Oysters: The Topic

[onrushpam]

I'm doing seafood and snacks tomorrow night, instead of a sit-down dinner. There will only be four of us. I've ordered stone crab, shrimp and oysters. My seafood market won't sell less than a half-bushel of oysters. That's about 6 dozen and probably twice as many as I need. I'm just going to steam them. I do not want to try to shuck them myself. Any ideas what I could do with about 3 dozen left-over steamed oysters?

[Chris Amirault]

It was too greasy when I had it two years ago, but in Portland they make oyster hash that has great potential.

[DTBarton]

A pot of good oyster stew will use up a good many oysters pretty quick and keep for a few days of good cold weather eating.

Also, here's a good trick to make shucking easier if you decide to do it. Sometimes worth it as raw oysters have a pretty long shelf life if kept cold, 10 days to 2 weeks.

Fill a bucket with hot tap water. Drop some oysters in the shell in the water. Wait a few seconds and start shucking. The brief sit in the hot water really loosens up the shells and makes shucking go much faster.

I like to shuck myself if possible as it's easier to save the liquor.

[NWKate]

I volunteer to hide them in my mouth!

[CommissionerLin]

I'm doing seafood and snacks tomorrow night, instead of a sit-down dinner.  There will only be four of us.  I've ordered stone crab, shrimp and oysters.  My seafood market won't sell less than a half-bushel of oysters.  That's about 6 dozen and probably twice as many as I need.  I'm just going to steam them.  I do not want to try to shuck them myself.  Any ideas what I could do with about 3 dozen left-over steamed oysters?

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Do a batch of Oyster Tempura. Many recipes for this on the net. http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/database...chi_85286.shtml

[chefgregory]

I'm doing seafood and snacks tomorrow night, instead of a sit-down dinner.  There will only be four of us.  I've ordered stone crab, shrimp and oysters.  My seafood market won't sell less than a half-bushel of oysters.  That's about 6 dozen and probably twice as many as I need.  I'm just going to steam them.  I do not want to try to shuck them myself.  Any ideas what I could do with about 3 dozen left-over steamed oysters?

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If you blanch/poach them they will last a week in the fridge in their own juice.

I'm not sure if you need instructions, so if not just ignore. Get the biggest pot you have and get enough water to cover them (I'll assume a gallon), throw in a tablespoon of peppercorns, 5-6 small leaves, a lemon cut into wedges and bring to a boil, couple tabelsppons sea salt. Put the oysters in when boiling rapidly and cook for 4-6 minutes (the water probably won't get back to a boil). They still should be soft in the middle. Store in the fridge covered in just enough of this liquid to cover them.

Now from the fridge you can make lots of things from them. we used to make rockefellr (creams spinach and hollandaise) or "fire" baked in the oven with a hot sauce and cheese. One of my favorites was breading them in cornmeal/flour combo and panfrying them with a tartar sauce. Lots of choice at this point though.

Cheers

GB

[PopsicleToze]

Oyster & artichoke soup would be a great way to use up some of your oysters. It's on my short list of fabulous recipes.

Rhonda

[HungryC]

I have no clue what to do with leftover steamed oysters...but if you'll just bite the bullet & shuck 'em, the sky's the limit: raw on the half-shell with mignonette, char-grilled on the halfshell, fried oyster poboys, oyster stew, oyster dressing, oyster patties, chicken & oyster gumbo, good ol' angels on horseback (oysters on water chestnuts, wrapped in bacon & broiled), oyster pan roast w/rosemary & cream & garlicky bread crumbs. I could go for a couple dozen char-grilled right now, topped with a little minced garlic, some butter, and the merest whisp of parmesan & parsley.

[Batard]

Another example of one man's problem being another man's dream ...

Excellent suggestions. It won't use up 3 dozen, but I would make soon-du-boo with some of them.

Edited December 24, 2008 by Batard (log)

[dougal]

And there's the old English classic "Steak and Oyster Pie" ...

[Peter the eater]

Make chowder, and freeze it if you have to.

When oysters drop below 25 cents I buy lots and experiment. They're quite versatile.

[onrushpam]

Thanks y'all!

I don't think I really have a problem... We ate WAY more than I thought we would. The leftovers are sittling happily on a tray in the fridge, covered with wet towels. I'm thinking DH and I will just steam and eat the rest on NYE.

We had the steamed oysters, stone crab and shrimp. The oysters were the HIT! The cheapest thing on the menu, but OH MY they were GOOD!!!

[RAHiggins1]

Oysters Rockefeller Soup

[sjemac]

Oysters will last for a month if kept alive. I buy a whole peck at a time and simply keep them in the fridge crisper covered with a damp cloth for a few weeks, shucking a few every day or steaming a bunch as I need them. These are always Malpeques (Atlantic oysters) BTW. Pacific oysters may need to be treated differently.

Edited December 25, 2008 by sjemac (log)

[onrushpam]

These are Apalachicola oysters that were still nestled in their bay beds 24 hrs or less before I bought them. They were SOOOO good last night! Sis and nephew had never eaten lightly steamed oysters before and they loved 'em! I ate mine "straight". They added a little lemon juice and cocktail sauce.

The remaining 2-3 dozen are sitting in the fridge and will be consumed NYE if not before.

I really do need to learn to shuck them. I think I need a coach!

[Mr. Delicious]

These are Apalachicola oysters that were still nestled in their bay beds 24 hrs or less before I bought them.  They were SOOOO good last night!  Sis and nephew had never eaten lightly steamed oysters before and they loved 'em!  I ate mine "straight".  They added a little lemon juice and cocktail sauce.

The remaining 2-3 dozen are sitting in the fridge and will be consumed NYE if not before.

I really do need to learn to shuck them.  I think I need a coach!

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I posted an oyster spinach dip in recipes that rock 2008 my favorite appetizer ever, a must try!!

[sjemac]

I really do need to learn to shuck them.  I think I need a coach!

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Blood and stitches are the best coaches. Many a night has been spent staunching venous flow from a palm or finger while shucking oysters drunk. If you eat a lot of raw oysters that you shuck yourself, wounds are a foregone conclusion -- especially if liquor's involved.

[Peter the eater]

Five months later . . .

Choice oysters were a mere three dollars for a dozen, a very low price and too hard to resist. So I baked a bunch.

1. Parmesan, s&p and Tabasco:

2. Pesto and Tabasco:

3. Lemon juice and herbs:

4. Teriyaki and cayenne pepper:

All were good, but no. 4 was the surprise winner with a nice balance of oyster flavour, umami, salt, sweet, and heat.

[johnnyd]

$3 a dozen?? Damn! I get only TWO for that money! How many can you fit in your duffel bag? When will you start driving to Portland??!

[jsmeeker]

while buying mussels yesterday, I was checking out the various oysters that were in the case. "Gulf Oysters" were about 50 cents a piece. Chesapeake Bay oysters were about $1.40 a pop, IIRC. There were two or maybe three other varieties available as well. Can't recall how much they cost, though.

I've never ever bought oysters in a store to take home. But I'll order them in restaurants. Not sure how these prices compare with other places, but my guess is that they aren't all that great based on other posts here. Still, i should buy some to try them out. Like comparing the Gulf Oysters (not sure if they are Texas Gulf Coast or some other state) with the Chesapeake Bay oysters.

My initial temptation would be to simply eat them raw on the half shell like I would at a restaurant. But I would give the quick broil method with some butter, shallots, etc. a try as well.

[Peter the eater]

johnnyd, these oysters are usually a buck or more each. It was a promotion and I was happy to pounce. I think the price of food actually affects flavor -- if it's super pricey, one savors ever so slowly. On the other hand, if it's a steal, you get that nice feeling of being in the right place at the right time -- but somehow the stuff is less precious.

jsmeeker, I had Gulf oysters in Florida a few weeks ago and they were excellent. I'm not sure I could tell them apart from cold water Atlantic oysters.

I still think live is the best way to enjoy an oyster, but it's a lot of fun to tinker.

Edited March 14, 2009 by Peter the eater (log)

[faine]

My Louisiana born grandfather considers Pacific oysters to be "utter swill". I'm a West coast semi-native and a current New Orleans resident: I need to do a compare and contrast but I can't say I'm detecting any vast differences. (Seems like the Pacific guys are bigger, especially the 5 bite monsters they serve at my favorite Chinese restaurant.)

Opinions on the differences?

Also: as a Sacramento resident, seems like it'd be wise to mention Hangtown Fry. Which is probably simply one of those delicious Chinese oyster omelets with a different name....

And another Norcal favorite (though simple and good, i think they don't hold up all that well to NOLA's divine beauties) - BBQ Oysters.

[Katie Meadow]

My Louisiana born grandfather considers Pacific oysters to be "utter swill". I'm a West coast semi-native and a current New Orleans resident: I need to do a compare and contrast but I can't say I'm detecting any vast differences. (Seems like the Pacific guys are bigger, especially the 5 bite monsters they serve at my favorite Chinese restaurant.)

Opinions on the differences?

Your LA grandfather simply likes what he grew up with. No crime in that, but it's a big world out there with some heavenly oysters. There are only a handful of species harvested in the US. What makes for so much variety is location, location, location. And size isn't an indicator of species or place of origin. The Hog Island Sweet, grown in Tomales Bay in CA is sold in five sizes, xsmall through xlarge. One of the smallest oysters is the Olympia from WA state. It's tiny and delicious!

There are a couple of websites that are very good for info on oysters. One is more scientific and the other has detailed maps showing the many US locations where oysters are grown and harvested.

One is The Nibble.com (look under oysters) and the other is oysterguide.com.

[Domestic Goddess]

Reading this entire thread, I wanna add my thoughts on oyster size. In the Philippines, we get tiny oysters called sisi. This is about as small as your thumb and sometimes just a little bigger. The meat is plump and juicy, and very sweet.

Coming here to Korea, I see humungous oysters bigger than the palm of my hubby's hands (and he's got big hands). It's almost scary to eat them like that but theose monster oysters are usually found at seafood grill restaurant stalls that pop up at local festivals and fairs. Most oysters here in Korea are sold in a half shell (already shucked with most of the liqour gone) for about $10 a dozen, and shucked oysters in saline solution (?) for about $4 for 2 dozen.

I usually make oyster po 'boys or oyster cerviche to go along with grilled pork chops/spareribs. I always want to make oyster rockefeller but lack the herbs needed in the ingredients.

[BonVivant]

please don't cook them.

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yesssss! sacrilege sacrilege sacrilege!

i regularly eat 2 dozens fines de claires directly over the kitchen sink. tabasco, curly parsley, many slices of lime, and sparkling wine to wash everything down. just... heavenly!