Comments
SwvellyBents t1_j221yzw wrote
I grow my own, stir them into my scrambled eggs for breaky, have fried them 1/2 dozen different ways (so far tempura is my favorite), love a good fried oyster po boy, toss back a few on the half at lunch time, for a snack or with beers at the end of the day and have enjoyed them grilled but that's probably my least favorite way. They add a boatload of flavor and texture to gumbo, paella and bouillabasse.
I add them to the turkey stuffing and and will plop some into the pot when making clam chowder. Regretably, I don't know how to make oyster stew.
I eat them naked, dosed with hot sauce or trad cocktail sauce, I don't much care for remoulade but don't castigate those that do.
In short, any way you eat a fresh local oyster is a good way.
Go ahead and limit yourself to raw on the half, but you are missing out on a lot of goodness.
BurningPage t1_j24cuys wrote
Are you growing your own small batch?
SwvellyBents t1_j25p5ts wrote
Kinda, I started a hobby farm about 6 years ago, set a goal of selling 5K oysters /year to pay for a winter vacation. By the third year when I had salable product covid hit which put the kibosh on my sales program. Next year health issues forced me to rethink the whole enchilada.
I wound up selling all my farming gear and dumping my remaining product in a good location to hopefully reseed the coastline and get some new oyster reefs growing.
Now, when the conditions are good I go out and grab a few dozen for my own consumption. I'm hoping there'll be wild oysters all over that area in a few years.
JuliaNATFrolic t1_j21ij2v wrote
Ah. You have never sat on a deck on the outer Cape eating the most expensive and delicious fried oysters of your life. It is a once a decade kind of splurge. But oh my.
I’ve no restaurants to recommend. But I do support OP in their quest.
Dude_Following_4432 OP t1_j21sc0v wrote
I like grilled and broiled oysters that are made from fresh, and I like fried clams made from fresh so why not oysters? I just had some Damariscotta River oysters tonight (raw) that were super salty and would be great cooked.
sspif t1_j23tsbw wrote
Because oysters are excellent fried? Not everyone likes them raw.
Vtguy802812 t1_j24dw7d wrote
The frying and battering process takes out a lot of the benefit of having fresh local oysters rather than a jar of oysters. There isn’t much of a reason that I can see to spend that much extra money when you’re not getting a benefit for it.
Some people might find it worth while, but to me it is similar to putting ketchup on a very high quality steak - sure, some enjoy it and have the money to burn, but what benefit do you get out of battering and frying fresh oysters vs oysters in a jar?
There are several brands of oysters in jars that maintain quality well above canned oysters for much less than fresh oysters. I’m a firm believer in fresh oysters raw or with a bit of smoke, jar for frying, and canned as a last resort if you’re going to make some sort of stew or baked dish. That’s just where my checkbook and taste buds meet though.
soggy__bottom t1_j21cglr wrote
Eventide apparently reserves oysters that are too large to serve raw to fry them instead. The portion is pretty small, but they are fresh and local.
BannedMyName t1_j20qsmw wrote
It would cost way too much in labor. You would end up paying way more than you would ever want for just a fried oyster basket.
And assuming we're comparing fresh product, you wouldn't be able to tell the difference. Everything good about the local oyster will be lost once it cooks in the fryer.
far_away_eyes t1_j20whuy wrote
Pretty sure they are fried fresh at N Beacon Oyster in Rockland - you might ask there
InterstellarDeathPur t1_j224xnc wrote
Fried is sacrilege, imo, but Shuck Station in New Castle serves them*.
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Usually seasonal, they are closed right now, but working on installing yurts for winter dining. Not sure when they'll reopen.
Vtguy802812 t1_j20so4u wrote
Why would you ever fry fresh local oysters?
That’s like putting ketchup on Wagyu - it’s your money to burn, but feels like a waste to me.