Before the 1990's, it was much harder to get oysters. Back then, they were too expensive for most people. Then, later in the 1990's when the economy began to boom, consumers became more interested than ever in all types of rare and expensive luxury items - of course, including oysters.
What's more, the annual growth in oyster sales has been about 30% a year since the 1990's. To meet consumer demand, consumers need expert advice for buying, storing, and preparing oysters.
This calls to my memory a large corporate/media sales event that I once planned. My initial idea was to serve an Oyster Bar, set up and attended to by a local restaurant called Tom's Oyster Bar. At their Oyster Bar, their brand theme is their specialization of offering a diverse array of oysters to choose from. And on top of that, they just happen to serve good food.
While in the process of planning the party, the guest count jumped from from 500 to 1600 guests. Worried about the possibility of culinary legal repercussions, the client felt that an Oyster Bar would no longer be practical, thus not doable. And along with the Oyster Bar, there went the super slick martini and cigar/aperitif bars, too!
My feeling was the same then as it is today; as far as the client was concerned, it wasn't about the expense of the oysters as much as it was about the idea of serving seafood in today's world, where so many people have severe allergies.
But when you're planning an event, the client is king. And for those of you who were wondering - you navigate your way through safely offering seafood on your menu by announcing it from the very beginning; adding a complete copy of the menu to your invitation. Unless they can't read, your guests have been forewarned.
To setup an Oyster Bar at your party - oyster varieties, their place of origin, cost, storage, and preparation are all important things to consider.
Oyster origin and variety
Important to know is that there are only two varieties (or scientific classifications) for East Coast oysters. East Coast oysters (Crassostrea virginica) make up about 99.9% of all the East Coast oysters, including the ones in the Gulf Coast.
They vary in flavor not only from the variety standpoint, but also from their geography and the climate of the area where they're grown. Oysters act kind of as "water filters". They take on the characteristics not only of their species but also from the water that they feed from.
Buy them by paying particular attention to the oysters place of origin. Understand that you'll have your work cut out for you. It can be quite a feat, considering their are 50 different choices in the Chesapeake Bay alone. The flavor depends not only on the type (of oyster), but also where they're farmed, their feed, and the water temperature where they're grown.
Three types of oysters to know
As recommended by Rowan Jacobsen, a James Beard Award-winning author of A Geography of Oysters:The Connoisseur's Guide to Oyster Eating in North America.
- Glidden Point from the Damariscotta River in Maine - The extremely cold, salty water produces slow-growing oysters with fantastic texture and brine at the upper end of the register. These are the soft pretzels of the oyster world, chewy and salty and heaven with a cold beer.
- Moonstone from Point Judith Pond in Rhode Island - Some of the most savory oysters in the world come from a geographical arc running from the eastern end of Long Island, along the ragged Rhode Island coast, to Block Island, Cuttyhunk, and Martha's Vineyard. Along that arc, mineral-rich waters produce salty oysters with unparalleled stone and iron flavors, of which Moonstone is the reigning king.
- Rappahannock River from Topping, Virginia - Famous as a Chesapeake oyster river for centuries, Rapps are the quietest. Extremely mild oysters exhibiting a simple sweet-butter flavor, they are often overshadowed by saltier or fruitier oysters in mixed tastings. On their own, with the most evanescent of wines, they can be a delicacy itself - a lesson in the pleasure of minimalism.
Where can I buy oysters? How much do they cost?
If you don't have a direct link to oysters in your local area - call and have them shipped right to your door. Contact the 100 year old, family owned Rappahannock River Oysters LLC in Topping, Virginia or Samuels & Sons Seafood Company in Philadelphia for pricing information for the freshest seafood imaginable.
How do you store oysters?
First, you'll want to be sure that your box (of oysters) is tagged by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. This is very important. The tag must be kept for 90 days so that cases of food poisoning - because many oysters are typically served raw - can be traced to the source. Oysters have a shelf life of 7 to 14 days. But a seafood supplier that predominately sells oysters usually only has them in stock for a day or two.
It's not good for fresh water to seep into an oyster that comes from salt water. So don't dump ice on top of your fresh oysters because they will absorb the water. If you store them overnight, cover them with a wet cloth and place a drip pan directly underneath them.
Oyster preparation. What's best?
When it comes to the best way to prepare oysters, unless you're experienced, your best bet is to keep it simple. They're complex to prepare. Unless you've done it before, more than likely attempting to cook them will involve a considerable amount of your time. That being said, you'll probably want to serve them raw - on the half shell - or fry them. If you want to do something sort of different, fry them, then make them into oyster po' boy sandwiches (see slideshow above).
Cater-Hater Tip: Serve your oysters with a cocktail sauce with a horseradish accompaniment, or a mignonette sauce (add Tequilla and fresh lime juice to jazz it up), or with a spicy homemade relish. Ice cold beer, shots of your favorite Vodka, Sauvignon Blanc, and Champagne go nicely with oysters.
Oysters can be an easy party appetizers to serve. And of course there are several different varieties of oysters to choose from. A good way to initially learn more about them is grab your oyster loving buddies and head out to an oyster tasting, at one of the Oyster Bars, at a restaurant in your local area.
Not only would an Oyster Bar be a perfect culinary addition to a party or wedding reception - but think about this... Be daring and do something different...
Set up an Oyster Bar sample/tasting/reception party for your home or corporate event or have an Oyster Bar at your Halloween party, Christmas party, engagement party, bachelor party, bachelorette party, wedding rehearsal party, or pool party or beach party. Because as long as your guests have a penchant for oysters, you'll know that you will hit a home run!
And if you're not able to pull off hosting your very own Oyster Bar party, invite everyone to meet you at an Oyster Bar in a restaurant instead!
Chesapeake Bay, East Coast, Eastern oyster, Long Island, Rhode Island, U.S. Department of Agriculture, United States Department of Agriculture, Virginia, Wine tasting descriptors, Food: Technorati Tags
Written by Carlo of Carlo At Your Service Productions
