and screwdriver,
you probably lose most of the liquor inside.

-sw

Carol wrote:

> What I do is wash (scrub) then steam them open (ones that dont open are
> tossed but I don't have that often as my market is a good one). Then, I
> add them to dashi soup with miso, spinach and a little knob of ginger.
> Shell and all, it looks rather pretty.

The only cookbook I have with me here is _Frank Stitt's Southern Table_. In
that book, he tells of a lowcountry oyster "roast." He writes, "the oysters
were dumped onto a sheet of tin perched over a wood fire, covered with a wet
burlap sack, and steamed until the shells open."

I think that sounds like a good way to to cook oysters. Stitt goes on to say
that the steamed oysters were accompanied by melted butter, but I think I'd
prefer any number of alternates. If I wanted butter in there, I'd make the
classic buffalo-wing sauce of Frank's hot sauce mixed with melted butter.
But lemon juice and black pepper would be my first choices.

Bob