Oysters…in most people they ellicit one of two responses, love them or ick! I fell madly in love with my first Oyster in Charleston, SC at a restaurant called Bowen’s Island, where all-you-can-eat steamed oysters are served by the shovelful. If you’re in Charleston, the directions are easy: drive towards Folly Beach and turn right on the road right after the Boat. (Now if you have ever driven from downtown Charleston to Folly Beach, you know about the boat perched on the side of the road.) After turning right, you follow the road to the end where you will find a low wooden building surrounded by huge piles of oyster shells.
Of course, now that we live in Nashville our opportunities for fresh oysters to throw on a grill are a little more slim. So imagine our delight when we found a fire pit in the backyard of a rental house in Florida. A few weeks ago, H and I joined nine other friends for a week of beach bumming and general relaxation in Florida. We rented a house about a block from the beach with a pool in the backyard…and of course, the previously mentioned fire pit. Within seconds of stepping into the backyard, H and I both noticed the fire pit and with that we both started strategizing how we were going to replicate the Bowen’s Island oysters on our assigned dinner night. The fire pit demanded oysters and we happily planned to oblige.
Of course, roasting the oysters would not be the hard part, but seeing as it was July, we were both a little worried about finding fresh, local oysters in the shell. At Bowen’s Island, the degree to which the oysters were cooked varied greatly. Some were smokey and well done, while others were practically raw. I love them either way, but since it was not oyster time of year, I was a little worried about someone getting sick. (Many believe that oysters should only be consumed raw in months with an R, so basically anytime except between May and August.) The last thing I wanted on the third night of our trip was to give people food poisoning.
As Tuesday night rolled around, H and I went to pick up the fish for our fish tacos (I promise to post on these soon because they were off the charts!). At Goatfeathers Seafood Market in Blue Mountain Beach, we asked about the oysters, were they local?…yes. how fresh are they?…caught this morning. if given the option, would you eat them raw right now?…yes. With that said, H and I picked up a 22 pound box of Apalachicola oysters, 2 bags of Charcoal, and an oyster knife.
Apalachicola oysters come from Apalachicola Bay in Florida. According to a June 2002 article in the New York Times, Chefs tend to prefer them because of their larger size and more “mellow” flavor. I have to agree, they are not terribly salty and they are almost always quite large in size. Once home, H built a large fire and poured the box out onto the grate. He then spend the next 20 minutes stirring the oysters in the hopes of evenly cooking them. After a careful removal process, we sat down to an oyster feast. All 22 pounds were gone within 20 minutes. While some slathered their treasures in cocktail sauce, I just popped mine in my mouth and savored one of the glories of coastal living.
Roasted Oysters
2 bags Charcoal or enough to cover the areas with hot coals
22 pounds of Oysters
dish cloths and oyster knives for each person
Get a nice hot set of coals and pour oysters onto a grate right above them. Try to evenly distribute the oysters so they cook fairly evenly. Let cook until they start popping open. Pour onto a table and enjoy.
NOTE: The easiest way to open an oyster shell is to the insert the oyster knife at the hinge of the shell and pop it. Once you pop the hinge, it is much easier and safer to get the oyster out.
July 22, 2008 at 10:40 am
Must have put you in mind of gettin’ shucked at Nanny’s during Christmas! I agree on the Apalach oysters. They do rock!!
July 22, 2008 at 1:44 pm
Mary – Nanny’s Merry Shucking Christmas party was awesome!
July 22, 2008 at 2:26 pm
this post made me wish i was there! i’ve gotta say, i never really understood that whole “no shellfish eaten in months w/o an R in it” – is that really true? i’ve NEVER lived that way my whole 32 years and all my summers are spent on the jersey shore and i’ve never once been sick from eating shellfish raw or not raw in the summer. i’m still trying to get to the bottom of this one!
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Jonathan, I totally agree with you. I have never understood the R thing either.
January 4, 2013 at 1:55 pm
The whole “R” month thing was due mostly to lack of refrigeration and transporting the bi-valves from bed to dining table…….hence the surge of canning facilities on the docks in the days before reliable refrigeration (including ice machines). Still something to be said about slurping oysters on a crisp fall day around a good fire with a cold brew in hand!
July 22, 2008 at 5:54 pm
I love oysters, but have never had them roasted like this. I bet they taste amazing!
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I think you will love these. I know some people who will open them and then roast them on the half shell with parmesean, parsley and garlic. Also delicious! I tend to be a purist and this process is much easier.
July 22, 2008 at 5:56 pm
Love oysters (prefer them raw) and the fire pit is just too cool!
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I have a few more things we did on the fire pit during our vacation, so stay tuned for more fire pit fun.
July 22, 2008 at 7:37 pm
Oh how I love oysters! There had been a huge shortage of oysters in Singapore due to some oyster contamination issue, so I haven’t had oysters for some time. Time to look for some to satisfy my craving! Your picture of so many beautiful fresh oysters is making me drool :)~~
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Wiffy, that is awful! I totally understand craving oysters and having trouble finding the,. Good luck!
July 23, 2008 at 9:04 am
This looks absolutely stunning- The pics just bring back so many memories of al fresco eating! I can’t wait for my summer holidays now! 🙂
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Thanks Donal! Enjoy your holidays!
July 23, 2008 at 1:18 pm
I’ve heard that oysters tend to spawn in the summer, so a lot of the fat and minerals that make oysters taste so good are being used to spawn, so it’s just a taste thing. I’ve also heard that the “R” thing is a holdover from days before mechanical cooling, when oysters would just spoil faster in the warmer weather.
In any case, I just had some Apalachicola oysters this weekend too, and they were wonderful. I love your pit!
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PeterMarcus, I think you are right. I have always heard it was a holdover from the days before refrigeration. I am missing the fire pit terribly since our return from vacation.
July 23, 2008 at 5:36 pm
What a cool idea – we already have the fire pit and everything.
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If you have a fire pit, you have to do this! You will love it!
July 23, 2008 at 6:10 pm
I must agree, as a Gulf Coast girl, that Appalachicola oysters are the best. These particular ones, shown steaming slowly over the pit, were FANTASTIC! Also, I haven’t been to Bowen’s Island in a while (only because I am waiting for the grand rebuilding after their unfortunate fire), but I cannot wait to eat there again…
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Call us when they open and we will make another trip down!
July 23, 2008 at 9:28 pm
Fabulous way to have oysters! I’m drooling. . .
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Thanks!
July 23, 2008 at 9:55 pm
Wow, and to think…the only thing we use our fire pit for is wienies and marshmallows…oh the possibilities…
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You have to try this! I have another post from our vacation where we used the fire pit, so stay tuned.
July 24, 2008 at 11:26 am
Wow: those look AMAZING.
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Thanks!
July 31, 2008 at 9:09 am
I am one of the oyster lovers, but do not eat them nearly enough. I can’t believe there is an all-you-can-eat oyster place. It is worth the drive from NJ just to give it a try. I am so jealous of the roasted oysters!
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You will love Bowen’s Island! It is totally worth the drive.
August 4, 2008 at 9:43 pm
[…] few weeks ago, I talked about my love of oysters and the fun H and I had roasting oysters over a fire pit on our vacation. That same night, H and I were responsible for planning all of […]
October 22, 2008 at 12:47 pm
I live in Charleston, SC and we know here not to eat oysters in summer! I have to admit, about 7 years ago I was down in the keys and had oysters rockafeller, with raw oysters on it. Now I’ve known NOT to eat oysters in the summer months, but the waiter said that they got theirs in the winter and froze them. So I ate them, and the next day I got violently ill (along with my brother), with vomiting and upset stomach. It was terrible. Don’t eat ’em raw in the summer! -Unless they’re Pacific oysters.
March 30, 2009 at 11:09 pm
[…] also. Fried Oyster Quesadilla – Original use of the fried oyster. (@ Eating Club Vancouver) Fire-Pit Roasted Oysters – If you don’t want to shuck, you can just throw them all on a hot flame. They will open […]
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March 16, 2012 at 9:26 pm
I am a native of Charleston SC, and just so yall know the reason we have the “r” rule is because the warm waters in the summer tend to grow a lot more bacteria, and since oysters are mother natures filters they become ridden with this bacteria making them unsafe to eat raw. So, the “r” rule is a good one and if you still want your oysters in july and dont want food poisoning just make sure you cook them all the way. They also tend to be smaller and less flavorful during the summer, personally I would rather crave them all summer and gorge myself during winter…… kinda like egg nog. lol.
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