Microwaved Oysters

You know what one of my pet peeves is?  When a TV chef proclaims that the only good use for a microwave is popcorn. As a family that would starve without a microwave, I take slight offense.  So what do you think a microwave hater would say if I *gasp* microwaved an oyster to steam it open?

A friend of mine, who is also a successful wholesale seafood distributor and oyster lover, told me that when he wants to steam just a handful of oysters, he pops them in the microwave.

Say what??  All I envisioned was exploding shell parts.

We happened to have a dozen oysters left over from a dinner party the other night, so I tried microwaving them.  It's genius.  And I can't wait to share it with you.


HOW TO STEAM AN OYSTER IN THE MICROWAVE

Step One:
Place an oyster on a paper towel or microwave-safe plate with the curved side down to make sure you don't lose the oyster liquor.

Step Two:
Microwave on high for one minute.

Keep an eye on it.  As soon as the shells separate, the oyster is ready to eat.  I microwaved 6 single oysters - all about 3 1/2 inches long - and each one took between 55 sec. and 1 min, 7 sec.














Step Three:
After the oyster shell "pops" open, remove it from the microwave and pry off the top oyster shell (with a Harbor Island Signature Oyster Knife, of course) and pluck the oyster meat out of the shell.

My husband likes his oysters "well done" - so that they shrivel a little.  I prefer them rare to medium-rare - so that they burst open when you bite down on them and they release their briny goodness.  My microwaved oysters steamed my oysters to the perfect temperature - plump and delicious.  I guess if you left them in the microwave longer they would begin to shrivel, but I was making these oysters for me, so I cooked them to my taste.




MORE THAN ONE AT A TIME?

After my experiment microwaving the six oysters, I only had six oysters left, so I decided to microwave three of them at a time.  You know how when you cook a Hot Pocket, one Hot Pocket takes 2 minutes but two Hot Pockets take close to 4 minutes.  There's really no benefit to cooking two at a time.

The opposite seems to be true when microwaving oysters.  I placed all three on a plate (cup side down) and set the timer for one minute.  I only needed 45 seconds.  I tried it again with the last three oysters and I had the same experience.  Three oysters.  45 seconds.  They were just as good as when I microwaved them individually.  Give it a try and let me know what you think.

Just a note: I haven't experimented with cluster oysters.  I think there may be some issues with the sea juice (oyster liquor) leaking out, so I would stick with singles.  My experiment was with Eastern oysters (Crassostrea Virginica).  If you happen to experiement with clusters, please post here and let me know how it goes.

You're Invited ...

I love this time of year when our mailbox fills with Christmas and holiday cards.  Some are from friends who we are lucky enough to have in our daily lives.  Some are from far away relatives and neighbors who we miss.  And some are from old friends that we rarely see but cherish more than they will ever know.  These are the ones I look forward to the most: cards from my first-year college roommate, from my UVA besties, from our babysitters to whom we will always be indebted.

I think one of the things that makes Christmas so special are the cards.  We rarely get personal mail any more.  During the year, I love the surprise of opening a hand-addressed envelope from a special friend.  So I started thinking about your oyster roasts this year.  How about ditching Evite and emails and sending a printed invitation to your event?  I've put together several of my favorites and where you can buy them online.  (Please remember that the images are the sole property of the artists who created them.) Enjoy!

Oysters & Lemons.  (www.invitationbox.com)
LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this fresh design for oysters.  Perfect for a roast or a cocktail party.  Invitations start at 10 for $14.

Braxton Crim Graphic Design (Charleston, SC)
Braxton Crim is the Asst Art Director at Garden & Gun.  'Nuf said.  This is a custom design, but I liked this one so much I had to include it.

Watercolor Oyster Invitation.  (www.etsy.com)

Allison Ashton's original watercolor is delicate, refined and definitely makes an impression.  Not only will your guests look forward to your party, but they'll forever have a beautiful piece of artwork.  What a hostess!

Sweet Wishes Oyster Roast Beach Party.  (sweetwishstore @ etsy.com)
This is the most modern and fresh design we've seen for an oyster invitation.  Can be ordered in any quantity you want.

Got oysters?  (www.cafepress.com)

Got friends with a  sense of humor?  These hit just the right note.  You can also order aprons, t-shrits and mugs to match.

Engagement Toast & Oyster Roast  (www.paperstyle.com)

Not a picture of an oyster in sight ... but it's perfect.  

Oyster Invitation  (www.polkadotdesign.com)
Simple.  Elegant.  Let's the oyster do the talking.

Oyster Roast Invitations.  (www.creationsbyleslie.com)
Can't you just feel the cool, crisp air and the hot fire?

Do you have a favorite?  We want to know.  Have you designed your own oyster roast invitation?  We'd love to see it. Post a comment and share with your friends.

Chat with Rowan Jacobsen

Rowan Jacobsen

I'm in heaven.  Rowan Jacobsen - the ostreophile who introduced me to drinking Perrier with oysters because it is "the only taste light enough to remind us that oysters are concentrated sea" - agreed to an interview with Harbor Island Oyster Co. and Oyster Stew.  Jacobsen is the James Beard Award-winning author of A Geography of Oysters: The Connoisseur's Guide to Oyster Eating in America.  We've sold a lot of his books at Harbor Island Oyster Co. and we are downright giddy that he cyber-stopped by to answer a few of our pressing questions.





OYSTER STEW: Can you recount where and when you ate your first oyster?  What kind was it?

JACOBSEN: Stormy’s Crab House, New Smyrna Beach, Florida, circa 1981. It was a local Florida oyster, likely from Mosquito Lagoon.

OYSTER STEW: How often do you eat oysters?

JACOBSEN: I almost never eat them in summer anymore. From Thanksgiving through about Valentine’s Day, I eat them every few days.

OYSTER STEW: What's the most unusual preparation of an oyster you've seen?

JACOBSEN: The chef at Bluebird Tavern, in Burlington, VT, once smoked oyster bellies that were superb. They are much more tender when you just smoke the bellies.

OYSTER STEW: What oyster do you see on a menu that you can't pass up?

JACOBSEN: Glidden Point, Olympia, Totten Inlet Virginica, Colville Bay

Sewansecott Oysters

OYSTER STEW: What's your go-to oyster?

JACOBSEN: Sewansecott

(Note: Sewansecott Oysters have been grown in the waters of Hog Island Bay off the coast of Virginia for most of 100 years. H.M Terrey Co., which produces the oysters, is still owned by a fourth generation of the Terry family.) 

OYSTER STEW: You were high on Coromandel oysters from Mexico when your book was published in 2007.  Have any other international oysters risen to take its place in your view?

JACOBSEN: They haven’t imported any new ones into the U.S. recently, so no, no dominant international oysters.


OYSTER STEW: You often say that oysters are about quality, not quantity.  But, what's the most number of oysters you have eaten in one sitting?  Pacific or Eastern?

JACOBSEN: About 75 Pacifics. I don’t recommend it.

OYSTER STEW: Which country would you recommend an ostreophile put on her bucket list?

JACOBSEN: Honestly, the U.S. is where it’s at, but Australia, France, the UK, and Canada all have their charms.

OYSTER STEW: What's the newest trend in oysters? (harvesting, sustaining, new species etc.)

JACOBSEN: Tumbled oysters are the new trend. Kusshi was the first tumbled oyster, now you have Shigoku, Blue Pool, and quite a few others. They are all excellent. The half-price oyster midnight happy hour is another nice new trend.

A Geography of Oysters:
The Connoisseur's Guide to
Oyster Eating in America

Here's a special bonus. The e-book version of A Geography of Oysters: The Connoisseur's Guide to Oyster Eating in America is available for a very limited time at Amazon.com for just $1.99.  Seriously, treat yourself.  

Thanks Rowan!  For more info about Rowan and his bi-valves, visit The Oyster Guide (www.oysterguide.com).

Backyard Oyster Roast

Ahh, November.  Finally time for our annual backyard oyster roast.  We invited our favorite friends and neighbors for a Southern Backyard Oyster Roast.  The weather was crisp and the Topsail Sound oysters were plump and briny.

STEAMING THE OYSTERS
We steamed up four bushels of oysters in our Bayou Classic 42-QT steamer - one batch at a time. 

Here's our suggestion for perfectly steamed oysters:

Step 1

Seafood steamers typically come with a perforated bucket.  Fill the pot until an inch below the basket line with a 9:1 ratio of water to white vinegar.  

Step 2

Place on the tripod over the propane tank, place the bucket on the tripod, place the cover on the pot and bring the water to a boil. 

Step 3 In the meantime, wash oysters in an outdoor sink or use a garden hose. When the water boils, add oysters to the pot.  Take time to stack the oysters by hand (rather than dumping them haphazardly into the pot) to ensure a more even steam. (CAUTION: Just in case the long necks have taken over your common sense ... Boiling water will be HOT.) Place the lid on the pot with the oysters.

Step 4

After 10 min., pull up the basket using your silicon pot holders and give the oysters a shake to make sure you can see the oysters both on the top and the bottom.  If you want a glorious, juicy oyster, pull them out of the steamer when the shells have separated about an 1/8”.  Wait until they’ve separated a 1/4" - 1/2" for a more well done oyster.

Step 5 

Dump oysters directly on the table – preferably one made especially for oysters (see below).  Guests should eat as quickly and as many oysters as they can.  

Steamed and plump with a
dash of extra hot cocktail sauce.

Friends gathered around our oyster table.

Step 6: Repeat until you run out of oysters

OYSTER AVOIDERS

It's hard for me to admit, but not everyone likes oysters and even oyster lovers need a little variety.  So we made some easy food.




- Chick Pea Salad (chickpeas, feta, red onion, cilantro, parsley, olive oil, and lots of lemon)

- BBQ sandwiches on Hawiiann Rolls with pickled onions

- Balsamic-Bacon Deviled Eggs

- Curried Deviled Eggs

- Chicken & Sausage Gumbo

- Pork Tenderloin Skewers

Cold beer!
(Don't forget the koozies.) 

DECOR

Even a backyard roast needs a little something.  We bought alphabet stamps and went to town.  Bamboo, biodegradable spoons got a little kick with silly, fun, slightly relevant sayings like "slurp," "enjoy," "yum," "bite me," and "eat."

DESSERT

Last - but definitely not least - DESSERT.  Easy peasy.  We cut the bottom 1/3 off of Kraft paper bags and folded the top 1/4" to keep our guests sleeves from catching on the raw edge.  We stamped the bags and filled them with a heaping cup of pumpkin flavored popcorn from Vics.  

We also laid out the fixings for a good old fashioned s'mores by the fire.

AFTER THE PARTY

The next day, we picked through the oyster shells to pull out the trash and took the empty shells to our oyster shell recycling facility to give life to a whole new generation of oysters.  

NC Oyster Festival

I broke the seal Sunday ...

NC Oyster Festival.  Ocean Isle, NC.  

I loaded up the family and headed down to the NC Oyster Festival in Ocean Isle, North Carolina, for my first steamed local oysters of the season.  I couldn't wait.  After we arrived at the festival, I was ready to make a beeline to the oyster tent.  But no.  We're immediately side tracked by the bright balloon darts, spinning barrels, pick-a-duck pond and loads of crappy prizes.  Ugh!  Finally, with allowances spent, we slowly made our way to the oyster tent.  (Please pause for a happy dance.)






Ahhh.  Steaming oysters on a perfectly crisp fall day in October.  Happiness for all six senses (and yes, umami, I'm talking to you).

The oyster roast was old school ... Huge crusty grills ... Burlap for steaming ...

Left: My first bucket of steamed oysters this season. 

Right: The oysters were harvested near Beaufort, SC.  They were small with medium brine ... and not as plump as I would have preferred.  No doubt they were wild clusters that could have used some more time hanging out in cool water.  It's early though!

 

North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries was there to collect and recycle all of the oyster shells.  This is the pile collected in only three hours.  The oyster shells are put back in the inlet for a new generation of oyster seeds.

After recycling, we headed back to the festival to walk around and meet some of the artists.  I saw some new oyster knives that we hope to feature on the website soon.  I also met the crazy talented Karen Clayton Braxton.  Check out this oyster bucket she hand painted with, um, an oyster.  We hope to be carrying her buckets as soon as possible and cannot wait.

Finally, check out this oyster sculpture by the boys at Carolina Shucking Co.









It's on.  Oyster season is open.  (Please pause for another happy dance.)