Four years ago my parents hosted an oyster feed on the Saturday after Thanksgiving. Since then we’ve spent the holiday in Savannah and New York City and have not been able to gather everyone together for a repeat event. Until this year.
My dad spent days scouting the best regional oyster varieties and most competitive prices. And on Friday morning, he picked up about 400 of them — yes, 400 — including salt oysters to eat raw, Chincoteagues to steam, and buckets of oysters to fry and to stew.
It’s important to note that fresh oysters — such as those we ate raw and steamed (pictured above) — must be alive until just before consumption. If the oyster’s shell is tightly closed, it’s safe to eat. If it’s even just slightly open, toss it. (Which we learned from our seafood-loving Massachusetts friends.)
If you can get past the fact that you’re about to eat a live mollusk, how do you go about opening the shell and getting the little bugger out? You shuck it. With a special knife that has a short, sharp blade. And you wear heavy gloves (which Nick is not wearing in this photo because he was only posing). Professionals need just three seconds to shuck an oyster. My uncle can do it in about twenty.
Once open, add a bit of cocktail sauce and a squirt of lemon. Then slurp it up, right out of its shell.
What? Does that not sound appetizing? My sister was brave enough to try one, but I think it will be a long time before she has another.
I don’t mind eating them raw, especially with lots of lemon, but I prefer them to be steamed. Thanks to my brother and cousin, we had an ongoing supply off the grill and smoker.
Chincoteage, VA is well known for its oysters, and they make great steamers. While on the grill, the shell opens, making them easy to serve. You could top them with bacon and cheese, but we stuck to cocktail sauce and lemon. With shrimp on the side.
The steamed oysters were my favorite of the day — I think I ate a dozen myself.
The fried oysters, however, were popular among the more squeamish guests. Dad breaded 160 of them the night before, then he and my uncle dipped them into the deep fryer and lined them up for sandwiches. I like mine with just a bit of mustard.
We also had creamy, buttery oyster stew. Mom bought a shiny new pot just for the occasion. And Dad loosely followed a recipe, quadrupling the measurements and adding lots of scallions and black pepper.
We topped the bowlfuls with crunchy oyster crackers and huddled around the heater in the garage while listening to college football on the radio.
As if the oysters weren’t enough, Dad and Nick deep fried a turkey, too.
Nick cleaned the turkey, injected it with creole butter, and rubbed cajun spices on top. Then he kept it cold until we were ready to dunk it into the hot peanut oil. (Cold, but not frozen. The turkey must be completely thawed to avoid the risk of explosion!)
They make a good team, don’t they?
And Nick was honored to carve the crispy, juicy bird. (He said he felt like Crosby on the Thanksgiving episode of Parenthood.)
I hope the Oyster Feed becomes an annual event, although Dad said he had an ulterior motive this year. You know oysters are aphrodisiacs, he said. Yes, I think my father is encouraging procreation of his oldest daughter and her husband. And here I thought that duty was reserved for my mother and sister.
Are you a fan of oysters? Do you like them raw, steamed, fried, or stewed?
You all look like you had such a fun time. What a great idea!
When I was little I remember my grandfather (Pop-Pop) explaining to me that every time he ate an oyster he had to take a drink of beer to prevent the oyster from sliding back up. That has swayed me against oysters since – even tho now I now he was just teasing! Sounds like a wonderful family tradition you have there! Cathy
I love what your Pop-Pop told you! Sounds like something my dad would say 🙂
Eat those little buggers! We want more grandchildren too! LOL
My family always had them scalloped on Thanksgiving and Christmas. You layer them with Ritz cracker crumbs, grind pepper over each layer and dot with buttter. When your casserole is full, you pour in enough cream to see around the edges. Bake at 350 until brown on top and bubbly.
Sounds delicious, Pat. Thanks for sharing!
Found this blog through Twitter. I look forward to exploring it.
A dumb question I’ve always wanted to ask someone:
Do you actually chew the oyster on the way down, or do you just swallow it whole?
Chewing seems weird … but at the same time, I fail to grasp the culinary appeal of something you get down your throat as quickly and as undisturbed as possible.
I mean, that’s not the point of eating, is it?
If you can fill me in, I’d appreciate it.
I’ve had a few raw oysters here and there, but I’m not sure I’ve appreciated them as much as I could.
Kinky, I’m an oyster purist when it comes to eating them raw. No lemon, no sauce, just their own liquor, and I always give them a bite or two before they slide down to release the taste of the sea. A good raw oyster is one of life’s true pleasures, though I’ll eat them just about any way they’re served.
We had bowls of amazing oyster stew at a stand at the Bloomsburg Fair years ago. Still one of my fondest memories from any fair I’ve attended.
Thanks for visiting, Kinky! See Sam’s comment below regarding how to eat a raw oyster. He’s a much more qualified expert than I am. (Though I, too, give it one or two chews before swallowing.)
So jealous! My sorority used to have an oyster roast every year with the raw variety and also the roasted variety in the buried fire pit… SO YUMMY! A dear friend got married last April in Pawley’s Island, SC and her rehearsal dinner was resplendent with raw oysters – I must have eaten nearly 2 dozen – love them!
That looks like it was an awesome time! I love oysters however I can get them. And I love deep fried turkey as well. Even though you have to forgo the stuffing and the pan gravy as a result, those birds are well worth it!
My question – did you get Nick to make you any great bread for the meal? Or any other meal for that matter?… 🙂
Yes!!! Nick has made sourdough three times and scones once. We just finished the focaccia from our freezer, so I think it’s time for another batch of that, too! I’m a lucky girl 🙂 And he promises me that he will eventually blog about his class with you and share some of the recipes he’s been making.