Today is: 07.25.2008
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Everything You Need To Know About Oysters |
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September through January is "high season" for oyster eaters. This is when they’re in their absolutely prime condition; all fattened-up and even a bit saltier than usual in preparation for winter (it’s kind of like extra "antifreeze" if you’re an oyster)…so we figured an article on the "basics" would be in order.
First, it’s worth knowing that oysters are one of the most nutritious foods known to man. They’re high in vitamins like A, B1, B2, C and D and even higher in terms of essential minerals, like calcium, iodine, magnesium, iron, potassium, copper, sodium, zinc, phosphorus, manganese and sulfur. And, especially now, in prime-season, they’re loaded with Omega-3 fatty acids. No wonder they’re fabled as aphrodisiacs! They’re high in protein too -and, because in their raw state they’re essentially ‘blobs of basic nutrients’ (no fiber, unless you eat the shells) they are one of the most digestible foods: The world record for eating oysters is well over a bushel! A dozen oysters packs a mere 75 calories. ABOUT THAT "R" THING: While oysters have become available all year, the months with an "r" are the best times to eat oysters because they’ve recovered from their summertime spawning, which exhausts a lot of the vitamins, minerals and fats that give them - and us - their oomph. Also, abstaining during the warmer months is not only a good conservation measure, it’s a good "health measure" in our book, since summertime waters aren’t always as clean as they need to be. It should go without saying, we hope, that you should only eat oysters from reliable waters, provided by reliable suppliers…and you should never eat an oyster that doesn’t "resist" when you pry it open, or that smells "off". That said, we should also note that live oysters, in their shells, will keep for weeks or even months - if kept ‘on their backs’ - cupped-side down, so their juices don’t run out - and in a cold place - and covered with a damp towel to conserve their own moisture and to assure they can breathe. So please don’t be afraid to eat an oyster! MOST OF OUR "EASTERN OYSTERS" COME FROM THE SAME SPECIES: Even though they taste different, because of the waters they grow in and the different mix of nutrients, those Bluepoints, Chesapeakes, Louisianas (the most available, by far) Wellfleets (our favorite), Chincoteagues (our second-favorite) and Apalachicolas …and all eastern oysters but one, come from the same family; Crassostrea virginica. One other delicious variety grows on the east coast; Belon or European flat oysters, from the species Ostrea edulis. These have a very distinct sweet-salty and intensely coppery taste…which is an acquired one, we think. (We love ‘em, but you’d never want to cook a Belon.) West Coast oysters - which are most often the kind you find shucked in those cans - are another species altogether, Ostrea lurida. I find these kind of muddy-tasting next to our own eastern ones, but it’s nothing an extra shot of lemon juice and sometimes an extra dash of salt won’t fix. OPENING OYSTERS IS EASY…ONCE YOU KNOW HOW: The KEY is a good oyster knife. The best one we’ve found is made by Dexter Russell - a company that also makes excellent fish-butchering and filleting knives and the best clam knife around too. Also a must; a non-slip, stable surface to work on (we use a heavy wooden breadboard) an old dishcloth, so you can hold the oyster down, and - especially if you’re a beginning shucker - a sturdy glove for the holding-hand and wrist. Oyster shells, which the native Americans used for shaving - and oyster knives too - can do quite a bit of damage to you if you’re not careful. So work slowly and carefully and use leverage, rather than brute force. Just insert the point of the knife at the hinge or "beak" (the pointy part of the oyster) and waggle it from side to side to pry the top lid up. When it "pops", slide the knife along the top or flat-side (we stay to the inward-curving side of the oyster, to cut the hinge-muscle and not the meat). After removing the top shell, carefully slide the point of the knife under the oyster body to free it up from the cupped-part of the shell…being careful not to spill the juices. Once you get the hang of it you’ll shuck like a pro. EATING ’EM: Raw oysters, nice and cold, are our favorite way by far. I like mine just as they are, although store-bought oysters sometimes need a bit of lemon, a grind of pepper and even a dash of salt. My wife likes a squeeze of lime and a grind of pepper. If the oysters are bland, or if company’s coming, we’ll make a mignionette sauce (finely chopped shallot, red-wine vinegar and a grind of pepper) and set out some Louisiana hot sauce too. Most folks go for the red cocktail sauce (ketchup & horseradish) and, although it overwhelms the fresh, briny taste of a really good oyster, it does salvage the bland ones. Another favorite of ours, and a surprisingly quick and easy way to wow your guests, is Oysters Rockefeller (our recipe follows). And when we have plenty of oysters, plenty of time and feel ready to blow a weeks worth of fat-calories…there’s nothing that can beat a batch of oysters straight from the fryer. WHAT TO DRINK WITH OYSTERS?…Most people, including us, think champagne because both are truly festive, celebratory items and they really do go well together. A famous foodie claimed it’s the champagne that’s really the aphrodisiac…but in our recent tasting, much as we enjoyed it, we found the oysters enhanced the wine more than vice-versa. Many folks think "Chardonnay"…but to my taste, most American chards actually fight the oyster taste with too much oakyness. My personal favorite is a bone-dry white burgundy, with just enough acidity to make a lemon-spritz seem like overkill, but most folks seem to prefer something a bit sweeter, like a nice Sauvignon Blanc. The second week of September, flush with a pail of fat oysters from our secret source, we sampled three Sauvignon Blancs that Don, our trusted wine-guru from Rumson Buyrite suggested.; one from the US, a 2002 Joseph Phelps Sauvignon Blanc from Napa Valley ($13.99), one from New Zealand, a 2002 Craggy Range Winery Sauvignon Blanc ($19.99)…and one from France, a 2001 Sancerre by Michel Redde (also $19.99). All went beautifully with the oysters, although the French one (perhaps because we were on the low-end, price-wise for a top-notch Sancerre, was our least favorite. The $19.99 New Zealander was the best wine by far, and made the best impression with the oysters initially. But as the sipping and oyster eating went on the Joseph Phelps opened-up and actually, we decided, did the most to enhance the oysters themselves. Anyway, you won’t go wrong with this pairing…and the tiny bit of sweetness and acidity that are characteristic of good S-Bs make them especially good with the rich oysters Rockefeller. HERE’S OUR FAST, EASY AND DELICIOUS RECIPE FOR OYSTERS ROCKEFELLER… (Make this double-batch (enough for 3 to 4 dozen oysters) and freeze half in a plastic baggie to conjure up an awesome appetizer another day… in five minutes flat) • Two packages of frozen leaf-spinach, thawed, squeezed to remove excess water and chopped fine • Two bunches of scallions, green parts and about 1 inch of the whites cut crosswise into 1/4 inch confetti • One bunch of parsley leaves, chopped fine • Four cloves of garlic, chopped fine • Two sticks of butter • Two to three tablespoons of Pernod (this is the "secret ingredient": don’t leave it out) 1. Melt butter in a saucepan under medium heat and saute garlic until barely colored. 2. Scatter vegetables, stir to combine and saute for about three minutes. 3. Add a pinch of salt (those oysters are salty on their own) a few grinds of pepper and a dash of hot-sauce. 4. Add Pernod… and taste (some of that flavor will cook-off, so you may want a bit more, but don’t overdo)
Open oysters carefully to keep their juices in the shell and place them on a pizza pan. (Classic-cookers lay down an inch or so of rock-salt first, so the juices won’t spill out, but we just prop them up against each other). Spoon about a teaspoon of spinach mixture over each oyster. (Some people sprinkle a bit of parmesan cheese too, but we say "overkill"). Broil for 2 to 3 minutes…and serve at once.
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