From the sea to the table

My family took a trip to the Hood Canal (about 1 hour west of Seattle) last weekend to spend a few days relaxing by the water, kayaking, playing games, and eating seafood. The weather wasn’t very nice, but that didn’t stop us from digging for clams and mussels, and collecting oysters. I say “collecting” because there are literally hundreds of oysters and oyster shells lying on the top of the rocks (no sandy beaches here) right on the beach and in the shallow water. I learned a lot about oysters this weekend. For example, this gathering of oysters is called an oyster bed, and after you eat the oysters, it’s best to let the shells dry out and put them back into the bed. Read all about it here: http://blueoceannotes.wordpress.com/2011/06/24/shell-game-recycling-oyster-shells-to-restore-oyster-beds/ .

Anyway, our priority was eating, of course! We mainly cooked oysters since they were the easiest to gather. The clams and mussels required digging into the rocky sand while looking out for sharp oyster shells. We found a good number of clams and mussels too, which were delicious cooked in a white wine broth served alongside French bread.

Back to the oysters… they first had to be cracked open, not an easy task (see below for pictures), then it was time to cook.

Before putting them on the grill, I melted some butter in a small saucepan and added lemon juice, white wine and salt. I cooked it for a few minutes, then put the oysters on the grill, their shells acting as little pots for them to cook in. I poured a little into each oyster shell as they were cooking. After about 5 minutes, they were done. That was about the freshest seafood I'd ever consumed!  Even if you don't have the opportunity to collect them yourself, you could always get oysters at a good fish market and try this simple way of cooking them. Enjoy!