Oysters!

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Okay Yooper if you want to pair oysters, or raw oysters anyway, you can drink them with guests. Put a raw oyster in the bottom of a martini glass. On top of that add a dollop of your cocktail sauce. On top of that gently pour some vodka over. It should be nicely layered for cosmetic reasons. You want to have all of the ingredients to equate to a mournful mouthful. Garnish (we have special cracker that sits on rim of glass). Drink up in one gulp and your face will look and feel like you are sad for the sacrificialized oyster.
 
Okay Yooper if you want to pair oysters, or raw oysters anyway, you can drink them with guests. Put a raw oyster in the bottom of a martini glass. On top of that add a dollop of your cocktail sauce. On top of that gently pour some vodka over. It should be nicely layered for cosmetic reasons. You want to have all of the ingredients to equate to a mournful mouthful. Garnish (we have special cracker that sits on rim of glass). Drink up in one gulp and your face will look and feel like you are sad for the sacrificialized oyster.

That sounds really good.

Oyster shooters?

Bet a shot glass would work on medium small oysters.
 
Also, what beer is best paired with oysters? Not to make with oysters but to drink while eating oysters.

Let's keep the oyster talk going! Love oysters, and they're a fun food to pair with beer.

As mentioned above, stout with oysters is a classic match. I had the opportunity to eat super-fresh Island Creek oysters paired with Harpoon's Island Creek Oyster Stout (part of their limited 100-barrel series) while visiting a friend in Boston a while back and it's really an experience I will never forget.

Besides the classic stout, I think a nice German rauchbier would go really well, maybe even a smoked porter. I love oysters just raw with a little lemon, but if you happen to be grilling your oysters, this could potentially be a mind-asploding pairing.

For me, Belgian beers go great with a lot of foods and oysters are no exception. Last time I was up visiting my buddy we had them with Allagash Black, which is a Belgian stout, and it was great. If you can get Ommegang Abbey Ale, that's a unique beer in that it's a lightly spiced dubbel that has some star anise (very subtle). If you finely chop some fresh fennel and serve your oysters up with any nice dubbel, that could be a good option too.

Happy oystering!
 
Makes 18 Drago's Charbroiled Oysters
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Ingredients:
• 8 ounces (2 sticks) softened butter
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped garlic
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• Pinch dried oregano
• 1 1/2 dozen large, freshly shucked oysters on the half shell
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan and Romano cheeses, mixed
• 2 teaspoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
Preparation:
Note: Tommy Cvitanovich of Drago's Seafood Restaurant says, "This is the perfect dish for those who want to enjoy oysters in their unadorned form, but can't or won't eat them raw. Once you start eating these charbroiled ones, you won't be able to stop. Don't attempt this without freshly shucked oysters and an outdoor grill."
1. Heat a gas or charcoal grill. In a medium bowl, mix butter with garlic, pepper, and oregano.
2. Place oysters on the half shell right over the hottest part. Spoon enough of the seasoned butter over the oysters so that some of it will overflow into the fire and flame up a bit.
3. The oysters are ready when they puff up and get curly on the sides, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle the grated Parmesan and Romano and the parsley on top. Serve on the shells immediately with hot French bread.
 
KVP said:
Makes 18 Drago's Charbroiled Oysters
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Ingredients:
• 8 ounces (2 sticks) softened butter
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped garlic
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• Pinch dried oregano
• 1 1/2 dozen large, freshly shucked oysters on the half shell
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan and Romano cheeses, mixed
• 2 teaspoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
Preparation:
Note: Tommy Cvitanovich of Drago's Seafood Restaurant says, "This is the perfect dish for those who want to enjoy oysters in their unadorned form, but can't or won't eat them raw. Once you start eating these charbroiled ones, you won't be able to stop. Don't attempt this without freshly shucked oysters and an outdoor grill."
1. Heat a gas or charcoal grill. In a medium bowl, mix butter with garlic, pepper, and oregano.
2. Place oysters on the half shell right over the hottest part. Spoon enough of the seasoned butter over the oysters so that some of it will overflow into the fire and flame up a bit.
3. The oysters are ready when they puff up and get curly on the sides, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle the grated Parmesan and Romano and the parsley on top. Serve on the shells immediately with hot French bread.

Sounds like a great recipe! I mainly eat oysters raw, but this looks like something I'd like to try.
 
Currently enjoying these and wanted to share. Sorry for the dark picture.


image-223128131.jpg
 
Currently enjoying these and wanted to share. Sorry for the dark picture.

Ill be in Corpus Christi for a week starting tomorrow. I plan on surviving on dozens of those yummy jewels, Whataburger and beer..... Mixed in with the occasional Lone Star
 
Ostomo517 said:
Ill be in Corpus Christi for a week starting tomorrow. I plan on surviving on dozens of those yummy jewels, Whataburger and beer..... Mixed in with the occasional Lone Star

Sounds like a good time!
 
Ill be in Corpus Christi for a week starting tomorrow. I plan on surviving on dozens of those yummy jewels, Whataburger and beer..... Mixed in with the occasional Lone Star

I miss Whataburger, haven't ate there since I was 13 or 14. I don't miss the long line though.
 
My Texas friends just left, and they gifted us with several packages of frozen shucked oysters!

I have enough for several meals, but she told me her favorite way is a simple recipe.

She told me to thaw and drain the oysters, and then use a ton of butter and garlic in a cast iron pan. Add the oysters and cook slightly. Add some chopped spinach and cook the rest of the way. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and serve with crusty bread.

I'm making that tonight! I'll take a few pictures and let you know how it turns out.

I like breaded and fried oysters, too, so that will probably be next up.
This is basically oysters Rockefeller. We cook it with very finely chopped bell pepper, onion and celery with a little Anisette liquor. Put the raw oysters in the sauteed Onion/pepper/celery, top with spinach and Parmesan and bake 15 minutes.
In Mobile we would actually put the raw oysters back in shells, puree all the sauteed vegetables and spinach together with the Anisette, and cover the oysters completely. Sprinkle the parmesan on top. The pureed veggies hold the moisture in the oysters so things don't dry out.
 
Ill be in Corpus Christi for a week starting tomorrow. I plan on surviving on dozens of those yummy jewels, Whataburger and beer..... Mixed in with the occasional Lone Star
I spent 4 days in Corpus last fall, they actually had limits on oysters. We each had a couple dozen the first day, then all the oyster bars ran out and we were forced to eat shrimp and crab the other 3 days.
 
Stop it! I can't stand it! I love oysters & clams. We used to be able to go down to the beach during spring thaw when the waves were rough on Lake Erie & pick a couple of 5 gallon buckets of big clams. We used to have the family over for fresh clam chowder & home made french bread.
I also love either one dredged in corn meal & fried. Or in the bbq pit with ash on the half shell with amish smoked cheddar.
 
Hi Yooper,

Prolly very late to the game here, but we have a family tradition with oyster soup over the holiday. I can't point to the origins, but my family farms in North Kansas, three generations. I made it over Christmas from fresh shucked oysters and a tin of canned, and a bit of beer.

Essentially it is a simple soup made with oysters, tasty and briney.

4 cups of whole milk, sub in some whole cream if you want it richer.
1 large can of canned oysters (look for those packed in salt water, not the oily smoked oysters), make sure to add the liquor.
Any fresh oysters I can find that are inexpensive (we can buy a 2 pound fresh tub here at HEB)
1 small vidalia onion, finely chopped
3-4 cloves of garlic (too taste)
1/2 to 1 stick of butter (I sub some olive oil to reduce the butter, silly after looking at all that milk)

Saute the onion on medium heat to soften in butter and olive oil, then add the fresh and canned oysters (hold back the liquor) for a few minutes, along with the garlic. Looking for the garlic to just start to darken a bit.

Then I add a half bottle of a light beer (usually a pilsner), the milk and the oyster liquor, and bring to a simmer. You can also add potatoes, but I find they need to be precooked or the oysters get overdone and fall apart.

We typically serve the soup over day old cornbread or use saltines. And hot sauced to taste, if you like it. My grandfather used to dose it with a bit of horseradish.

If you think cooking them in a soup is heresy, I would agree, but in the middle of rural Kansas, tinned is the best you can get!
 
My Texas friends just left, and they gifted us with several packages of frozen shucked oysters!

I have enough for several meals, but she told me her favorite way is a simple recipe.

She told me to thaw and drain the oysters, and then use a ton of butter and garlic in a cast iron pan. Add the oysters and cook slightly. Add some chopped spinach and cook the rest of the way. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and serve with crusty bread.

I'm making that tonight! I'll take a few pictures and let you know how it turns out.

I like breaded and fried oysters, too, so that will probably be next up.

yoop, I used to live on the panhandle of florida, a nice oyster stew is amazing. just throw everything, juice and all, into a pot of potstoes and onions and it will end up devine. harpoon did a 100 barrel batch last year using island creek oysters (oyster stout) which was absolutely devine
 
we finally got an oyster bar in town. It's called the Bubbly mermaid and so far the oysters and drinks have been very, very good but at $3 an oyster (more for any prepared) and $7 - $12 a drink it gets expensive fast. I'd still rather go get my own.
 
we finally got an oyster bar in town. It's called the Bubbly mermaid and so far the oysters and drinks have been very, very good but at $3 an oyster (more for any prepared) and $7 - $12 a drink it gets expensive fast. I'd still rather go get my own.

the upcharge for transport to alaska has to be a killer, though king crab legs must me amazingly low
 
the upcharge for transport to alaska has to be a killer, though king crab legs must me amazingly low

Yes, talked with the owner, Apollo, very nice guy. He gets his oysters locally and shipped in from Oregon, Washington and a couple other places.
When my oldest son, Joe, was travelling doing construction we used to get King and Snow crab for free when he was on site. On his best trip he brought home a bushel of fresh Bering Sea Scallops, about a bushel and a half Snow Crab, 1/4 Caribou, 2 big Sheefish filets and a half pound of muktuk.
He would usually meet the fishermen at the docks or the bar in a wet village and offer free remodel/construction labor in trade for fresh seafood and whatever.
If we buy the crab legs in the store, we still pay $15 or $16/pound minimum.
 
Down here, they say that oysters are only good in months with an "R" in them. Those harvested in Ray, Rune, Jury, and Aurgust just don't taste the same.

Actually you got dat ass backwards...you ain't suppose to harvest 'em if the month has an R in it...I'm a coonass, I should know..originally from Houma, LA.

And hell no on the stout...Drink an Abita TurboDog or Amber, that goes great with Oysters:mug:
 
Oceantendency said:
Actually you got dat ass backwards...you ain't suppose to harvest 'em if the month has an R in it...I'm a coonass, I should know..originally from Houma, LA.

And hell no on the stout...Drink an Abita TurboDog or Amber, that goes great with Oysters:mug:
You've been gone from Louisiana for too long. ;)
I live on the gulf coast and I've heard my whole life only to eat oysters harvested in months with an R.
Although it really doesn't need to be strictly adhered to now days, the saying is definitely "only eat oysters in months with an r."
 
Question: Why buy oysters in months with the letter "r"?

Why is it advised to only buy oysters in months spelled with the letter "r"?

Answer: The old guideline was to eat oysters only in months that are spelled using the letter "R." This came from the days before refrigeration when oysters could quickly spoil.

However, there is another good reason to stick to fall, winter, and spring for your oyster forays, particularly when eating raw oysters. Oysters spawn in the warm summer months, usually May through August, although natural Gulfwater oysters can spawn year-round due to the warm waters. Spawning causes them to become fatty, watery, soft, and less flavorful instead of having the more desirable lean, firm texture and bright seafood flavor of those harvested in cooler, non-spawning months.

This being said, you can still find good oysters in spring and summer, usually imported from cooler waters or from farms.

A new genetic procedure being used by some commercial oyster farms renders farm-raised oysters sterile, so they don't spawn at all, thus making prime oysters available year-round.
 
It is funny to read these kind of post. Living on the coast you forget how fortunate you are to have fresh seafood. I've never ate a frozen oyster, we go down to the dock and pick them up by the gross.
 
Time for oyster stouts obviously.

as far as cooking them goes. i enjoy getting a steel grate, setting it about a foot over a low burning fire (coal or wood flavor is up to you), as soon as the shell pops open i pop a knife in there and scoop the suckers out and drop them into some melted garlic butter. serve with hot sauce to taste.
 
Hoptimistic said:
as far as cooking them goes. i enjoy getting a steel grate, setting it about a foot over a low burning fire (coal or wood flavor is up to you), as soon as the shell pops open i pop a knife in there and scoop the suckers out and drop them into some melted garlic butter. serve with hot sauce to taste.
That sounds good! I'll have to try that.
And of course serve them with one of these.


image-2497960981.jpg
 
You've been gone from Louisiana for too long. ;)
I live on the gulf coast and I've heard my whole life only to eat oysters harvested in months with an R.
Although it really doesn't need to be strictly adhered to now days, the saying is definitely "only eat oysters in months with an r."

No we said that cause that's the best month's to enjoy an ice Cold beer with and the fishing is usually the best except for 2 months with an R; October and November, best fishing months of the whole YEAR for Redfish and Speckled Trout !! LOL !!

Actually the summer also has higher Algal blooms due to the warmer water of the Gulf, but we also tended to stay away from Oysters during May/June depending on how much ice melt was flooding the MS River, which would effect only certain areas due to the silting. Important to know the source of your oysters.
 
Fresh, raw oysters should be eaten just like they are - raw, with a little bit of squeezed lemon or lime and maybe some hot sauce.

Oysters that have already been degraded, i.e. cooked or frozen, can best be put to use inside of turkey stuffing. Yep, makes one hell of a turkey stuffing.
 
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