All the oysters you can eat.....

Wednesday, November 14, 2007
We have settled in to life back in Oriental, NC. We bought a car and are enjoying the mobility. Here in the marina, the social life is very rich. Almost every night lately, we have been having outdoor potlucks around the fire pit. As soon as a fire is lit, folks just start showing up with food and drink.
Yesterday, we used the new car to take Don, Heesook, and son Christopher shopping. They have been at the marina for a few days now on their way to the Bahamas. Don wanted to get some fresh shrimp, so we went to the local shrimp packing plant where "just off the boat" shrimp are frequently available at great prices. Alas, it was late in the day and so their stock was all gone. So we just went to the supermarket. As we came out, we saw a truck that said "Fresh Crabs and Oysters" on the side making a delivery. Don, being somewhat irrepressible, went over and offered to buy some oysters directly from the driver. To our surprise, they made a deal. We pitched in and the two families bought a bushel of fresh oysters (harvested yesterday) for $40. That is a bag that I doubt the women could lift.
So we took them back to the marina and I began to discover why a plate of oysters on the half-shell costs $1 per oyster and up. First we had to break clumps of oysters into individuals. They we had to hose the mud off them. They were in the same condition as when they were pulled out of the ocean. Then we sorted them into oysters that would be easy to shuck for eating raw and oysters that would need some kind of cooking to get them open. Finally, the oysters to be shucked at once needed to be brushed along their hinges so that leftover muck didn't get inside when they were shucked. When you consider that we are dealing with well over 200 oysters, the task becomes significant. By the time all this was done, it was dark.
But finally the oysters arrived at the table and we commenced the all-you-can-eat oyster feed. We tried every possible combination of sauces in addition to just as they come from the shell. Shucking them took a bit more work, but we had more help so we gorged. Then the BBQ oysters started coming off the grill. You toast them until they open. They get steamed in their own juices and then get a smokey flavor on top of that. Since this was a potluck, there was chicken, pork, salads and pasta to be had. Finally, we couldn't eat anything more.
So we went to bed with our refrigerator full to capacity with the fresh oysters that didn't get used. Tomorrow, there is to be an oyster chowder, according to the reigning cook. I think I can handle this.
Late flash: there was an oyster chowder, "just like Mom used to make", and then for dinner, Oysters Rockafeller, lot of them and the best I've ever had. We washed those down with a Chardonney from New Zealand's Marlborough region. This is my favorite source of great value wines - virtually any wine from this region will be a treat, especially if it has a screw cap. The Marlborough vintners are the first group to really defy the notion that cork is the only way to seal a quality wine. Actually, it is the worst, and screw tops are the best. Anyway, we aren't living too badly our here. We really do wish you were here.