As oyster season approaches, I thought I'd talk about what oysters mean to me. I absolutely love oysters. Growing up at the beaches, I couldn't count the number of oyster roasts I've been to, whether the oysters were grilled and served with warm butter, fried and served with tartar sauce, or served raw on a cracker with cocktail sauce and horseradish. To me, the flavor of each oyster tells you how to eat it: the cleaner they taste, the less you need to do to them. During spawning season, the months without an R, I grill them harder, add some cheese and squeeze on a little lemon. I've always thought an oyster should taste like getting smacked in the face by a wave.
Buying oysters shouldn't be intimidating, either. Any place that sells oysters should know a good deal about what they're selling. Your fishmonger will have the tags for them close by, usually in the box. The tag will tell you when and where the oysters were harvested. It will also tell you when to discard them. Using your own senses, you can judge for yourself whether they're good. If they have a foul odor and are open, don't buy them.
I've personally dealt with all the seafood purveyors in the area, and they're particularly good at what they do and keep the oysters fresh. Some of them source their oysters from different areas as well. I've personally been buying oysters from the James River area in Virginia. I find them consistent and flavorful all year long. Recently I've been buying another type of oyster from the Suwannee River, Horseshoe Beach to be specific, that's raised through aquaculture, meaning it's grown in off-bottom beds. Rather than dredging wild beds on the bay bottom, farmers use floating cages, adjustable longlines and tumbling baskets. Tumbling produces a deep, uniform cup with a thick shell that holds plenty of liquor, ideal for a high-end half-shell presentation.
So if your fishmonger isn't too busy, ask a few questions. Many of them love to talk about their seafood and know a lot about it. Whether they're high-end oysters or not, I think you'll find something you'll like. As with all cooking, if at first you don't succeed, try, try again.
