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Roister the Oyster


jamiemaw

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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.

Being a beer drinker, I can't really help you out, Jamie.

But I will ask one of my extended family at work and let you know their choices.

Keep on shucking

Oyster Guy

Edited by Oyster Guy (log)

"Why then, the world is mine oyster, which I with sword, shall open."

William Shakespeare-The Merry Wives of Windsor

"An oyster is a French Kiss that goes all the way." Rodney Clark

"Oyster shuckers are the rock stars of the shellfish industry." Jason Woodside

"Obviously, if you don't love life, you can't enjoy an oyster."

Eleanor Clark

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Great Pics Lorna! I've really enjoyed reading about your experience at Bearfoot Bistro. And Chris, thanks for sharing all your great knowledge with the board. I've very much enjoyed reading your posts and learning in the process. Oyster Bob said you're not such a bad guy :raz:. I look forward to dropping in to see you next time I'm up in Whistler.

Derek

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[Hello Jamie, of course always a dry crisp  champagne like Lanson or Perrier Jouet or something like a good GEWÜRZTRAMINER , GRAND CRU

WILLM, KIRCHBERG DE BARR,CLOS GAENSBROENNEL, RESERVE 2001 would be wounderfull.

How's that for service Jamie? Thanks for this Andre ... and thanks to Ling & D90 for an amazing report! I'm horribly jealous.

As to the drinks ... I'm with OG. Gimme a lager with my Beausoleils!

A.

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Wow! - Beautiful pictures Ling, a very nice pictorial report, good to see Andre hard at work- doing what he loves best.

Thanks everyone for the kind words.

Oyster Guy- I am going home to the coast soon so I just might drop in on you, I would just love a oyster fix and I am sure you could fix me up.

thanks steve

Cook To Live; Live To Cook
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Wow, Lorna, what a fabulous day you had! I'm guessing we're all about equally envious, especailly of that tutored oyster tasting. I'd love to do that! I really like the Stellar Bays, and heven't had any of the others you got to try.

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Wow, Lorna, what a fabulous day you had!  I'm guessing we're all about equally envious, especailly of that tutored oyster tasting.  I'd love to do that!  I really like the Stellar Bays, and heven't had any of the others you got to try.

It was fabulous! I'll always remember it!

Chris--can't wait for my own oyster knife! :biggrin:

OK last picture...my friend just sent over a few more pictures of our trip. Here's the oyster I shucked!

bfmyoyster.jpg

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Wow, Lorna, what a fabulous day you had!  I'm guessing we're all about equally envious, especailly of that tutored oyster tasting.  I'd love to do that!  I really like the Stellar Bays, and heven't had any of the others you got to try.

It was fabulous! I'll always remember it!

Chris--can't wait for my own oyster knife! :biggrin:

OK last picture...my friend just sent over a few more pictures of our trip. Here's the oyster I shucked!

bfmyoyster.jpg

This is exactly why I would hire her for an oyster shucker.

Look at how nicely this oyster is shucked.

No shell, no punctured stomach and most importantly, none of her blood.

Beautifully presented too, I might add! :wink:

Your knife will be in your hands soon, Lorna.

Keep on shucking

Oyster Guy

"Why then, the world is mine oyster, which I with sword, shall open."

William Shakespeare-The Merry Wives of Windsor

"An oyster is a French Kiss that goes all the way." Rodney Clark

"Oyster shuckers are the rock stars of the shellfish industry." Jason Woodside

"Obviously, if you don't love life, you can't enjoy an oyster."

Eleanor Clark

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gallery_24774_2495_1191116.jpg

If you really get into shucking and are looking for a serious oyster knife, I can highly recommend one from Chateaux Laguile. I picked mine up about 15 years ago - and it is a jewel and still looks like new.

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gallery_24774_2495_1191116.jpg

If you really get into shucking and are looking for a serious oyster knife, I can highly recommend one from Chateaux Laguile. I picked mine up about 15 years ago - and it is a jewel and still looks like new.

YES! I need one...where, how...how much. I must have one of those.

That is a beautiful thing.

(edit...just to be clear, I mean the knife, not Ling! NO...ling is good looking, um...I mean I want the knife because it is beautiful and I need it...Ling is beautiful as well, but not for sale...you all know what I mean and am looking for....)

Edited by Chef Fowke (log)

Chef/Owner/Teacher

Website: Chef Fowke dot com

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These are my oyster knives.

I have never liked the way they come out of the box and I have always custom ground and sharpened my oyster knives to my personal preference.

While they aren't as pretty as Ducky's, they are very functional nonetheless.

The middle one is my all-purpose Richard which I have custom sharpened myself and is good for opening all types of oysters. This is the one I use the most and for competitions. (It says "Shuck this" on the handle :laugh: )

The black handled one is one given to me by the shuckers at Elliot's Oyster House in Seattle and is very good for most oysters except the smaller ones.

The other wooden handled knife is a present from my chef from her trip to San Fran and is an excellent knife to open the thinner shelled tray oysters.

I would love to give Ducky's a spin though.

Keep on shucking

Oyster Guy

Edited by Oyster Guy (log)

"Why then, the world is mine oyster, which I with sword, shall open."

William Shakespeare-The Merry Wives of Windsor

"An oyster is a French Kiss that goes all the way." Rodney Clark

"Oyster shuckers are the rock stars of the shellfish industry." Jason Woodside

"Obviously, if you don't love life, you can't enjoy an oyster."

Eleanor Clark

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gallery_25956_2411_159620.jpg

This is Lorna's new (and first) oyster knife that I custom sharpened for her and is being sent to her in the mail.

I ground off an eighth of an inch off both sides of the blade and removed the guard as it does not allow you to see the point of the knife while working and henceforth it isn't very safe to leave the guard on.

I really hope she likes it.

Note: Even on the work schedule underneath the knife, I am called OG :laugh:

Keep on shucking

Oyster Guy

Edited by Oyster Guy (log)

"Why then, the world is mine oyster, which I with sword, shall open."

William Shakespeare-The Merry Wives of Windsor

"An oyster is a French Kiss that goes all the way." Rodney Clark

"Oyster shuckers are the rock stars of the shellfish industry." Jason Woodside

"Obviously, if you don't love life, you can't enjoy an oyster."

Eleanor Clark

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YES! I need one...where, how...how much. I must have one of those.

Well you can find them all over France in goofd knife shops, or on the internet, and probably also in Vancouver - but I don't know where. The problem - as discussed on another thread - is that there are many cheap imitations around.

Laguiole is a small village in the Auvergne - and not a trademark. Authentic Laguiole knives are things of great beauty and will last a lifetime. Sadly there is also a lot of rubbish on the market that carries the Laguiole name. (As used to be the case with "Sheffield").

I would not buy one of these knives over the internet. You really have to hold them in your hand to be able to discern the ones with the real craftsmanship. If they are authentic they will be exquisitely weighted and balanced and finished - like something that belongs in a Cartier shop.

Oyster Guy: I'll bring my knife in one of these days and you can take it for a test drive.

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All this talk about oysters has me drooling and waiting until I get out on the boat to pick them right off the beach off Nelson Island, nothing tastes as good (or as fresh!) as being able to pick them yourself whilst being anchored in some secluded cove! Another boater favorite is of course Cabbage Island!

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All of this oyster talk has prompted me to sign up as an eGulleteer after reading with great interest over the last few weeks! While I quite enjoy Rodney's in Vancouver, I have to say Rodney's in Toronto is awesome.

The room is all sleek blonde wood, perfectly set up to grab a bunch of friends and cosy up at a booth. For the year I lived in the T-dot I could pretty much be found waiting with much anticipation at the oyster shucking bar at least a couple of times a month.

I chomped my way through Belons, Fanny Bays, Beausoleils, Raspberry and Ship's Points, Kusshis, Kumamotos and the ubiquitous Malpeques, almost always with a spritz of lemon and shallot vinaigrette before I'd upsy daisy the whole concoction down my throat.

Putting aside whether there's actually a chemical reason for the aphrodisiac qualities ascribed to oysters, I think the whole process of eating them invokes a certain mood, in both genders. :wink:

By far the best oyster I've ever had in my life is the Cocomandel (or Coromandel?) Bay from New Zealand. Two or three inches long, but much firmer than you might expect with such a big oyster... even a little bit of crunch a la Chinese style jellyfish. The meat is also quite thick, and the taste! Imagine cucumber mixed with a hint of brine and you'd almost be there. I can't do it justice.

By the end of my sojourn in the Big Smoke, Craig the shucker and I had gotten to be fast friends. So when he suggested I eat a live pink scallop, I said I was game.

He popped the top half off, and the wee scallop looked quite delicious... until I squirted some lemon on it... and it flinched.

eek!

I ate it anyway.

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gallery_25956_2411_159620.jpg

This is Lorna's new (and first) oyster knife that I custom sharpened for her and is being sent to her in the mail.

I ground off an eighth of an inch off both sides of the blade and removed the guard as it does not allow you to see the point of the knife while working and henceforth it isn't very safe to leave the guard on.

I really hope she likes it.

Note: Even on the work schedule underneath the knife, I am called OG :laugh:

Keep on shucking

Oyster Guy

Wow, that's so cool! My very own customized oyster knife! I sent the pics of my adventure (and the knife) to my friends and they are GREEN with envy! :laugh: Thank-you, thank-you for everything! I will ship you and your staff some baked goods!! :biggrin:

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Welcome aboard Claudiak!

Always nice to hear from a new member and a fellow oyster lover.

Your posts brought back some memories for me.

Rodney's Oyster House in Toronto is where I started my career in oysters back in 1987. (Not it's present location but it's old location on Adelaide Street East)

Those were some good times at that bar. The old one was made of black Italian granite and was beautifully designed.

(Other than whenever you opened the beer fridge, you sacked a co-worker :shock: )

But I am very happy to hear that my old friend and mentor is still doing well.

We are both busy with our own projects and don't always have time to talk.

It was where I "cut my teeth" learning how to shuck as well as other things.

It was also the place I fell in love with the briny denizens of the deep and the first place I ever ate raw oysters in my life.

Rodney rewarded me for returning his wallet that I found on the street and gave me a dozen raw New London Bay Malpeques and offered me a job.

It was the beginning of a new life and a rather exciting one at that.

Thanks for taking me back almost twenty years and reminding me of my roots.

Keep on shucking

Oyster Guy

"Why then, the world is mine oyster, which I with sword, shall open."

William Shakespeare-The Merry Wives of Windsor

"An oyster is a French Kiss that goes all the way." Rodney Clark

"Oyster shuckers are the rock stars of the shellfish industry." Jason Woodside

"Obviously, if you don't love life, you can't enjoy an oyster."

Eleanor Clark

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An ultimate oyster experience for me in pictures and words.

I hope that I will not be too long winded and bore you with too many details.

So here goes....

My friend and mentor Adam (Oyster Boy) had come out for a visit for his birthday this last October and I went to meet him on Vancouver Island.

We planned to go visit our oyster growing friend and supplier, Brent Petkau, on Cortes Island and spend the night at the cabin on Marina Island where Brent's oyster lease is.

The ferry ride from Campbell River to Quadra Island usually takes 10 minutes but due to the storm that had blown in, it took 30 that day.

We were warned that we might not be able to make it to Cortes due to the sea conditions but being the dedicated oystermen we are, we pushed forth anyways.

It started to get windy as we got out of the lee of Quadra Island and headed for open water.

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It was an exciting experience and made me feel very alive inside.

As I hung on for dear life as the boat was bucking like a wild horse.

It made me appreciate the fact that men would go to sea in these conditions and worse in just wooden boats and under sail. It was a real rush and the ferry crew thought we were nuts being out on the deck! :laugh:

We got safely to Cortes Island and on arriving in Whaletown at Brent's place, the weather had changed again and became very peaceful all of a sudden.

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Brent wanted to wait just a little longer for the water to calm down and after our own experience, we were more than happy with his decision.

It also gave us time to have a quick oyster snack and a can or two of Guiness while we waited for the winds to die down a little.

Luckily, Brent had the oysters right there anticipating our arrival and appetite size as well.

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After packing our gear into Brent's boat, consisting of food, wet weather gear, gum boots and plenty of Guiness and numerous bottles of wine, we were off.

Even though the wind had died down, the water was still roiling and the crossing from Cortes to Marina was almost as exciting as the ferry ride had been.

On the way, Brent told us of the time he got caught in a riptide off Cape Mudge on Quadra Island and how he had thought that he was going to die.

It did nothing to reassure us but it did give me a much deeper respect for the guys and women who go down to the sea in ships.

To think of people putting their ass on the line so that I can eat oysters......

We got over to Marina Island and there I saw the famous "Oyster Cabin".

It was originally built by a Vietnam draft dodger back in the 70's and was really well designed.

It may not look like much from the outside but it was very warm and comfortable inside.

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Once we had hauled our gear from the beach to the cabin, we settled in for the night and my mentor and best friend Adam showed me he can still kick my ass shucking. :laugh:

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We prepared a small but tasty feast using the fresh oysters, some of Brent's smoked oysters, some triple smoked wild boar bacon that Micheal Stadtlander had sent with Adam for us on our trip and of course, copious amounts of refreshing beverages to wash it down with.

(Adam, Brent and Micheal are working on a "wee project" on Micheal's farm over the Valentine's Day period. I hope that the Food Channel has a camera or two there as it would be very interesting to see what they got up to.)

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There we were, Brent (The Oyster Man), me (The Oyster Guy) and Adam, being the youngest of us, The Oyster Boy.

After talking and drinking and eating, we settled in for the night and made our sleeping arrangements.

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The next morning was beautiful and the water was like a pane of glass.

As soon as it was low tide, we were off to the "oyster ranch" and ready to work.

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We came across these 2 beauties as soon as we set foot on Brent's lease.

These are his broodstock oysters. They are his breeders for when he goes to the hatchery to get his seed oysters.

He will place them in warm water tanks and they will start spawning and he can collect the oyster larvae when the oysters expell it from their shells.

These are also typical of what a beach grown oyster will look like.

Rough, thick shell with all sorts of barnacles and other sea life on them.

It gets that way from being tossed around by the waves and tidal action.

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We also noticed that we were not the only ones on Marina Island.

Brent also shares this island with a pack of 16 Coastal wolves and although they remained out of sight, we did hear them at night and found their tracks all over the beach.

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After a couple of hours of hauling clams and oysters back down the beach from where they had been tossed by the storm the previous night, we were getting hungry.

But how can you starve in the midst of plenty when you have an oyster knife? :biggrin:

If you have never picked up an oyster from the beach and shucked it and eaten right there, it is almost totally indescribable!

So fresh, a good cold hit of the sea on your lips, crisp firm texture of the meat between your teeth and the lingering watermelon finish as you toss the shell away to be fought over by baby crabs.

It just doesn't get much better than this with all your clothes on!

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We headed back to the cabin for fritatas and coffee and after re-packing the boat, we took a quick trip over to the oyster rafts in Gorge Harbour on Cortes Island to try some line and tray grown oysters.

We pulled alongside the floating oyster rafts and tied up.

Brent pulled up some line grown oysters and we broke a couple off and ate them.

We also pulled up some tray grown ones as well.

These are protected from wave and tidal action and have much more fragile shells than the beach grown oyster.

(I just wanted to show Laura F the differences I was talking about)

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These are how the line oysters look coming out of the water.gallery_25956_2411_248924.jpg

In the harbour there were also a grading and harvesting raft and some setting tanks.

I am only going into a little detail so that you can understand their function.

The harvester and grading table are set so that you pull the line up and as you break the oysters off the bleached shells they have set on, you can grade them according to size and shape and age.

You can also transfer them to trays to deep water culture them (sink the trays down so that they feed on more zooplankton than phytoplankton)

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The setting tanks are used to set oyster larvae onto bleached oyster shells.

The tanks are filled with warm seawater and bleached oyster shells are placed on the bottom of the tank.

The oyster larvae is then put into the tanks and it attaches itself to the oyster shells in the tank.

(Oyster larvae are free-swimming for the first 2 weeks of their life until they find a nice rock or shell to call home and settle on it)

Once the shells have been set with oyster seed, they are intertwined in strands of rope and hung from the floating rafts.

After about a year, they are harvested and graded and moved to the beach for hardening (being tossed around from the waves and tides to produce a thicker shelled oyster) or to the deep water culturing trays.

This is what setting tanks look like.

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Well, I just wanted to share this with the rest of you and maybe teach you a little bit about how your food is grown.

Hope you have enjoyed it as much as I did.

Keep on shucking

Oyster Guy

Edited by Oyster Guy (log)

"Why then, the world is mine oyster, which I with sword, shall open."

William Shakespeare-The Merry Wives of Windsor

"An oyster is a French Kiss that goes all the way." Rodney Clark

"Oyster shuckers are the rock stars of the shellfish industry." Jason Woodside

"Obviously, if you don't love life, you can't enjoy an oyster."

Eleanor Clark

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Well, I just wanted to share this with the rest of you and maybe teach you a little bit about how your food is grown.

Hope you have enjoyed it as much as I did.

Keep on shucking

Oyster Guy

I am overwhelmed! Awesome pictorial OG! How often do you get to enjoy excursions like this, and more importantly, how can I get in on it?? :laugh:

A.

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I don't get to spend as much time as I'd like to doing this, Daddy-A.

Just a few months a year :laugh:

If you are interested in something like this, they do run an oyster tour out of Campbell River.

It is run by Clearwater Marine Tours and you can book a shellfish farm or a custom marine tour depending on what you want.

Their website is www.clearwatermarinetours.com

Most oyster farmers are more than happy to give you a quick tour of their farms and this sort of thing has become very popular.

Sort of like visiting the vineyards in the Okanagan or California.

You can also contact my friend Brent at www.theoysterman.com if you would like to sometime join us on one of our oyster "campouts."

I'd be more than pleased to have your company as would Brent.

Hope this helps

Keep on shucking

Oyster Guy

P.S. Arne, a lot of people sit at my oyster bar and tell me what a tough job it must be to shuck oysters all the time.

I like to think of their comments when I am out on the farm and agree with them.

Yeah, it's a tough job but somebody's got to do it.

And it might as well be me! :laugh:

Edited by Oyster Guy (log)

"Why then, the world is mine oyster, which I with sword, shall open."

William Shakespeare-The Merry Wives of Windsor

"An oyster is a French Kiss that goes all the way." Rodney Clark

"Oyster shuckers are the rock stars of the shellfish industry." Jason Woodside

"Obviously, if you don't love life, you can't enjoy an oyster."

Eleanor Clark

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Oyster Guy ... great write up and photos. One day I, too, hope to stuff oysters freshly scooped from the beach into my mouth.

A friend of mine goes up to Savory Island near Powell River every summer and talks fondly of the local oysters, which she steams on a BBQ.

For those of us who are unable to go on oyster expeditions, there are a few other options — some that have already been discussed in this thread. In the past I frequently bought oysters from Strait Oysters Ltd. (www.straitoysters.com), which sold oysters from False Creek Fisherman's Wharf. However, I just called the company and apparently they aren’t selling oysters due to unfavourable sales dock regulations. They might return next fall if conditions improve. It’s too bad because their oysters and prices are great.

Another great option, but only available once a year, is the annual BC Wine and Oyster Festival put on by Liberty Merchant Co. It took place on Jan. 17th at the Hyatt Regency. I didn’t go this year, but went last year. It’s a great deal. Cost is $40 and you can eat oysters till you’re sick. I ate 25 oysters (I like mine with lemon juice) and my friend ate 45. I had an upset stomach after the pig out. Oh, yeah, there’s some decent wine, as well.

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