A whole lot has changed in the decade since Rowan Jacobsen’s James Beard Award-winning “A Geography of Oysters-: The Connoisseur’s Guide to Oyster Eating in North America” (Bloomsbury $15.99) was published.
As Jacobsen writes in the intro to his new book, “The Essential Oyster: A Salty Appreciation of Taste and Temptation” (Bloomsbury, $30), that first guide “helped accelerate the oyster mania we now find ourselves in.”
A paragraph later, he writes that oysters “can cause people to part from their economic senses in a way generally reserved for drugs and sex,” and allows that he considers them “more mood than food.”
But beyond the primal, sensual rituals of shucking and slurping taking place at myriad bars and restaurants all over America, “The Essential Oyster” celebrates the diversity and deliciousness brought about by a new wave of oyster farmers, who are using sustainable practices to produce premium products along our coastlines.
Last month at Kimball House in Decatur, arguably Atlanta’s great temple of oyster appreciation, I sat down with Jacobsen over a round tray of iced oysters he’d chosen from the menu.
Among them: long, lean, salt lick-like Caper’s Blades from the low country of South Carolina, famously cultivated by “Clammer Dave” Belanger; herbaceous and briny Hama Hama from Hood Canal in Washington state; and scallopy-sweet, perfectly crisp Glidden Point from the Damariscotta River in Maine.
Asked about his first oyster experience, Jacobsen recalled growing up in Deland, Fla. and going on weekend trips to New Smyrna Beach with his family.
“I was probably 12 or 13, there was this place called Stormy’s Crab House that had a raw bar with oysters, and my dad dared me to eat one,” Jacobsen said. “It was scary. But by the third one, it seemed less scary. And then I just always liked them.
“Later, as an adult and a food writer, I became fascinated with how oysters were always named for the place they came from — just like wine and for the same reason — the place and terroir helps make the oyster.”
Reflecting on the current scene, Jacobsen said he felt compelled to research and write an updated account of his ongoing oyster adventures.
“When I wrote that first book, I ended up sticking my surfboard just ahead of the wave, and the wave came through, and it’s still building,” Jacobsen said. “But there were things that I wanted to write about that really weren’t on my radar then, especially the Southeast and the Gulf Coast.
“The more I learned about farming and got to know people in the industry, I realized it ain’t all about terroir. What people do is really important, too. And, actually, it’s a bigger factor now because the farming techniques are getting more sophisticated.”
While Jacobsen revels in the romance and lore of oysters, and has strong opinions how about how best to eat them — raw and unadulterated with a crispy Chablis or a cold beer — he also appreciates their culinary potential.
“I think oysters can be super successful as an ingredient, because they have that great saline quality, but they need to be treated with a very light hand and not overcooked,” he said.
The “The Essential Oyster” includes more than a dozen recipes from American chefs at restaurants that take that approach. We also asked Myles Smith, the young chef at Kimball House, to come up with a couple of local recipes.
In all, there are four recipes to try, ranging from a hearty oyster stew and an elegant oyster risotto to a dirty martini made with oyster brine.
RECIPES
These chef’s recipes take a subtle approach to the saline and umami culinary appeal of cooked oysters in a wide range of dishes.
Winter Oyster Stew, Perry Raso, Matunuck Oyster Bar, Matunuck, R.I.
You can prep this hearty oyster dish in advance by doing the first three steps, then bringing the stew back to a simmer and adding the oysters to poach just before serving.
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
2 small shallots, minced
1 bunch rosemary, roughly chopped
4 cups heavy cream
2 cups light cream
1 cup small peeled and diced parsnips
1 cup small peeled and diced sweet potatoes
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon Tabasco
Salt and pepper to taste
2 dozen fresh shucked oysters, liquor reserved
In a small stock pot or pan over medium to low heat, saute 2 tablespoons of the butter with shallots and rosemary until caramelized, about 10-15 minutes. Add the heavy and light cream and simmer for 10 minutes. Do NOT boil. Remove from heat and strain through a fine mesh sieve.
In a 3 or 4-quart heavy pan over low heat, add the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and melt. Add the parsnips and sweet potatoes and saute until slightly soft. Add the flour and stir to combine. Slowly add the cream mixture to the pan and return to a simmer, stirring.
Add the oyster liquor and season with the Worcestershire, Tabasco, and salt and pepper. Simmer for 5 minutes and adjust the seasoning as desired.
Add the oysters and let them poach for about a minute. Serve immediately.
Makes: 4 servings.
Per serving: 1,267 calories (percent of calories from fat, 86), 14 grams protein, 30 grams carbohydrates, 2 grams fiber, 124 grams fat (77 grams saturated), 464 milligrams cholesterol, 231 milligrams sodium.
Adapted from “The Essential Oyster: A Salty Appreciation of Taste and Temptation” by Rowan Jacobsen (Bloomsbury, $35, hardcover).
Dirty Dirty Martini, Andrew Taylor, Eventide Oyster Company, Portland, Maine.
So saline. So savory. So dangerous.
3 ounces gin
½ ounce olive brine
½ ounce oyster brine
1 dash hot sauce
Combine all ingredients in mixing glass or cocktail shaker. Add ice. Shake or stir vigorously and strain into a chilled martini glass. Garnish with an olive. Or two.
Makes: 1 cocktail.
Per cocktail: 232 calories (percent of calories from fat, 4), trace protein, 1 gram carbohydrates, trace fiber, trace fat (no saturated fat), 1 milligram cholesterol, 19 milligrams sodium.
Adapted from “The Essential Oyster: A Salty Appreciation of Taste and Temptation” by Rowan Jacobsen (Bloomsbury, $35, hardcover).
Oyster Risotto With Celery Root and Beech Mushrooms, Myles Smith, Kimball House, Atlanta
When cooking at home, I typically buy my ingredients from Your Dekalb Farmers Market. It is your best bet for Beech mushrooms and all of the other ingredient needs. For the shaved fennel garnish I use a mandolin to achieve the thinnest slices possible. You can pick one up at your closest Asian market.
For the risotto:
Canola oil for sweating the onions
1 medium white onion, finely cut as close to the size of a grain of rice as possible
2 cups Arborio rice
1 cup dry white wine
8 cups chicken stock (may not use all)
For the oysters:
Canola oil
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup of celery root, peeled and diced small
1 ½ cup Beech mushrooms
8 medium sized, freshly shucked oysters, diced small, and reserve the oyster liquor
2 tablespoons creme fraiche
1 cup finely grated parmesan
3 tablespoons finely cut chives
salt
lemon juice
2 cups of shaved fennel for garnish
olive oil
To make the risotto: Sweat the onions in canola oil over medium heat with a pinch of salt until they are completely translucent. Make sure you are constantly stirring to prevent the onions from browning. If the onions start to brown remove the pan from heat and deglaze it with a tablespoon of water to cool it down and then return it to medium heat. Once the onions are completely translucent add the rice and toast the grains lightly for 2 minutes. Add the white wine and reduce until it’s almost totally evaporated. Then add the chicken stock in small amounts. I like to start with ½ cup and once it’s been absorbed by the rice, and continue adding ½ cup at a time. It is important to stir with a rubber spatula the entire time to ensure the rice does not stick to the bottom of the pan (and potentially burn). Gradually add more stock until the rice is al dente. The grains will still have texture but will not be chewy.
Before Serving: In a large saute pan over medium heat, add 3 tablespoons of butter. When the butter starts to brown add the Beech mushrooms and diced celery root. Roast the vegetables in the pan slowly until golden brown. Drain the butter off of the pan and discard. Deglaze the pan with a squeeze of lemon juice and a ladle of stock to cool the pan. Add the cooked risotto and gradually add more stock to loosen the risotto until there are no clumps. Once the risotto is hot, add oysters and their liquor. Cook for 30 seconds and stir in the butter and creme fraiche until incorporated. Stir in the cheese and cook until melted. Season to taste with salt and lemon juice and 2 tablespoons of chives. Save the remaining tablespoon of chives for your garnish.
To serve: Divide the risotto between 4 bowls. Dress shaved fennel with olive oil, chives, and salt. Place an attractive pile of the fennel and chive garnish on top of each bowl of risotto.
Serves: 4
Per serving: 797 calories (percent of calories from fat, 40), 40 grams protein, 85 grams carbohydrates, 2 grams fiber, 38 grams fat (17 grams saturated), 78 milligrams cholesterol, 561 milligrams sodium.
Grilled Oysters Meuniere, Myles Smith, Kimball House, Atlanta
These oysters are gently grilled to add smoke to their already complex flavor, then soaked in a simple marinade. The oysters and their olive oil-rich marinade should be spooned over grilled crusty bread.
2 dozen Hama Hama Oysters, shucked
For the marinade:
½ cup reserved oyster liquor
1 ½ cups good olive oil
2 tablespoons shallots, minced
2 tablespoons garlic, minced
1 teaspoon capers, minced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
½ cup dry white wine
1 loaf sourdough, sliced thick
To prepare the marinade: Sweat shallots, garlic and capers in 1 ounce olive oil in a small saucepan over medium heat until translucent but do not brown. Add crushed red pepper and white wine to the pan and reduce wine until almost dry. Scrape contents of pan onto a plate and let cool. Mix remaining olive oil, reserved oyster liquor and parsley with your sweated alliums in a bowl and keep refrigerated until oysters are ready.
To grill the oysters: Start your grill and maintain a low to medium heat. Hardwood or lump charcoal is recommended. Strain oysters and place oysters carefully onto a perforated pan in a single layer. Place rack of oysters onto grill and cook without moving oysters until they have warmed through and taken on a small amount of color, about 2 minutes. Remove marinade from refrigerator and add oysters to marinade. Give them a gentle stir
To grill bread: Place slices of bread on grill and cook until you have adequate grill marks on both sides.
To serve: Stirring regularly, spoon oysters and their marinade over grilled bread and finish with fresh lemon juice.
Serves: 4
Per serving: 740 calories (percent of calories from fat, 71), 10 grams protein, 42 grams carbohydrates, 2 grams fiber, 58 grams fat (8 grams saturated), 29 milligrams cholesterol, 534 milligrams sodium.
Where to buy fresh oysters
Shop for oysters locally at markets like Whole Foods, Dekalb Farmers Market or Buford Highway Farmers Market.
Hama Hama Seafood Co. in Lilliwaup Wash., offers oysters in the shell, shucked, smoked, and pickled, and is one of the best sources of oysters by the pint: hamahamaoysters.com.
Island Creek Oysters, which has its own farm in Duxbury Bay, Mass., offers oysters by the bag and in seafood packages such as the handy "Raw Bar in a Box": islandcreekoysters.com.
