Pacific Oysters! Yikes!

Stark said:

Okay, I don't get around much--in the kitchen or elsewhere. Since
there were no Gulf oysters--all I've ever known--for our cornbread
dressing this year, I picked up a couple of half pints of Pacific
Oysters that my Kroger store had trucked in.

Ye Gods! These thangs were huge, about three in a half pint, with all
sorts of flippers and do-dads still attached. Do you ever face them
in an oyster bar? You'd need a knife and fork.

We cut 'em up and plopped them in our dressing and they were great,
but I'm sill amazed by the size, . . and the configuration.

These were called Willapoints, I believe; if they are what West
Coasters are used to, they must think puny little Gulf Oysters are a
waste of good shell. As I recall those flippers and do-dads did sort
of disappear in the dressing. Maybe Gulf oysters retain a little more
integrity.

LOL They sound, um, huge! Here's a pic of that plated dinner with the
chicken & boudin stuffing:

http://community.webshots.com/photo/74365720/511066122FOmVPV

Frankly, I enjoyed the stuffing more than I did the chicken. I guess I just
don't like poultry much.

Jill

In article <[email hidden]>, jmcquown

Quoted message said:

LOL They sound, um, huge! Here's a pic of that plated dinner with the
chicken & boudin stuffing:

http://community.webshots.com/photo/74365720/511066122FOmVPV

Frankly, I enjoyed the stuffing more than I did the chicken. I guess I just
don't like poultry much.

Jill

They were, like some out of Jules Verne.

Your plate looks delish, even the brussels sprouts. Hmmm. I'm thinking
a little Boudin might temper that brussels sprouts wha-wha. I've used
butter and bacon to do it.

Hope you had a Happy Thanksgiving. We had our son over, but that's like
flying solo. He's a yeap-nope kinda of guy whose very informative wife
had to tend to her inlaws.

"Stark" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...
: Okay, I don't get around much--in the kitchen or elsewhere. Since there
: were no Gulf oysters--all I've ever known--for our cornbread dressing
: this year, I picked up a couple of half pints of Pacific Oysters that
: my Kroger store had trucked in.
:
: Ye Gods! These thangs were huge, about three in a half pint, with all
: sorts of flippers and do-dads still attached. Do you ever face them in
: an oyster bar? You'd need a knife and fork.
:
: We cut 'em up and plopped them in our dressing and they were great, but
: I'm sill amazed by the size, . . and the configuration.
:
: These were called Willapoints, I believe; if they are what West
: Coasters are used to, they must think puny little Gulf Oysters are a
: waste of good shell. As I recall those flippers and do-dads did sort
: of disappear in the dressing. Maybe Gulf oysters retain a little more
: integrity.

Reminds me of my first meeting with those suckers, in 1973. Driving down I5
California we stopped for dinner at a cute restaurant whose menu specified you
could have oysters anyway you wanted. Now I am from New Zealand where Bluff
Oysters are considered the world's best, closely rivalled by Sydney, who think
their Rock Oysters are better! Most seafood restaurants here would offer those as
a dozen raw as an appetiser, So I asked, in 1973, for half a dozen raw
Willapoints. The waitress blanched and said no-one eats a half dozen and seemed
also to indicate that no-one ate them raw. I insisted I was a "real Southern Man"
and we eat dozens of oysters raw at a sitting. She still said I couldn't do it
and she would only serve me one. By this time I was suspicious! My SO was egging
me on to try it, so with great ceremony the waitress brought a single one of these
creatures out on a plate. Its got bigger over the years of telling the story, but
I swear this thing stretched from one side of the plate to the other. I manfully
got it down and thanked the waitress profusely for not allowing me more!!

Frenchy

And now you know why oysters were an aquired taste for me!

````````````````````````

Stark said:

Okay, I don't get around much--in the kitchen or elsewhere. Since there
were no Gulf oysters--all I've ever known--for our cornbread dressing
this year, I picked up a couple of half pints of Pacific Oysters that
my Kroger store had trucked in.

Ye Gods! These thangs were huge, about three in a half pint, with all
sorts of flippers and do-dads still attached. Do you ever face them in
an oyster bar? You'd need a knife and fork.

We cut 'em up and plopped them in our dressing and they were great, but
I'm sill amazed by the size, . . and the configuration.

These were called Willapoints, I believe; if they are what West
Coasters are used to, they must think puny little Gulf Oysters are a
waste of good shell. As I recall those flippers and do-dads did sort
of disappear in the dressing. Maybe Gulf oysters retain a little more
integrity.

--

Practice safe eating. Always use condiments.

The "Willapoints" you reference are I expect from Willapay Bay in SW
Washington state and are for the most part harvested within a mile or so
of where I'm sitting right now. They are fantastic, fresh and clean
tasting. I've had oysters from a lot of different areas and they all
seem to have a distinct taste with some of the better ones coming from
Morro Bay and Tamales Bay in CA. Anyway, having eaten my share over the
years I've never seen one with flippers and do-dads attached. Sounds an
awful lot like squid to me, which are also delicious!

Frenchy said:

"Stark" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...
: Okay, I don't get around much--in the kitchen or elsewhere. Since there
: were no Gulf oysters--all I've ever known--for our cornbread dressing
: this year, I picked up a couple of half pints of Pacific Oysters that
: my Kroger store had trucked in.
:
: Ye Gods! These thangs were huge, about three in a half pint, with all
: sorts of flippers and do-dads still attached. Do you ever face them in
: an oyster bar? You'd need a knife and fork.
:
: We cut 'em up and plopped them in our dressing and they were great, but
: I'm sill amazed by the size, . . and the configuration.
:
: These were called Willapoints, I believe; if they are what West
: Coasters are used to, they must think puny little Gulf Oysters are a
: waste of good shell. As I recall those flippers and do-dads did sort
: of disappear in the dressing. Maybe Gulf oysters retain a little more
: integrity.

Reminds me of my first meeting with those suckers, in 1973. Driving down I5
California we stopped for dinner at a cute restaurant whose menu specified you
could have oysters anyway you wanted. Now I am from New Zealand where Bluff
Oysters are considered the world's best, closely rivalled by Sydney, who think
their Rock Oysters are better! Most seafood restaurants here would offer those as
a dozen raw as an appetiser, So I asked, in 1973, for half a dozen raw
Willapoints. The waitress blanched and said no-one eats a half dozen and seemed
also to indicate that no-one ate them raw. I insisted I was a "real Southern Man"
and we eat dozens of oysters raw at a sitting. She still said I couldn't do it
and she would only serve me one. By this time I was suspicious! My SO was egging
me on to try it, so with great ceremony the waitress brought a single one of these
creatures out on a plate. Its got bigger over the years of telling the story, but
I swear this thing stretched from one side of the plate to the other. I manfully
got it down and thanked the waitress profusely for not allowing me more!!

Frenchy

"Stark" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Okay, I don't get around much--in the kitchen or elsewhere. Since there
were no Gulf oysters--all I've ever known--for our cornbread dressing
this year, I picked up a couple of half pints of Pacific Oysters that
my Kroger store had trucked in.

Ye Gods! These thangs were huge, about three in a half pint, with all
sorts of flippers and do-dads still attached. Do you ever face them in
an oyster bar? You'd need a knife and fork.

Mmmmmm. Speaking of which, here is a good preparation....

Astoria Oregon Oyster Loaf

2 Jars oysters
1 loaf crusty french bread, hollowed so the crust and bread are about 1.5
inches thick
1 cube butter
Lemons
Olive oil
Milk
Flour
Salt and pepper

put the oysters and their liquor into a large sauce pan. Bring them to a
gentle simmer and turn them off, letting them sit a few minutes. Drain and
discard liquid.

Meanwhile, melt 3/4 of the butter and add some lemon juice. Paint the inside
of the bread loaf and place it into a medium-low oven to get toasty warm.
Don't let it get too hard!

Heat the rest of the butter and a few tablespoons of oil in a frying pan
over medium heat.
Dip the oysters in milk and then seasoned flour, and fry them in a few
batches until they are golden brown.

HEap the oysters into the bread loaf and slice the loaf with a serrated
knife into 3 or 4-inch slices. Serve the loaf on plates. People don't really
eat this as a sandwich, more like pieces of loaf with bits of oyster. Man
it's great!!!!!

"rox formerly rmg" <[email hidden]> wrote

Quoted message said:

Astoria Oregon Oyster Loaf

I wouldn't eat an oyster for less than a thousand dollars, but the mention
of Astoria brings back memories. There are few places as pretty as Astoria,
OR.

Charlie
OBFOOD: Here is a great recipe from a famed Sandy Eggo restaurant:

HARBOR HOUSE LOBSTER THERMIDOR

Recipe by: Harbor House Restaurant, San Diego

6 medium frozen lobster tails, thawed
1.5 cups sherry, plus more if needed
1/2 cup butter
1 cup minced onion
1/2 cup chopped mushrooms
pinch dry mustard
pinch rosemary
pinch thyme
pinch nutmeg
pinch mace
1/2 cup flour
2 cups milk
salt
pepper
3 drops yellow food coloring
Hollandaise sauce
grated Parmesan cheese
paprika

Cook lobster tails in boiling, salted water 5 to 10 minutes. Drain and
remove meat, keeping shells intact. Dice lobster meat and place in skillet.
Add just enough sherry to barely cover and simmer about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, melt butter in a saucepan. Add onions, mushrooms, mustard,
rosemary, thyme, nutmeg and mace. Cook until onions are tender but not
browned. Stir in flour until smooth. Gradually add milk and cook and stir
until thickened. Season sauce to taste with salt and pepper and stir in food
coloring. Add lobster meat and enough more sherry to make sauce the
consistency of medium sauce.

Spoon lobster into cleaned lobster shells. Top with a spoonful of
Hollandaise sauce, sprinkle with cheese then paprika. Bake at 400F about 15
minutes. Makes 6 servings.

On Fri 25 Nov 2005 06:34:19p, Thus Spake Zarathustra, or was it Charles
Gifford?

Quoted message said:

"rox formerly rmg" <[email hidden]> wrote

Quoted message said:

Astoria Oregon Oyster Loaf

I wouldn't eat an oyster for less than a thousand dollars, but the
mention of Astoria brings back memories. There are few places as pretty
as Astoria, OR.

Charlie
OBFOOD: Here is a great recipe from a famed Sandy Eggo restaurant:

HARBOR HOUSE LOBSTER THERMIDOR

Recipe by: Harbor House Restaurant, San Diego

6 medium frozen lobster tails, thawed
1.5 cups sherry, plus more if needed
1/2 cup butter
1 cup minced onion
1/2 cup chopped mushrooms
pinch dry mustard
pinch rosemary
pinch thyme
pinch nutmeg
pinch mace
1/2 cup flour
2 cups milk
salt
pepper
3 drops yellow food coloring
Hollandaise sauce
grated Parmesan cheese
paprika

Cook lobster tails in boiling, salted water 5 to 10 minutes. Drain and
remove meat, keeping shells intact. Dice lobster meat and place in
skillet. Add just enough sherry to barely cover and simmer about 15
minutes.

Meanwhile, melt butter in a saucepan. Add onions, mushrooms, mustard,
rosemary, thyme, nutmeg and mace. Cook until onions are tender but not
browned. Stir in flour until smooth. Gradually add milk and cook and
stir until thickened. Season sauce to taste with salt and pepper and
stir in food coloring. Add lobster meat and enough more sherry to make
sauce the consistency of medium sauce.

Spoon lobster into cleaned lobster shells. Top with a spoonful of
Hollandaise sauce, sprinkle with cheese then paprika. Bake at 400F about
15 minutes. Makes 6 servings.

I love lobster thermidor. I tasted it for the first time on the night of
my highschool senior prom. Our "very sophisticated" party of six went to a
very elegant restaurant before going to the dance. :-) It was a memorable
evening.

--
Wayne Boatwright *¿*
_____________________________________________

A chicken in every pot is a *LOT* of chicken!

Stark wrote on 11/25/2005:

Quoted message said:

Okay, I don't get around much--in the kitchen or elsewhere. Since there
were no Gulf oysters--all I've ever known--for our cornbread dressing
this year, I picked up a couple of half pints of Pacific Oysters that
my Kroger store had trucked in.

Ye Gods! These thangs were huge, about three in a half pint, with all
sorts of flippers and do-dads still attached.

<snip>

Quoted message said:

These were called Willapoints, I believe; if they are what West
Coasters are used to, they must think puny little Gulf Oysters are a
waste of good shell. As I recall those flippers and do-dads did sort
of disappear in the dressing. Maybe Gulf oysters retain a little more
integrity.

Happily, not all west coast oysters are that large.

Stark said:

Okay, I don't get around much--in the kitchen or elsewhere. Since there
were no Gulf oysters--all I've ever known--for our cornbread dressing
this year, I picked up a couple of half pints of Pacific Oysters that
my Kroger store had trucked in.

Ye Gods! These thangs were huge, about three in a half pint, with all
sorts of flippers and do-dads still attached. Do you ever face them in
an oyster bar? You'd need a knife and fork.

We cut 'em up and plopped them in our dressing and they were great, but
I'm sill amazed by the size, . . and the configuration.

These were called Willapoints, I believe; if they are what West
Coasters are used to, they must think puny little Gulf Oysters are a
waste of good shell. As I recall those flippers and do-dads did sort
of disappear in the dressing. Maybe Gulf oysters retain a little more
integrity.

Reminds me of this passage from _Big Flavors of the Hot Sun_:

"Being a fan of huevos rancheros, I'm no stranger to the combination of
chiles and eggs, but throw in oysters and I had my doubts. When I actually
encountered this dish in Singapore, though, it turned out to be one of my
favorites."

"There we were, on our first night in Singapore, suffering from jet lag
but nevertheless busily checking out the street food scene. It was 2:00 A.M.
and we were in the heart of Newton Circus, one of the city's organized
collections of street food vendors that reflect the incredible cultural
diversity of Singapore. We were watching a guy toss a couple of raw eggs
into a wok smoking hot with oil, followed by some giant raw oysters, soy
sauce, ginger, herbs, and an extra-large handful of chopped chiles to
torture the tourists. Before I could say, "I've changed my mind," this
chile-laden egg-oyster thing was looking up at me from a plate. This dish
may not sound great, but that's nothing compared to the way it looked, and
my buddy was cracking up as I took my first bite. The ginger and herbs were
the first things I tasted, the consistency was a little like brains, with a
distinct, partially cooked oyster flavor, and then whammo! the chiles kicked
in. The oysters were meaty and delicious, and with the eggs to bind them
together a bit and the power of the chiles--well, I lost my jet leg and
became quite a fan of this common street food. It goes to show, once again,
that being adventurous pays off, and you should never judge anything until
you have actually tasted it."

Since reading that, I've made facsimiles of that dish and enjoyed them
greatly -- and note that it was made with "giant raw oysters".

Bob