Oysters on the Half-Shell & other Glorious Gems from the Sea

Just to give some context to the Gillardeau, we had them at the restaurant along with 2 other varieties, Especial and something else. The other 2 varieties are about 13 euros for 6, and these were 23 euros for 6. We order a dozen of these, knowing how wonderful they are in season, and half dozen of each of the other varieties. The Gillardeau blew them out of the water with the richness, both mouthfeel and taste. Creamy and sweet, but still retaining sharp brininess and fresh ocean taste. The others tasted anorexic next to these. So of course, we had to procure a case of 96 at about 100 euros. I was so tempted to change my flight to stay on for a couple of more days just to finish off the case.

Gillardeau at home in Paris:







Gillardeau at a Paris bistro:



Accompanied by a lovely wine:



Sardines at a Parisian fish market:



Langoustine:



Octopus:



Fish, glorious, fish...and oh those crevettes rose, so very sweet, intense shrimp flavors, peeled and deeped in a rich handmade egg mayonnaise:



Petoncles (i.e. scallops) – Notice how they sell the entire scallop, roe (yummm, is yummo justifiably used here?) and all, not just the muscle:



My favorite fish, sole, but not in season, so they are kind of little:



Mackerel:



Buchot mussels - Had some at a Paris restaurant for dessert they were so good which I will post in another thread:



Clams, but not sure what it is in English (not periwinkle):



Bulots:



So much more, but these are some of the highlights. We picked up a case of Brittany lobsters/homards, case of Gillardeau oysters, a case of lotte fish (monkfish) which has about 4 whole ones that they filet for us. It was my last night in Paris, so I stuck with the oysters which j’adore, and left the rest to my family to enjoy.

Thank you so much for posting those pics!
I am both envious and starving after seeing those!

Fantastic pictures, petite_gourmande!

As a sidenote, I'm sometimes able to get my hands on Speciales Gillardeau at the market in Stockholm (scroll down a few shots).

They truly are incredible!

Bridgestone wrote:Fantastic pictures, petite_gourmande!

As a sidenote, I'm sometimes able to get my hands on Speciales Gillardeau at the market in Stockholm (scroll down a few shots).

They truly are incredible!

Stockholm? Oh my, we would love a trip up North. If I may reach out to you the next time we are ready to venture away from France. It's easier to vacation in France to allow members of the family to join throughout the week, but I think a venture further out is always exciting and interesting.

The shame of of is there is nothing even remotely compared to this selection and freshness available in the Chicago area!
Great pics and thanks for Posting!-Dick

Great pics. (I think you have clams id'd as periwinkles tho.) Are those stone crab claws? If so, where from? Crab is one thing I never noticed in France or Italy when ogling the seafood.

JeffB wrote:Great pics. (I think you have clams id'd as periwinkles tho.) Are those stone crab claws? If so, where from? Crab is one thing I never noticed in France or Italy when ogling the seafood.

You're right, they are clams, but not sure what the variety is in English.

They have tourteau, not sure if they are stone crabs. The meat is very sweet, and when in season, a huge chunk of bright orange roe. Another one of my favorite. I usually cast the claws aside, prefering the body and the roe.

Edited to include link to pic of tourteau, which appears to be brown crab as Bridgestone pointed out.

JeffB wrote:Are those stone crab claws? If so, where from? Crab is one thing I never noticed in France or Italy when ogling the seafood.

I'm pretty certain that those are claws from a brown crab.

Bridgestone wrote:

JeffB wrote:Are those stone crab claws? If so, where from? Crab is one thing I never noticed in France or Italy when ogling the seafood.

I'm pretty certain that those are claws from a brown crab.

I think you are right, they are brown crabs.

We made a late afternoon trip to Point Reyes in Marin County for some oysters. Stopped at Tomales Bay Oyster Company where we picked up 2 dozens of oysters, then onto Marshall Store where we picked up another 2 dozens.

The ‘small’ Pacific Coast variety was the only ones available thus recommended oysters from both places. Only Hog Island had specialty varieties such as Belon and Kumamotos, but we didn’t make it because the stores were closing, and we were rushing to drive back across Marin as heavy fog was rolling in with the waning sun. I do need to head back out for Kumamotos though.

We also had a half-dozen of oysters and bowl of NE clam chowder at the Marshall Store. The accompanying mignonette sauce was very nice, so I asked for some to take out, which they tossed in gratis. The oysters here were only $8/dozen for takeout unshucked with free ice, as opposed to $10/dozen at Tomales Bay plus $1 for an ice pack. The Marshall Store also tossed about 6 to 8 extra oysters.

After opening for a side by side comparison, I think I preferred the Marshall Store ones by a slight edge, because each one has the nice dark lacy skirt on the oysters and overflowing with liquor. Besides, can’t beat the freebies they tossed in.

Before leaving Chicago, I picked up some oyster knives from Crate and Barrel at half-off that includes this ingenious wooden block to hold the oyster in place. No need for no stinkin’ towels or fancy dancy industrial gloves. I shucked 2 dozens at each sitting in no time.









Last 2 dozens of the 4:

Those oysters are just a beautiful sight!
I've been opening oysters for decades and have any number of both clam and oyster knives. After a puncture wound while opening a little-neck about 20 years ago, I reverted to a Kevlar glove for the left hand. I'll have to find a Crate&Barrel and try that holder.
At the the Acme Oyster House in NOLA, 'Hollywood' uses a heavy rubber glove for shucking and he must do a thousand on a good day. Fun to watch and of course eat. Thanks for the pics.-Dick

budrichard wrote:Those oysters are just a beautiful sight!
I've been opening oysters for decades and have any number of both clam and oyster knives. After a puncture wound while opening a little-neck about 20 years ago, I reverted to a Kevlar glove for the left hand. I'll have to find a Crate&Barrel and try that holder.
At the the Acme Oyster House in NOLA, 'Hollywood' uses a heavy rubber glove for shucking and he must do a thousand on a good day. Fun to watch and of course eat. Thanks for the pics.-Dick

Them be experts and all...flick of the wrist and voila! A juicy beaut.

The only criticism I have about the holder, is that the lip of the shell tilts downward, so precious liquor seeps out as soon as the cover cracks open. Unless I am not positioning the holder correctly. Will have to get more to practice with. I was searching online, and found them for half-off ($5), and thought it only came with the knife, but then saw the holder which looked rather flimsy, not sure how effective it can be. Worked out beautifully though. No wounds what so ever, and I am very accident prone in the kitchen.

I live in Madison, WI - we don't have a Crate & Barrel and I don't see the oyster-shucker companions on their website. They are brilliant, however, as I was planning on ordering a crate of oysters next month to share w/friends. Have you ever seen these elsewhere?

holmes3 wrote:I live in Madison, WI - we don't have a Crate & Barrel and I don't see the oyster-shucker companions on their website. They are brilliant, however, as I was planning on ordering a crate of oysters next month to share w/friends. Have you ever seen these elsewhere?

There are all kinds of shuckers available to aid amateurs like me, but this is by far the most economical.

Here is a plethora of oyster 'blocks' out there, and they are priced accordingly. For $5 bucks, it's a no-brainer,even at $10 bucks. No others that are comparable in price, but they may work better. I just don't use it even to justify it, nor have the space.

http://www.shopwiki.com/oyster+shucker

Interesting articles about Gillardeau oysters:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/27/world ... 65432.html

http://www.departures.com/articles/roch ... au-oysters

Oysters are about variety, location, cultivation and marketing.
We purchase oysters of various varieties from Browne Trading and have them shipped overnight to the MidWest. It's the only way to get a quality oyster.
I have simply stopped purchasing them from any MidWest local source.
Clams in the Cherrystone to Little Neck size I can usually obtain from H-Mart surprisingly enough if I ask for them to bring me out a bag.
Other shellfish are usually not acceptable from any local source unless purchased from Mitsuwa.
I certainly wish I could purchase some Gillardeau Oysters!-Dick

budrichard wrote:Oysters are about variety, location, cultivation and marketing.
We purchase oysters of various varieties from Browne Trading and have them shipped overnight to the MidWest. It's the only way to get a quality oyster.
I have simply stopped purchasing them from any MidWest local source.
Clams in the Cherrystone to Little Neck size I can usually obtain from H-Mart surprisingly enough if I ask for them to bring me out a bag.
Other shellfish are usually not acceptable from any local source unless purchased from Mitsuwa.
I certainly wish I could purchase some Gillardeau Oysters!-Dick

Do you have the oysters shipped for personal consumption orfor a restaurant? YOu have had Gillardeau before?

That's one thing I miss most living in the Midwest, immediate access to large variety of seafood, especially shellfish.

During a trip to Deauville/Trouville on the French Atlantics around Christmas one year, scallops caught that morning are sold in series of stands along the dock for 10 to 15 euros a kilo. Of course they are still in their shell and everything is eaten, not just the muscle. Can't get any fresher than that.

Having H-Mart is a godsend, nice to be able to pick up uni, wild caught mussels, sashimi, etc.

On my next trip to Point Reyes, I'll pick up some little neck. Would I be wasting them if I use them for New England Clam Chowder? Or should I just steam them?

Another fascinating thing about oysters is oyster gardening:
http://mdk12.org/instruction/curriculum/hsa/biology/oysters/garden/seed.html

Oysters ordered from Browne Trading are for personal consumption by the bag of 100, only during winter months because even with Overnight, you never can tell.

Never have had Gillardeau! Shame.

Mitsuwa is much better for uni, sashimi and some types of Japanese fish. Have to be careful of H-Mart. Purchased the worst Toro I have ever had there, inedible it was so tough!

Little necks are actually best raw with a dash of Crystal hot sauce. Used to eat Little-necks and Cherry-stones with lemon when living in Massachusetts and when in Maine in the summers or out on Cape Cod but after a trip to NOLA I became a convert to Tabasco and then Crystal because the Crystal is a little milder.
Ordered cherry-stones in NewPort News once, they came boiled with butter, never quite got over that.
Traditional chowder is made with chopped Quahogs but can be made with any size clam really.
It's shame that Maine Law requires shucking scallops at sea.-Dick

budrichard wrote:Oysters ordered from Browne Trading are for personal consumption by the bag of 100, only during winter months because even with Overnight, you never can tell.

Never have had Gillardeau! Shame.

Mitsuwa is much better for uni, sashimi and some types of Japanese fish. Have to be careful of H-Mart. Purchased the worst Toro I have ever had there, inedible it was so tough!

Little necks are actually best raw with a dash of Crystal hot sauce. Used to eat Little-necks and Cherry-stones with lemon when living in Massachusetts and when in Maine in the summers or out on Cape Cod but after a trip to NOLA I became a convert to Tabasco and then Crystal because the Crystal is a little milder.
Ordered cherry-stones in NewPort News once, they came boiled with butter, never quite got over that.
Traditional chowder is made with chopped Quahogs but can be made with any size clam really.
It's shame that Maine Law requires shucking scallops at sea.-Dick

I agree, Mitsuwa is much better for fresher and better quality product. I, too, had to learn my lesson the hard way with H-Mart on several occasions (yes, a little slow on the uptake, or can't quite believe this is the usual business model, maybe it's just an off-day, but no, I need to perform my own due diligence regarding quality and willing to take the risk.)

Thanks for the advice on clams, just have not had good experience with raw clams, but do love cooked ones.

The next time you order oysters into Chicago, I will volunteer my shucking service. I will happily work for food.

I have to say this whole thread (those photos!) makes me weep with jealousy. I can offer only a photo of an oyster seed farm in Arcata, CA.

It has an interesting history. It was founded by a couple of Peace Corps volunteers who brought back from Africa the idea of creating jobs through the development of low-tech small industries. Oyster farming seemed to be appropriate for the area and after some time they started specializing in seed oysters. The founders have now been bought out by a larger company, but the technology, which appears to mostly involve pumping water through lots of tanks, is unchanged and still very low-tech.
Checking out the oyster farm by yooperann, on Flickr

Predictably, Arcata now has an annual oyster fest. I missed the festival by a week this summer, but I did take advantage of a seller at the farmers' market.
BBQ oysters at the Arcata farmers market by yooperann, on Flickr

3 or $5, 6 for $10, or doz for $20. That's pretty reasonable, especially grilled with or without garlic butter. Usually the BBQ'ed ones are much larger than the x-small or small for raw consumption.

Arcata, CA, is way up north. Bet it's a nice drive up. Is it worth a day trip from Marin? Looks like they have a much more developed oyster operations than Point Reyes, certainly quite a few more.

Menus of past Oyster Fest sounds great! Oysters and more oysters. On the half shell, panfried/fried, grilled/bbq, shooters, etc. Wonder if it's like an oyster ice, not ice cream, but perhaps oyster shooter in mignonette granita? Another thing I love is asian oyster pancake/omelette, that goes by various names depending on region. Oyster on a stick? That's de rigueur for any fest, right? Something fried on a stick, like fried oyster kushi. Better stop dreaming.

Thanks for bringing this to our attention, never know when one might be in the area on July 4th.

petite_gourmande wrote:Arcata, CA, is way up north. Bet it's a nice drive up. Is it worth a day trip from Marin?

It's a good five hour drive each way from Marin, too much of it on 2 lane roads with logging trucks acting like they know--and own--the road and you don't. I flew in on Horizon Air, which I highly recommend (free local beers and wines)! It's beautiful country--more like Oregon than southern or even central California. My sister's food restrictions have been previously discussed so beyond telling you that they have fine bagels, a great farmers market, and a gorgeous co-op I can't say much about dining opportunities. Fabulous people-watching, though!
Arcata young by yooperann, on Flickr

Had this post on my mind for well over a week when today found me sitting on the communter train headed into central Stockholm.

What could I do but stop and buy some oysters?



That's three (wild, diver-harvested) Swedish belons on the left, three Speciales Gillardeau on the right and three marked Royal (and for the same price as the Speciales Gillardeau).

The winners today were the Royal. They were massive:





They were all spectacular! Thanks petite_gourmande for getting me in the oyster mood!

The real star of tonight though is:



Not sure if you can see her beautiful blue coloring:



Her? It wasn't without a pang of guilt that I could easily see this was a female lobster:

What's your favorite type of oyster? I've just had some delicious Onsets from Neptune Oyster in Boston, MA (where the oyster list reads like wine descriptions).

This year in July for our family vacation, we landed in Le Guilvinec , a commune of the Finistere department of the Bretagne region of France. Our modern 4 bedroom with its own bath cottage (bonus luxury) is right across from the fishing port /auction house and a little beach area.

Each weekday, the fishing boats rush back by 5pm with their daily catch in time for the auction, before the daily catch hits the local seafood shops by 5:30. Langoustines are in season this time of the year for about 16 Euros a kilo, prices are highest at 5:30pm, and drops by 1 Euro per hour until they close at 8pm.

Before this, the only langoustines I’ve had was in Paris, and was never a fan, found them to be mushy and tasteless. OH MY, the difference when they are fresh off the boat and in prime season. They were so sweet, succulent, and beautifully firm texture with a head full of tamale and bright orange roe.

A perfect starter to each meal, simply blanched with fragrant bay leaves and peppercorn with large tub of golden homemade mayonnaise. Paired with refreshing white, unfortunately, we had to ver toward Bourgogne whites since the local Muscadet sur Lie and Entre-Deux-Mers were not a hit with the family. They were actually good enough value for me, given the price points and quality, but who’s to argue when your brother hauls back Bourgognes?

View from our cottage to the port:


Boat unloading approximately 5pm:








Each meal starts with a couple of tubs of these delightful critters:


Laden with caviar:


...and sometimes these, too:


...and these:


...which turned into these:


and these:


and to round out the Fruits des mer:


We went a little crazy that first day, couldn't help ourselves.

magnificent post and pics p_g, looks like that is heaven on earth for shellfish fans.

Thought of you, Vangie and Shay....

how you would have loved it, and how my family would have spoiled Shay.

Abundance of shellfish and crustaceans to her heart's content...closing with the most buttery and delicate crepes and pastries. Not really a dessert person, but could not resist the nightly crepe ritual from the local creperie (will post later).

Gorgeous, PG, simply gorgeous! How did you find the rental?

(Did you try the local Gros Plant with your seafood? It's pretty sprightly! : )

Geo