Oysters Redneckefeller

[GrahamG]

They look amazing!

[Boogie-D]

Love oysters... they get flown in fresh from Washington state to Hawaii... we normally cook them on a grill with a nice even medium heat (when the coals have just burned down) they usually will open when ready.. we make a dipping sauce of butter and hot sauce.. yum

but the best I ever had oyster was when visiting Rhode Island... we went out on a small skiff to areas where they farmed raised oysters. we used a bull rake along side of the farms to get them out of the mud and into the boat.. we ate some raw oysters right there and they were the best raw shucked I ever had...

this was all done in preparation for a wedding... and a traditional east coast clam bake.. the clam bake was something... I ate so much lobster, clams, oysters and cod it was redonkulis... this was all cooked underground... I have to say the east coast clam bake rivals any Hawaiian luau...

[Gulf]

I forgot to mention it on this thread. But, shrimp can be substituted for those that just can't bring theirself to try an oyster. They can be cooked the same way with the same toppings and they are equally delicious. I would have had a pan of those in the pics as my wife doesn't like oysters and loves shrimp done this way. But, the last time we ate out she felt a little funny after eating shrimp. I won't let her try them again until she gets the blood test for shellfish allergy.

[Gulf]

JR,
Each person will normally get an entire pan to themselves. Of course a couple could share a pan if they wanted. 12 oysters with all the makings that goes on top plus the bread as a starter can leave little room for a steak to go with it. A typical serving for Oysters Rockefeller is 12 oysters. I like placing a couple of the largest oysters in slots as singles. That Makes it a dozen per pan and 24 is about the count in a pint of medium sized oysters. I haven't served guests using the corn pone pans as of yet. I have just recently gotten enough pans to do that. I have used shallow muffin pans in the past. (in the oven, not on the grill) They are easier to clean but, they just don't have quite the presentation.

[JRPizza]

Joe, I was showing the Wife your corn pone pans and she wanted me to ask how you served them - do you just place the pan on the table and have everyone dig in?

[JRPizza]

The first time I had fresh oysters was soon after I moved from Southern California to Washington State. It was summer after high school and a friend had a rustic cabin on Shaw Island in the San Juans. They had a big pit in the ground with a steel mesh screen over it. A couple of the guys waded out in the bay and came back with 5 gallon buckets full of oysters and dumped them on the screen. I was told to get a stick, watch for one to pop open, slide it over to where I could grab it and dig in. Best oysters I ever had . Even found a few small natural pearls

[Gulf]

I would have got a kick out of a trip like that. But, I would have been all alone. My wife thinks that a camp ground with all the hookups and a travel trailer is primitive camping

[david s]

Actually the weather deteriorated on pick up day and the transfer from dingy to the yacht in a 1m swell was interesting.

[UtahBeehiver]

I am sure the girls have a fond recollection of that trip. Almost sounds like one of those TV reality shows like "Survivor".

[Gulf]

That's way too cool!

[david s]

No, we had no cooking equipment, apart from a box of matches, just balanced them on the coals.

[Gulf]

Dave,

That sounds like a very cool vacation. The oysters sound delicious! I had a roadside vender telling me about cooking them that way. I'm guessing that you had them on a grill grate of some type? On the gulf coast of the US (where I'm from) on the half shell, stewed, oyster dressing or battered and fried is the norm. On the half shell can be anything from baked, grilled, or raw. I've read where the east coast of the US prefers them steamed on flat metal over an open fire until they pop open. I still have few more ways yet to eat an oyster. But, I intend to try them all

[david s]

About 40 years ago My wife and I, with our two young daughters about 4 and six at the time, arranged to be dropped off at an uninhabited island (Denman Is) in the Whitsundays for three days. We lived mostly on freshly harvested oysters cooked on the campfire until they popped open. They are still the best oysters I've ever eaten since.

Happy Christmas and New Tear to all,
Dave

[Gulf]

Russell,

I think that I remember y’all eatng at Drago's in NOLA when you were down. I had just a few left over from last night. The oven was in use for heating a smoked ham at a lower temp than I wanted. I can't waste oysters, so I cooked them New Orleans grilled (Dragos) style. These are mighty fine too imo. I like cooking them indirect on the grill with a closed lid. Drago's swears by the wasted garlic butter that spills out on to the coals causing a flare up and a flash of steam from the butter. I do the same thing, pull the pan over to the hot side, and close the lid for about a minute to finish. It's every bit as good as Drago's imo. Also Dragos doesn't serve enough french bread with the oysters to sop up all of that juice left in the shell imo. I'm in to all kind of cooking with fire so y'all please bare with me if I stray form WFO cooking from time to time .

[UtahBeehiver]

When I visited Joe a few years ago, he was going to make these for us, but the timing did not work out so we have a raincheck on them Those oysters are huge!