Roister the Oyster

[Oyster Guy]

Not that this is a particularly informative contribution, but I am partial to the Kusshi variety - they taste and feel just like their name sounds!  "Kooshy . . ." soft, meaty and juicy . . .

Maybe this isn't a suitable question for a local thread (Daddy-A, I am feeling your disciplining post advancing  ), but could OG explain the biology behind why different oyster varieties look/taste/feel different?

←

Oysters are very much like wines. There are great regional differences.

As sunlight, rainfall and soil play a great part in shaping a grape, tidal flow, water salinity and food availability as well as growing technique play an important role in shaping the oyster.

There is also the fact that all 5 species of oysters(commercially grown in North America) are aquacultured both here and in Washington State.

A tray raised oyster (suspended growth method) will taste and look quite different than a beach raised oyster even if they are in the same body of water.

I would enjoy the Kusshi while it lasts as this is an expensive oyster to grow and the growers are deciding whether or not to continue growing it.

The biology is that the oyster is shaped by it's environment. It may be the same species but due to slight changes in water salinity or the fact that it feeds on primarily on zooplankton instead of phytoplankton can play a huge part in determining it's taste and texture.

It is very hard for me to go into great detail here as I don't wish Daddy-A to come down on me for it.

However, if you ever find yourself in Whistler, drop by and I will gladly give you an "Oysters 101-Take a stab at higher learning lesson.

Merior is exactly the same as terior only at sea not land.

The first person to use this phrase with me was the owner of the Sooke Harbour House when he had oysters at the Bearfoot and I have used it ever since.

Nothing else seems to fit as well.

As far as the Slow Fooders go, I am a member of Slow Food Canada as an oyster takes 18-36 months to grow.

And there ain't no food slower than that!

Hope this helps a bit

Keep on shucking

Oyster Guy

Edited January 28, 2006 by Oyster Guy (log)

[Daddy-A]

It is very hard for me to go into great detail here as I don't wish Daddy-A to come down on me for it.

However, if you ever find yourself in Whistler, drop by and I will gladly give you an "Oysters 101-Take a stab at higher learning lesson.

[host]

No OG (et al) you're just within the limits. But further discussion is warranted ... just not here. Perhaps somebody could start a thread over in General?

As far as an Osters 101 goes ... might be worth a road trip I think!

A.

[/host]

[canucklehead]

I am a big fan of kunomoto's also - small briny and sweet. When I lived in SF - I hit Swan Oyster depot all the time and their oysters were always amazingly fresh. Sometimes not shucked so well... but with a little mignonette - fantastic. One time I sat beside this young women and her mother as they polished off 4 dozen oysters themselves - easy.

Rodney's is at the top of my places to hit - oysters and a nice bowl of chowder. Are they open for lunch?

[Ling]

^Yes, they're open for lunch.

4 dozen oysters between the two of them? You're impressed by that? I bet I could down 4 dozen myself easily!

[Ling]

As far as an Osters 101 goes ... might be worth a road trip I think!

←

Indeed! That's where I'm headed this Friday for a quick course. Hopefully, I can shuck an oyster that looks decent enough to warrant a photo.

[the_real_sparky]

kumamoto's at brasserie in victoria. though i'm not sure if they carry them consistently.

Our oysters change almost daily but I found an invoice on my desk this morning for Kumamoto oysters. Ship's Point and Whaletown Bay round out tonight's selection (I think - I'm always the last to know)

I just noticed the Irish Times pub in Victoria has an oyster happy hour on weekdays from 3-6 PM. Anyone been?

←

I stopped in for a pint and a half dozen oysters this afternoon. They had some tasty Whaletown Bays, Effinghams and a third type the pint made me forget. Their weekday happy hour price is only 69 cents each.

[Memo]

Happy now that Brasserie l'Ecole has re-opened - and I was able to enjoy their Whaletown Bays (plumper that kumamotos).

Brasserie's mignonette is, for me, the best in the whole dang west.

Thanks for the tip on the happy-hour oysters at Irish Times.

Memo, on the half-shell

[Oyster Guy]

We all have different likes and dislikes in life and may not agree on much.

I think that humanity could learn a lot from the oyster.

It is a humble creature asking for nothing but clean water.

It has been on Earth for 150 million years (fossilized record)

It shared the planet with Tyranosaurs and Velociraptors.

It has survived 5 extinction level events that wiped out 96% of life on this ball of rock.

Homo sapiens on the other hand have only been present for on Earth for a mere 3 million years.

This little creature has shown adaptability, a clearly superior survival strategy and improves the evironment that it lives in.

(Being a filter feeder, a medium sized oyster can filter 80 litres of water a day)

Something, that for all of mankind's wisdom and intelligence us humans are unable to do.

We might all not like the same type of oyster, Memo but it is truly a creature worthy of our respect, whether we like one's taste over another.

I am happy to hear people like the Effingham Inlets.

I am happy to hear anyone enjoy oysters

Keep on shucking

Oyster Guy

Edited January 29, 2006 by Oyster Guy (log)

[Vancitygirl]

[Ducky]

Since it hasn't been mentioned previously in this thread I recommend MFK Fischers wonderful little book entitled "Consider the Oyster" to everyone with a serious interest in these bisexual bivalves. It was out of print for years - but can now once again be found at Amazon and perhaps even at Barbara Jo's.

We are great fans of Rodney's. We also recently spent a splendid afternoon watching Oyster Guy in action - and this is something not to be missed by eGulleteers. Well worth the drive north.

Further afield - we used to stop at the Oyster Bar on the Chuckanut Drive - but the last few times have stopped instead at the place just after the Oyster Bar (travelling south) - at the bend in the road - and liked this very much.

Further afield still - and most of all - we love the oyster bar at Shaw's Crab House in Chicago. And if you have made it that far - you might as well carry right on to the oyster bar at Grand Central Station in NYC.

[Oyster Guy]

Just FYI:

Greg Atkinson invented Merroir.

“Merroir is a term I coined to describe the flavor of the sea that is found in an oyster. Since every oyster carries in its shell a little of its home waters, and since the content of that water varies from one location to another, oysters —even if they are genetically identical — all tastes different. The term was intended of course to reflect the term terroir which refers to the unique flavor of that foods -- and especially wine grapes -- are said to carry, depending on where they were grown.

The article in which the phrase was printed appeared in last June’s issue of Food Arts magazine and the story won a National Association of Food Journalism Award.

Greg Atkinson

Culinary Consulting

5190 Eagle Harbor Drive

Bainbridge Island, WA 98110

(206) 842-5756

www.northwestessentials.com

←

Thank you very much for the information. I do appreciate it.

It just seems strange to me that when I heard this phrase for the first time, it was 3 years ago, long before this article was published.

Was it just written at the time of publication or had it been written long ago?

I am just wondering about the origin of the term.

I never claimed that I or anyone else invented it.

Merely whom I had heard it from the first time in my life.

Thanks again for your help.

Keep on shucking

Oyster Guy

Edited January 30, 2006 by Oyster Guy (log)

[merlin]

Had a meeting in Calgary yesterday so flew down Wednesday nite.

Wandered over to Stephen's Ave to get a bite to eat. Stopped at Catch and grabbed a seat at their oyster bar. It was really "rockin' and rollin'"...quite a treat to watch the gal "running the show" barking out orders as the rest of the line tried to keep up. They were quite busy. An awful lot of lobsters being ordered. Sure can see that Calgary is "booming"!

They had about a dozen or so oysters available. I decided to have 2 each of the 6 east coast varieties: Raspberry Point, Colville Bay and Pickle Point from PEI and Caraquette, Beausoleil and Village Bay from NB.

Served on the half-shell on a bed of crushed ice accompanied by mignonettes of blackberry and "show stopper" hot sauce.

I had mine with just a squeeze of lemon juice. The Raspberry and Pickle Points from PEI and the Beausoleil from NB were my favourites. The first had an interesting acidic,salty and almost "spritzy" taste.

Washed them down with a delicious glass of bubbly from ON's Vineland Estates and then it was off to try more wine and delicious food at Divino Wine & Cheese Bistro across the street.

[stovetop]

The year was 1993; I was working on the West Coast of Vancouver Island at the Whales Tale in Ucluelet. I had the honor of meeting and doing business with Oyster Jim- after a whole summer of buying oysters from him and selling them at the restaurant, he invited me up to what he called his oyster ranch. You go to Tofino then launch off by the Golf course and cruise up Clayoquot sound. It was near dawn; the light was missing fast- as you slid your hand through the water- the luminescence would light up your hand like a candle. The whole boat was moving through light and the night sky was pushing its way through the day. We passed many clam stakes and other shellfish claims- the area is what I call breathtaking- I could see why so many people are very protective of the area- Its beauty transcends everything.

He had a simple cabin at the ranch and everything he needed to harvest the oysters- it was an incredible experience to sit on the bank of the sound slurping down an endless supply of oysters that came fresh from the ocean- moments ago, sliding down my throat before they even had a chance of any awareness of wrongdoing- the life force entering my body as I was looking up at the beautiful sky.

steve

[Zucchini Mama]

The year was 1993; I was working on the West Coast of Vancouver Island at the Whales Tale in Ucluelet.  I had the honor of meeting and doing business with Oyster Jim- after a whole summer of buying oysters from him and selling them at the restaurant, he invited me up to what he called his oyster ranch. You go to Tofino then launch off by the Golf course and cruise up Clayoquot sound. It was near dawn; the light was missing fast- as you slid your hand through the water- the luminescence would light up your hand like a candle. The whole boat was moving through light and the night sky was pushing its way through the day. We passed many clam stakes and other shellfish claims- the area is what I call breathtaking- I could see why so many people are very protective of the area- Its beauty transcends everything.

He had a simple cabin at the ranch and everything he needed to harvest the oysters- it was an incredible experience to sit on the bank of the sound slurping down an endless supply of oysters that came fresh from the ocean- moments ago, sliding down my throat before they even had a chance of any awareness of wrongdoing- the life force entering my body as I was looking up at the beautiful sky.

steve

←

Beautiful writing Steve, the perfect anecdote to a dull grey urban sky.

Thank you.

Edit: Dude, I mean antidote as in anecdotal antidote. I blame it on the vitamin D deprivation.

Edited February 4, 2006 by Zucchini Mama (log)

[canucklehead]

Is Rodney's always so frat boy? And 1980's frat boy at that... it was like the Tom Cruise movie 'Cocktails' - except with oysters. The music was LOUD - and seemed like a medly of the Who and Red Hot Chili Peppers. Nothing wrong with those bands - except I don't need to see the waiters 'rock out' to every song. The time warp was such that I was starting to make my way out to Bar None except I forgot my Wayfayers at home.

The oysters though were very good and well shucked - we were recommended Kusshi's which were excellent. Cold, briny, fresh and sweet - the definition of good oysters in my book.

I know that have happy hour - but they should instigate 'quiet old people who want to be left alone' hour also.

[Oyster Guy]

Is Rodney's always so frat boy?  And 1980's frat boy at that...  it was like the Tom Cruise movie 'Cocktails' - except with oysters.  The music was LOUD - and seemed like a medly of the Who and Red Hot Chili Peppers.  Nothing wrong with those bands - except I don't need to see the waiters 'rock out' to every song.  The time warp was such that I was starting to make my way out to Bar None except I forgot my Wayfayers at home.

The oysters though were very good and well shucked - we were recommended Kusshi's which were excellent. Cold, briny, fresh and sweet - the definition of good oysters in my book.

I know that have happy hour - but they should instigate 'quiet old people who want to be left alone' hour also.

←

Yes, unfortunately it is and it is the main reason I left their employ years ago.

It gets very tired after awhile and I prefer to educate people about oysters rather than irritate them with bad music selections.

I agree that they should institute a "people who want to be left alone to enjoy the damm oysters hour" too.

The oysters are always good and that makes putting up with the "frat boys" a little easier.

Keep on shucking

Oyster Guy

P.S. Stovetop, you are a man after my own heart and thanks for the beautiful memory that you have shared with us.

You are most welcome at my oyster bar in Whistler anytime, sir!

Edited February 4, 2006 by Oyster Guy (log)

[Ling]

I was utterly spoiled at the Bearfoot Bistro today--somehow my oyster shucking lesson stretched on from 2-10:30 p.m., with only a brief respite at Elements for more food! I had a great time with Chris, Andre, Trevor, Melissa, and Kurt today. I took a lot of pictures and I'll be uploading the oyster ones in this thread over the weekend with a few comments, but I thought I'd start by a few pictures that need very little explanation.

Here's my first "real" oyster shucking experience under the master himself. Prior to today, I've shucked a few oysters--perhaps prying oysters open with a rookie knife is a better way of describing what I was doing before. If I got the oyster open in, say, a minute without too much shell, I claimed success. Chris can shuck a dozen in something like 54 seconds!!

You can see a shot of their $30 000 cooler here. This is the view if you snag a prime seat in front of Chris' station.

Chris chose a Penrose for me as those are apparently the easiest to shuck.

Here I am trying to clean it up a bit...Chris said I did a good job. My friend has more pictures of the oyster I shucked and he'll upload that soon.

Stay tuned for more pictures...

Edited February 4, 2006 by Ling (log)

[winegeek]

Good for you Lorna! I see no blood, which is better than I did some months back. I had never shucked an oyster before , so I asked one of our shuckers at Joe's to give me a quick lesson. After explaining his technique I grabbed my first oyster and preceded to jabb the knife into my hand! Ouch!! It was at that moment that I knew that my career would not involve a knife.

Looking forward to more pictures.

Edited February 4, 2006 by winegeek (log)

[Ling]

Good for you Lorna! I see no bllod, which is better than I did some months back.  I had nevershucked an oyster before , so I asked one of our shuckers at Joe's to give me a quick lesson.  After explaining his technique I grabbed my first oyster and preceded to jabb the knife into my hand! Ouch!! It was at that moment that I knew that my career would not involve a knife.

Looking forward to more pictures.

←

That would've earned me an extra 30 seconds in a competition!!

(See? I learned so much yesterday! )

[Oyster Guy]

Lorna did such a good job that I would gladly hire her as my "oyster padawan" anyday of the week.

She also looks really good behind the bar!

Lorna, thanks again for coming out.

It was a lot of fun!

I will be making an oyster knife for you in the near future.

Keep on shucking

Oyster Guy

[makanmakan]

stovetop, that was food prose at it's best! beautiful, i could almost smell the ocean, feel the breezey cool air and taste the oysters. thank you!

oyster guy, next time i'm in whistler, i am so coming in for a oyster 101! i have oyster opening issues...lol.

lorna, great pics, sounds and looks like you had fun!

[D90]

Yesterday was absolutely a blast, I also have to thank everyone at Bearfoot especially those Lorna has already mentioned and lingcod of course . I learned a lot and will be eating oysters again in the near future yum Beau soleil’s and f’ing ham bay’s (I hope I spelled them right). Chris is by far the most knowable and straightforward guy while still keeping it civilized behind the bar that I have met, thank you for everything. Here is a picture of Ling face for a second when I was expecting to see blood & One of dish's created by our Oyster Yoda..

And of course no oyster tasting is complete without a chilled and sabered bottle of bubbly or beer. The picture of Andre showing Lorna how its done surrounded by their sunning collection in the wine cellar. The best way to be taught how to sabre a bottle is being taught by the world record holder...

More pictures and a full review of the day later today or maybe tomorrow I am still soo tired.

[Oyster Guy]

Nothing sexier for me than a beautiful woman holding a large bladed weapon!

Great pictures, Donald!

It was a joy to have you and Lorna at the bar.

Come back anytime!

Keep on shucking

P.S. The brownies you brought me were fantastic, Lorna.

No, there wasn't too much fleur de sel on them.

Thank you for being so kind to this oyster shucker!

Edited February 4, 2006 by Oyster Guy (log)

[Ling]

Continuing with the pictures...I've decided to post all the food from our first visit to BearFoot (we also hit up another restaurant, and then came back to BearFoot for dessert yesterday) here, since we were dining at the bar and chatting with Chris and Trevor the whole time. I'll link this post to the "Last Three Places" thread where you'll find the rest of my pictures from Whistler very soon!

Chris at work...the bar gets swamped during Happy Hour for the dozen oysters at $9.95!

This is the Sumac Ridge Stellar Jay Brut bottle I sabred in the wine cellar--we drank this with the oysters.

I got to keep the bottle (which we all signed!) and the cork, along with a signed abalone shell and we both got those really cool Moet & Chandon stemless glasses that they use at the bar (not pictured.)

Trevor fixed us two cocktails--a Tuscan Sun (gin-based) and a Cosmo for the man (vodka-based)

and here's part of his bar

I had the honour of meeting Melissa, the young chef at the Bearfoot. She's one of only three women in BC to have won the Black Box competition!

She sent a tuna sampler out to us...

tuna tartare

seared with shallots, shiitake and blood orange caviar (this was my favourite)

fried abalone? (I had about 7 or 8 drinks yesterday...that's like 6 drinks over my limit!)

then we moved onto the Kobe beef tartare...deliciously seasoned, and served with crisped bread, cornichon and chips

As good as the tartare was, I was won over by the black cod dish. The buttery fish was paired with a barely-pickled, crunchy cucumber salad. This has been on the menu for five years, and is one of the signature dishes at Bearfoot.

The main event...Chris treated us to a thorough lesson on the different types of oysters on the plate, including how and where they are grown and cultivated, and how each oyster tastes. This was my first time having such an extensive selection all together, and it was such a revelation noting the distinct characteristics and textures of each oyster. The oysters were served with freshly grated horseradish, mignonette, lemon, and orange.

Now I'm going to test myself and try to name all the oysters correctly. Starting from the top left, we have the BeauSoleil, which I've read about but never tasted before yesterday. Chris said that they are produced by La Maison BeauSoleil, in floating trays (or nets?) close to the surface.

Next to the BeauSoleil are the Effingham Bay (sp?), cultivated on 20 acres on the island (argh...forget which one!) What makes these oysters distinct is their deep cup, which is also characteristic of the Kusshi oyster. However, the tumbling method that forces the Kusshi oyster to grow in such a deep cup (the tumbler chips away at the external growth of the shell, forcing the oyster to grow deeper) results in a 40% loss in product yield. The loss on the Effinghams are only 3%. These oysters also feed on plankton (or was it phytoplankton?) unlike many oysters which are vegetarian. The Effingham Bay oysters are carried in three oyster bars in Toronto, Bearfoot, and Joe Fortes. They were one of my favourites on the platter...very long finish.

Next to the Effingham Bay are the Stellar Bay oysters, cultivated by hippies with PhD degrees on Cortes Island. The Stellar Bays have placed first in...some sort of oyster competition? recently. It is small, but very meaty. I've been a fan of these since I had them at Aurora.

The oysters to the right of the Stellar Bays are the Penrose. They have a thicker shell, which makes them easier to shuck. You definitely get the metallic finish a few seconds after you eat one, and it is best with mignonette (red wine, shallot, mint, bit of honey) to temper some of that metallic taste. These oysters are relatively inexpensive, and taste great!

The oysters you see with the oranges are Kumamotos--one of my favourite oysters. These were extremely plump, creamy, and sweet. A squeeze of lemon would ruin the taste of such a delicate oyster, so just a touch of orange is the way to go.

In front of the Kumamotos are the Kusshi oysters. These definitely tasted of cucumber and lettuce...very fresh and delicious. Like I noted earlier, the Kusshis have that deep cup because they are forced to grow deep when some of the exterior shell is chipped off in the tumbler.

The last oysters are European flats (not Belons! ) These must be weighted down to prevent moisture loss when the shell gapes open. Chris threw away quite a few of these before settling on the two on the plate, as he was dissatisfied with the amount of oyster liqueur in the shell. (He does not serve anything that he wouldn't eat himself.) Like the Penrose, the European flats have a metallic finish and so they should be served with mignonette. The texture of these oysters were chewier than the plump and creamy Kumamotos. This was my first European flat and also one of my favourites on the platter!

After this platter of oysters, we also tasted the Caraquette? (Caraquet?) oyster and the Chef's Creek. Here's the picture of the Chef's Creek.

I just wanted to thank everyone at Bearfoot again for giving me such an incredible opportunity. I especially want to thank Chris for teaching me--I'm now a bit less nescient of oysters, and have much more respect for the animal and the people who grow them. Learning about each variety before tasting them definitely enhanced the experience!

The sabering bit was so exciting, and what a great surprise! The hospitality and generosity of the restaurant was nothing short of overwhelming. It was wonderful to witness the close friendships among the staff--Melissa even gave Chris the rest of the night off to spend with us as soon as we got back from Elements!

Can't wait to go back...

Edited February 4, 2006 by Ling (log)

[jamiemaw]

Thanks for this wonderful report, Lorna. Top drawer. I was wondering what wine Chris and his colleagues would pair with the black cod and pickled cucumber dish.