It’s amazing to live in a region of the country where you can find the evening meal at your finger tips. Oysters, like Clams, Lobsters and Mussels are available year round. Both coasts of the US feature such seafood riches. Up and down the Eastern seaboard and similarly on the West Coast, crustaceans, mollusks and bivalves are extraordinarily available.
oysterIn some cases oysters are farm raised but flavor standards are high. Wellfleets are prized in New England, especially on Cape Cod. New Yorkers can’t get enough Blue Points. And Kumamotos and Olympian oysters from San Francisco, Seattle and Puget Sound prove the rule that size is no measure of flavor and taste. For those of you who visit Manhattan I recommend eating at the Oyster Bar in Grand Central Station to experience all of these seafood delights from all parts of the country.
Of course such riches of the sea were once considered punishment to force upon those who spent the night in the local jail. Eventually Boston’s finest could not impose serving lobster or oysters for dinner more than once or twice a week. It was thought to be cruel and unusual punishment. How times have changed.
Eating lobsters, clams, mussels and oysters have become a treat that many look forward to. When my Aunt who lived in Chicago would visit us when we lived in Maine she made a point of eating 3 – 4 lobsters at a sitting without blinking an eye. She set a high bar for all of us. Prices were lower then but today most locals even those on fixed incomes look forward to a Clam and Lobster Bake before the summer is over. Young and old alike enjoy these seafood specialties.
My sons loved reading about Misty of Chincoteague, a story that told about the outdoor adventures of youngsters who lived on a small island in Virginia where oyster fishermen made a living from catching and eating the oysters and crabs from the local waters.
I too enjoyed reading to my sons the story about the wild, miniature ponies who ran free on Chincoteague. Of course I realized that driving to such a place would take 8 hours from our doorstep in Upstate New York where I was teaching at the time. But somehow it didn’t seem that far; and it would be an exciting trip to experience for all of us, especially if we could see the tiny ponies who hopefully ran free on Chincoteague. The first time we visited, my middle son jumped out of the car in hopes of petting one of the ponies who was nearby. He was able to do so and the experience became a memorable one we all enjoyed again and again.
We made the trip 4 times during Colombus Day Weekend when the ponies were there and the annual Oyster Festival was held. Of course, each trip seemed longer than the year before, but the oysters and the ponies made it all worthwhile.
Please contact Chef Alan with questions or comments at [email protected], You can visit my website at www.zoxkitchen.com. I appreciate hearing from you.
Grilled Oysters with Pancetta and Red Chard — Serves 8 – 10 as a light meal with a salad on the side including: Baby Spinach, Jicama, Cucumber with slices of pear, Roasted slices of beets and Pear Vinaigrette ( See Recipe Below)
Ingredients
2 bunches red chard, finely diced
24 live, fresh oysters
3/4 cup toasted breadcrumbs
1 1/2 tablespoons sherry wine vinegar
2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
Crush 2 sheets of Nori seaweed in a medium size bowl. (This is the same type of seaweed that is used as the outer wrapping for Sushi.)
1/3 cup shallots, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 slices pancetta, 1/4 inch thick, diced
1/4 cup Extra Virgin olive oil
6 ounces butter unsalted sea salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
1. Wash chard in cold water. Drain water and repeat the process, making sure all sandy grit is removed from the leaves. If particularly sandy, dunk the leaves in a large pot filled with luke warm water. Remove chard leaves from the water, and cut out the ribs; set aside. Stack 3-4 leaves together and roll them into a tight log. Cut the log every ¼-inch and then again cross ways giving you diced leaves. Then repeat the process until all leaves are cut as described.
2. Using a large skillet, heat 2 tbsp olive oil and saute the shallots for 1 – 2 minutes. Add the pancetta. diced, and garlic and continue to saute for 2-3 more minutes.
3. Reduce heat and add the vinegars and diced chard. You may need to cook in smaller bunches at a time for 2 -3 minutes. Remove from heat and repeat until all are sauteed. Then when done cooking chard, stir in bread crumbs with 2 ounces of melted butter.
4. Check to see if the oysters are alive by confirming that shells are tightly closed. Scrub oysters with a stiff brush under running water.
5. Build a charcoal fire on the side of the grill.
6. Open the oysters with an oyster knife. Discard the top shell and loosen the oyster meat with the tip of the oyster knife. Leave the oysters in the bottom, flatter sides of the shells and set aside on a sheet tray.
7. Top each oyster with 1½ teaspoons of red chard mixture, toasted bread crumbs and remaining butter, melted, drizzling a bit on each oyster, placing on grill, covered, for 3 minutes. 7. To add a crunch, add 1/2 teaspoon of crushed Nori seaweed on top of each oyster.
8. Carefully remove the stuffed oyster shell from the grill with tongs without spilling the briney liquor and and remaining vinegar and mixture in each oyster and serve on the half shell. Wow! So..oo good!