Raw Oysters and Great Bluegrass
May 7, 2009 4:07 pm
Updated: May 8, 2009 3:47 pm
A few weeks ago, my wife and I went out to a great local steak and seafood restaurant for our "date night". She was in the mood for oysters (loves 'em!), and I just have never eaten them enough to form a real opinion. Until that night.
I ordered an appetizer that I normally wouldn't - an oyster and vodka sampler. Boy, oh boy, was that memorable. And I've had oysters on my mind since then.
Living in Seattle, I'm never far from a good fish market selling the little mollusks. So, after work one night last week, I stopped at the local Asian supermarket and bought a dozen Kumamotos. Brought 'em home, got out my new oyster shucking knife, and got ready for some shucking while I made Cajun Red Snapper as the main dish for dinner that night.
As a newbie "shucker", the first few gave me trouble, and there were some casualties (luckily not my hands, but there were a handful of oysters that made it into the trash instead of someone's mouth.). After a half-dozen, though, I picked up the technique. The secret was the "twisting from side to side" tip - more of a back-and-forth drilling motion, really. By the last oyster, I was able to shuck one, start to finish, in less than a minute.
My wife got to enjoy about a half-dozen while I perspired - and yes, I was sweating - either I'm out of shape (most likely), or I was workin' hard! I had about three great oysters for my troubles - but the satisfaction I got from learning a new "cooking" technique more than made up for the effort. There's something about getting a little closer to where your food comes from, and how to really prepare it, that just feels right.
Anyway, while we were eating oysters and the rest of our dinner, our neighbors (young folks just out of college) got their Bluegrass band together to practice outside, right next to our kitchen windows. Simply put, they're FANTASTIC - they've played a number of local clubs and festivals. It just so happens, Bluegrass, Roots, and Americana are my favorite styles of music, so I feel insanely lucky to be living next to great musicians like them. (If you're not fortunate enough to have a professional Bluegrass band living next to you, I suggest tuning in to the Roadhouse show on KEXP.org, a Seattle-based internet radio station.)
All in all, a great evening, which I'll be trying to replicate many times this summer.
Oyster shells - post shucking!
Bluegrass band practicing
My daughter, listening to our Bluegrass neighbors through the window
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