Trend: Chefs say oysters are in raw demand
Roughly 300 years later, we seem to be awash in bold men (and
women) — at least judging from the popularity of raw bars and
oyster happy hours.
“You notice it by the number of oysters you go through,” says
chef Michael Scelfo of Russell House Tavern in Cambridge, Mass.,
where it’s not uncommon for late-night diners to take advantage of
the $1-an-oyster happy hour and engage in friendly competitions to
see who can slurp down the most.
Oysters make a great late-night snack, says Scelfo. “They’re
fast; they’re cold; they go great with beer; they go great with
wine or a craft cocktail.” And let’s not forget that whole alleged
aphrodisiac thing. “There’s just kind of this air of mystery to
oysters, which is just cool,” he says.
Interest in oysters seems to dovetail with two food trends. One
is the move toward adventurous eating — tongue, anyone? The other
is the general interest in getting the back story on foods and
searching out different varieties — think heirloom tomatoes. True
oyster fans know their Belons from their Beausoleils and talk like
wine tasters about things like hints of melon and clean
finishes.
“It’s part of the new interest in foods that are authentic and
deeply connect to place. Oysters are the opposite of supermarket
food,” says Rowan Jacobsen, author of “A Geography of Oysters: The
Connoisseur’s Guide to Oyster Eating in North America.”
Chef Parke Ulrich of the Waterbar restaurant in San Francisco,
which recently served its one millionth oyster, offers 20 varieties
of oysters, including Cove Miyagi, farmed by Scott Zahl of Cove
Mussel Co. in Marshall, Calif. Zahl, who has a day job, leaves
coolers of oysters on Ulrich’s back porch and the chef brings them
into work.
Knowing the origin of an oyster “really creates a sense of
place,” says Ulrich, who refers to oyster environments as
“merroir,” a play on the French wine-growing term of “terroir.” So,
an Olympia, from South Puget Sound in Washington state, is
“metallic and mineral-y” while a Beausoleil, from New Brunswick,
Canada, is “very briny and clean.”
Waterbar takes a liberal interpretation of happy hour, featuring
one variety at $1 apiece from 11:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.
When eating an oyster, some customers will say they’re reminded
of playing in waves when they were kids. “It takes them back to
those memories of their childhood or growing up or special moments.
I think it’s pretty special,” he says.
Oysters still are a niche market. A National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration report based on 2009 figures ranked
shrimp as the No. 1 seafood of choice in the United States.
What’s changed has been the growing popularity of raw oysters as
opposed to the old model, where oysters were generally shucked on
site and packaged for consumption, says Margaret Pilaro Barrette,
executive director of the Pacific Coast Shellfish Growers
Association, based in Olympia.
“In the last six years or so there’s been this renaissance of,
‘Let’s enjoy this oyster as it comes out of the shell,’” she says.
“A lot of raw bars have opened up, providing the consumer with an
opportunity to taste raw oysters from different parts of the
country.”
In response to the new demand, oyster growers have changed
cultivation practices, farming the mollusks in a way that allows
them to move with the tides. This creates a deeper cup to the shell
so the shucked oyster maintains more of its natural juice, known in
the industry as liquor.
By the way, the assumption that oysters are only safe to eat in
months with the letter “r” in their English names is not true.
Oysters may taste different during those months if they are
spawning varieties; however, these days growers have the option of
using non-spawning varieties.
There are some safety issues relating to the temperature of the
water oysters are grown in and the industry is regulated nationwide
with requirements applying to refrigeration, transportation and
harvest practices, says Barrette. However, as with other raw food,
there is some risk in eating raw shellfish especially for people
with compromised immune systems.
Raw oysters may be getting most of the attention, but the
bivalves also are plenty popular cooked.
At Island Creek Oyster Bar in Boston, in addition to the raw bar
there’s a Build Your Own Slider option where guests choose the
sauce and toppings they want on a lightly fried Island Creek oyster
served in a brioche bun. “It takes the late-night oyster experience
to the next level and guests love the interactivity,” says owner
Garrett Harker.
Island Creek has a constantly changing list of 12 to 18 oysters
from both coasts, as well as their namesake Island Creeks from
Duxbury, Mass. —Island Creek Oyster Farm founder Skip Bennett is a
part-owner in the restaurant. The traditional progression is that
diners start with the raw bar and move on to cooked dinners, but
Harker instituted an oyster-heavy late night menu after seeing a
post-dinner crowd looking for drinks and snacks.
Oysters, especially raw, might be considered an adult taste —
it’s not for nothing Swift came up with his famous quote, “He was a
bold man that first eat an oyster.” But both Scelfo and Ulrich
report their young sons — ages 9 and 10 respectively — enjoy a good
oyster.
Ulrich’s son has learned to identify East Coast vs. West Coast
oysters by the shape of their shells. And Scelfo’s son is such a
fan that if he should balk at eating some other dish, “we just tell
him there are oysters in it,” Scelfo says with a laugh.
Fish & Seafood with Bill & Sheila
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