National Culinary Review

IN SEARCH OF GREAT OYSTERS

Recipes from Doc Crow’s Southern Smokehouse & Raw Bar, Louisville, Ky. OYSTERS THREE WAYS

While the Gulf of Mexico oil spill in April 2010 greatly affected oyster beds and harvesting, many restaurants are using oysters from the area again. Arnaud’s and Remoulade in New Orleans, run by co-owners Katy Casbarian and Archie Casbarian, are using local oysters from P&J Oyster Company, which come from several areas around New Orleans.

Brett Davis, co-owner of Doc Crow’s Southern Smokehouse & Raw Bar in Louisville, Ky., gets oysters from all over the U.S. “In Virginia we get oysters from the Rappahannock River, and we also get a lot from the Northwest’s Puget Sound area. And for our deep-fried oysters, we use bluepoint oysters from New York. They are a good size and a good all-purpose oyster.”

1 oz. vodka

1 oz. bloody mary mix ¼ oz. lemon juice 1 raw oyster

METHOD: Shake vodka, bloody mary mix, horseradish and lemon juice; strain into small glass. Add oyster.

OYSTER SHOOTER —BLOODY MARY OYSTER SHOOTER— FRIED

baked oysters

Arnaud’s and Remoulade are two of the few white-tablecloth restaurants in the New Orleans area to serve raw oysters on the half shell, which are popular at both venues.

Steve Redzikowski, chef/ owner of Oak at Fourteenth in Boulder, Colo., changes the kind of oysters used in his oyster with ahi tuna tartare appetizer according to the season. “Right now we are using WiAnno oysters from Cape Cod, but if it’s in season, we’ll use an Island Creek oyster from Duxbury, Mass.”

But Casbarian says the most popular oyster appetizer is a sampling of five baked oysters, each with its own topping: Oyster Kathryn—artichoke hearts, garlic, fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano and extra virgin olive oil; Oyster Ohan—eggplant and andouille sausage; Oyster Bienville— shrimp, mushrooms, green onions, herbs and seasonings in a white wine sauce; Oyster Suzette—bacon, pimento, green onion and bell pepper; and Oyster Rockefeller— fresh spinach, bacon and Pernod.

12 raw oysters 2 oz. milk 2 oz. seasoned flour Canola oil Sea salt Fresh ground pepper

METHOD: Put oysters in
milk; dredge in seasoned
flour. In deep fryer, fry oysters
in canola oil at 350ºF for
2 minutes. Remove; season
with salt and pepper, to
taste. Serve with rémoulade
or cocktail sauce.

BOURBON MIGNONETTE

James Schroeder, executive chef of TJ’s at The Jefferson Hotel in Richmond, Va., uses oysters from the Chesapeake Bay. “We get them in fresh every other day and use a bushel a day,” he says.

Doc Crow’s has the classic Oysters Rockefeller on the menu, which includes spinach, béchamel and Pernod.

½ cup bourbon 2 cups white balsamic vinegar 1 small shallot, finely diced 1 T. fresh diced scallion ¼ t. salt ½ t. fresh ground pepper

METHOD: Whisk together bourbon, vinegar, shallot, scallion, salt and pepper. Serve with raw oysters.

ABOVE: A sampling of five baked oysters, each with its own topping, is the most popular oyster appetizer at Arnaud’s and Remoulade.

TJ’s puts its own spin on Oysters Rockefeller, using a Tennessee smoked bacon rather than regular bacon. “We also make a chestnut cream and Virginia Surry sausage baked oyster in the winter around the holidays,” says Schroeder. “It includes Parmesan cheese and spinach.”